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HISTORY 


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liERKi/ncR  County 

NEW  YORK 

ILLUSTRATED    WITH  PORTKAFTS  OF  MANY   OF 
ITS         "IZ^  V.s 


GEORGE  A.  HARDIN 

ASSISTKU    HV 

FRANK  H.  WILLARD 


SYRACUSE,  N.  Y.: 
D.  MASON  &  CO.,  Publishers. 
1893. 


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To  the  Citizens  of  Herkimer  County 


When  the  publishers,  in  1892,  declared  their  intention  to  publish 
another  history  of  Herkimer  County,  they  made  inquiry  as  to  the 
unbound  volumes  of  the  history  prepared  by  Judge  Benton,  and 
issued  in  1856.  Such  information  as  they  desired  was  furnished  them 
on  that  subject,  and  then  they  asked  if  consent  would  be  given  to  aid 
and  assist  in  supervising  their  proposed  publication. 

As  a  century  had  passed  since  the  organization  of  the  County,  and 
thirty- six  years  had  elapsed  since  the  publication  of  "  Benton's  His- 
tory,"  it  was  believed  that  many  events  not  noticed  in  that  work  could 
be  collected,  and  that,  with  the  multitude  of  events  transpiring  since 
that  time,  the  proposed  work  would  be  welcomed.  Therefore  consent 
was  given  to  aid  in  gathering  material;  in  advising  as  to  events  known; 
in  suggesting  sources  from  which  facts  could  be  obtained  worthy  of 
being  recorded. 

After  such  consent  was  given,  it  was  found  necessary  to  have  an 
immediate  assistant  to  look  after  details,  and  to  prepare  descriptions 
and  outlines  of  events  worthy  of  notice.  For  such  puipose  Mr. 
Frank  H.  Willard  was  mentioned  and  engaged  by  the  publishers,  and 
he  has  with  fidelity  performed  the  work  assigned  to  him. 

It  was  known  that  the  late  Samuel  Earl  had  collected  much  valuable 
information  concerning  early  events  and  written  many  articles  record- 
ing them.  An  application  was  suggested  and  made  to  his  son,  Robert 
Earl  2d,  and  to  his  brother.  Judge  Earl,  who  promptly  and  cheerfully 
gave  access  to  all  the  articles  written  and  information  gathered  by 
Mr.  S.  Earl,  and  the  same  have  been  valuable  aids  in  preparing  the 
following  pages. 


12  PREFACE. 

Valuable  information  has  also  been  furnished  by  W.  T.  Loomis,  Esq.; 
by  Mr.  William  G.  Milligan  and  manj'  others,  to  whom  grateful  ac- 
knowledgments are  due,  and  therefore  given. 

The  County  bears  a  patriot's  name,  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  reader 
may  find  in  these  pages  evidences  that  its  citizens  have  in  times  past 
and  passing,  honored  tlie  hero  of  the  battle  of  Oriskany. 

The  bench  and  bar,  as  well  as  many  distinguished  members  of  the 
legal  and  other  professions  who  have  had  their  origin  in  this  Count}', 
have  been  given  extended  notice. 

The  manufacturing  industries  developed  in  the  County  have  received, 
as  tliey  justlv  merit,  considerable  attention. 

The  portraits  found  in  the  work,  with  biographical  sketches  accom- 
panying them,  serve  to  illustrate  the  character  of  citizens  who  have 
had  their  homes  within  the  bounds  of  the  County,  and  it  is  believed 
they  will  furnish  interesting  features  of  the  work. 

The  publishers  have  given  painstaking  attention  to  every  detail  in 
the  mechanical  preparation  of  this  volume.  The  engravings  have  been 
carefully  executed  by  artists  of  well-known  ability,  and  the  letter-press, 
binding  and  gilding  are  in  excellent  style. 

Vigilant  eftbrts  have  been  made  to  trace  authoritatively  the  events 
narrated,  and  give  reliable  information  as  to  the  scenes  and  deeds 
which  have  given  the  County  a  worthy  position  in  the  Empire  State. 

To  its  citizens  the  work  is  submitted,  in  the  hope  that  it  will  meet 
with  their  approbation. 

Respectfully, 

George  A.  Hardin. 

Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  May,  1893. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

DESCRIPTIVE  OF  THE  COUNTY, 17 

CHAPTER  H. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENTS 27 

CHAPTER  in. 

THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR, 40 

CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD, 47 

CHAPTER  V. 

GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS 86 

CHAPTER  VI. 
THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD, 94 

CHAPTER  VH. 
HISTORY  OF  CHEESE  DAIRYING  IN  HERKIMER  COUNTY, 110 

CHAPTER  Vni. 
TEE  COURTS,  THE  BENCH  AND  THE  BAR  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY 131 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  r^ERKTMER  COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY, 155 

CHAPTER  X. 
THE  TOWN  OK  G ERMA N  FLATS, 175 

CHAPTER  XI. 
THE  TOWN  OF  HERKIMER, 213 

CHAPTER  XII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS,     242 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  FAIRFIELD, 301 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
THE  TOWN  OF  SALISBURY, ........315 

CHAPTER  XV. 
>)   THE  TOWN  OF  MANHELM 328 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  TOWN  OF  DANUBE 343 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  STARK, 348 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
THE  TOWN  OP  WARREN 354 


CONTENTS.  15 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  TOWN  OF  COLUMBIA 361 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  TOWN  OF  WINFIELD 368 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
THE  TOWN  OF  LITCHFIELD 382 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  FRANKFORT 387 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  SCHUVLER 397 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  TOWN  OF  NEWPORT 405 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
THE  TOWN  OF  NORWAY .412 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  TOWN  OF  RUSSIA 434 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  TOWN  OF  OHIO 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  WILMURT 


16  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
BIOGRAPHICAL 453 


PART  II, 

FA M I LY   SKETCH ES 1 

INDEX   251 

INDEX  TO  FAMILY  SKETCHES 267 


HISTORY 


HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

DESCRIPTIVE   OF   THE   COUNTY. 

NEARLY  three-quarters  of  a  century  had  passed  after  the  first  ad- 
vent of  permanent  white  settlers  into  the  valley  of  the  upper  Mo- 
hawk river — a  period  made  historically  memorable  by  the  occurrence 
of  many  important  events  and  the  enactment  of  deeds  of  valor  and 
heroism — before  Herkimer  county  existed  as  a  subdivision  of  the  State 
of  New  York.  The  original  ten  counties  of  the  colony  were  created 
November  i,  1683,  and  named  Albany,  New  York,  Dutchess,  Kings, 
Orange,  Queens,  Richmond,  Suffolk,  Ulster,  and  Westchester  On 
March  11,  1772,  Montgomery  county  was  created,  under  the  name  of 
Tryon  (changed  in  1784),  and  embraced  nearly  the  whole  of  the  cen- 
tral and  western  part  of  the  State.  Herkimer  county  was  erected  from 
Montgomery  February  16,  1791,  and  received  its  name  in  honor  of  the 
distinguished  general,  Nicholas  Herkimer.  As  first  formed  the  county 
embraced  a  vast  extent  of  territory,  extending  from  its  eastern  boundary 
westward  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  Ontario  county,  exclusive  of  the 
territory  of  Otsego  and  Tioga  counties,  which  were  erected  at  the  same 
date  with  Herkimer.  The  boundaries  of  the  county  as  originally  given 
were  as  follows  ;   All  the  territory  bounded  north  by  Lake  Ontario,  the 


18 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


river  St.  Lawrence,  and  tlie  north  bounds  of  the  State  ;  easterly  by  the 
counties  of  Clinton,  Washington  and  Saratoga,  as  they  then  were  ;  south 
eriy  by  the  counties  of  Montgomery,  Otsego  and  Tioga.  From  this 
large  tract  of  country  Onondaga  county  was  set  ofif  in  1794  ;  Oneida  in 
1798  ;  Chenango,  from  Herkimer  and  Tioga,  in  1798  ;  and  these  counties 
have  been  variously  subdivided  at  later  dates.  In  18 16  parts  of  the  towns 
of  Richfield  and  Flainfield,  in  Otsego  county,  were  taken,  with  a  part 
of  Litchfield,  Herkimer  county,  to  form  the  present  town  of  Winfield. 
(See  chapter  5  of  the  Laws  of  1817,  and  chapter  228  of  Lawsof  1816.) 
In  1817  the  towns  of  Salisbury  and  Manheim,  and  all  that  part  of  Min- 
den  (Montgomery  county)  now  comprised  in  Danube  and  Stark,  were 
annexed  to  Herkimer  county.  (See  chapter  184  of  Laws  of  18 17.) 
This  county  as  it  now  exists  covers  an  area  of  1,370  square  miles,  and 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  St.  Lawrence  county  ;  on  the  east  by  Ham- 
ilton, Fulton  and  Montgomery  counties;  on  the  south  by  Otsego  coun- 
ty ;  and  on  the  west  by  Oneida  and  Lewis  counties. 

The  present  county  comprises  within  its  limits  the  following  tracts 
and  parts  of  tracts  of  land  granted  by  tlie  crown  before  the  Revolution, 
and  by  the  State  since  the  treaty  of  1783  : 


NAMES  OF  PATENTS  OR  TRACTS. 


Adgate's  Tract, '-.. 
Bayard's  Patent,'.. 


Brown's   (John)  Tract,*- 


Cosby's   Manor,  ' ._ 

Colden's  (A. '  Patent 

Frank  (Conrad)  &  Go's  Patent,. 

Fall-Hill  Patent. -- 

Glen's  Purchase 

Hommedieu's  (I/)  Patent, 

Henderson's  Patent," 

Hasenclever's  Patent, 

Johnson's  (Guy)  Patent, 

Jersey  field  Patent," 

Kass's  Patent, 

Lindsay's  Patent, 

Livingston's  Patent,' 

Lispenard's  Patent,' 

Lansinjr's  Patent,' .,. 

McComb's  Purchase.' 

McNeil's    Patent, 

Match in's  Patent,' _. 

Nobleborough  Tract,'. _ 

Moose  River  Tract," 


NAMES  OF  ORIGINAL  PATENTEES. 


Petrie's  Purchase,.- i   1740 

Royal  Grant | 


43,907  j  Mathew  Adgate. 

50,000  ;  William  Bayard,  Alexander  Ellis,  and  fifty-three 
j         others. 

I  A  part  of  i,Q2o,ooo  acres  granted  to  Alexander  Ma- 

I         comb. 

g,4Do    Johan  Joost  Petri,  and  ninety-three  others. 

3,000    Cadwallader  Colden,  the  younger,  and  Coenradt 

I         Ryghtmeyer. 
22,000    Joseph  WoiTell,  William  Cosby,  and  nine  others. 

4,000    Alexander  Colden.  and  three  others. 

5,000    Coenradt  Frank,  and  five  others. 

2,324  I  Johan  Joost  and  Hendrik  Herchkeimer. 
25,076 

4,000  I  Kzra  L'Hommedieu  and  Nathaniel  Piatt. 

6,000    James  Henderson,  and  two  others 
18.000  I  Peter  Hasenclever,  and  seventeen  others. 

2,000    Guy  Johnson.     Forfeited  by  attainder  of  G.  J. 
94,000    Henry  Glen,  Alexander  Ellis,  and  ninety-two  others 

1,100    Johan  J[urgh  Kass.  and  his  children. 

3,000  I  John  Lindsay  and  Philip  Livingston. 
20,000  I  Philip  Livingston,  and  nineteen  others. 

9,200  ■  Leonard  Lispenard,  and  thirteen  others. 

6,000    Jacob  and  Abraham  Lansing,  and  Jacob  GleD. 

j  Alexander  Macomb. 

4,000  I  John  McNeil,  and  three  others. 

1,600    Thomas  Matchin. 
40,960  !  Arthur  Noble. 

i  Owned  by  the  State, except  13,080  gfranted  ini847  to 

j  Anson  Blake. 

6,000    John  Tost  Petrie,  and  two  others. 

!  Sir  William  Johnson. 


DESCRIPTIVE  OF  THE  COUNTY. 


t 

2 

o3 

NAMES  OF  PATENTS  OR  TRACTS. 

08 

NAMES  OF  ORIGINAL  PATENTEES. 

Henry  Remsen  and  three  others. 

Snell  and  Timmerman'sPatent-. 

3,600 

Jacob  Timbernian  and  Johan  Joost  Schnell. 

1755 

34,000 

Nicholas  Herchkeimer,  and  fifteen  others. 

Schuyler's  Patent ..   

Abraham  Lynsen,  and  twenty-one  others. 

Totten  and  Crossfield  Patent  •-. 

Vrooraan's  Patent,* 

9,760 

Isaac  Vrooman. 

do                --- 

T7R6 

Isaac  \  rooman. 

1790 

«3 

Isaac  Vrooman 

Van  Driesen,  Peter,.  .  _ 

Petrus  Van  Driessen. 

Van  Driesen,  John ,.  .. 

1786 

428 

Johan  Van  Driessen. 

Van  Home's  Patent,'.. 

8,000 

Abraham  \  an  Home,  and  three  others. 

Vaughn's   Patent 

1770 

8,000 

John  Vaughn,  and  seven  others. 

Watson's  James  Tract,* . 

A  part  of  Macomb's  purchase. 

Winne's  Patent, 

2  000 

Peter  Winne. 

Walton's  Patent,  -. 

,7fiR 

12  000 

William  Walton,  jr.,  and  eleven  others. 

Young's  Patent,* 

1752 

14,000 

Theobald  Young,  and  ten  others. 

This  mark  (')  denotes  that  the  lands  indicated  are  partly  in  Herkimer,  and  partly  in  other 
counties. 

The  foregoing  table  indicates  that  the  title  to  most  of  the  lands  in  the 
county  was  granted  by  the  crown  before  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution, 
and  those  grants  were  recognized  as  valid  by  the  constitution  of  1777; 
but  at  the  same  time  the  State  was  left  free  to  protect  itself  against 
treason  or  hostility  by  any  person  holding  under  the  grants,  as  hereafter 
shown. 

In  explanation  of  the  table  the  following  details  are  of  interest  : 

The  original  evidence  of  ownership  of  the  Burnetffield  lots  were  certificates  given 
the  grantees  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1723.  The  next  transaction  in  land  in  the 
county  was  the  purchase  of  the  Kast  patent  in  1724  by  the  family  of  that  name,  who 
were  among  the  Burnetsfield  patentees.  John  Jurgh  Kast  and  his  son  of  the  same  name 
had  each  received  a  thirty-acre  lowland  and  a  seventy-acre  upland  lot,  and  the  family 
now  bought  a  tract  of  1,100  acres  on  the  river  in  Schuyler,  half  way  between  East  and 
West  Schuyler  villages.  Next  came  Lindsey's  purchase,  covermg  3,000  acres  in  oblong 
form,  beginning  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Mohawk,  a  mile  and  a  half  below  Little  Falls, 
taken  by  John  Lindsey  and  Philip  Livingston  in  1730  ;  then  Van  Home's,  made  in  the 
following  year  by  Abraham  Van  Home  and  three  others,  the  tract  consisting  of  8,000 
acres  about  the  Canajoharie  castle. 

The  next  tract  taken  up  was  the  famous  Cosby 's  Manor,  granted  in  1734.  The  part 
of  this  tract  within  Herkimer  county  formed  a  block  about  seven  miles  square,  beginning 
just  west  of  Frankfort  village  (about  two-thirds  lying  south  of.  the  river),  and  surround- 
ing East's  patent.  The  chief  patentee  was  Governor  William  Cosby.  The  property 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Lady  Grace  Cosby,  and  was  the  subject  of  a  correspondence 
between  herself,  her  agent,  Sir  William  Johnson,  and  Oliver  De  Lancey,  the  latter  of 
whom  in  the  summer  of  1762  bought  the  tract  for  himself  and  Janie.^  Jauncey,  Peter 
Remsen  and  Goldsbrow  Banyar,  paying  £6,000  currency. 

Next  to  Cosby 's  Manor  in  date  of  granting  was  the  tract  of  1,000  acres  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  river,  just  east  of  Little  Falls,  purchased  by  Rev.  Peter  Van  Driesen 


20  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

in  1737.  Ill  the  next  year  Cadwallader  Golden  took  3,000  acres  in  a  strip  a  mile  and  a 
quarter  wide  running  south  from  Van  Home's  patent  to  Otsquago  Creek. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  the  earliest  patents  was  Glen's  purchase,  so  called  from 
Jacob  Glen,  the  patentee.  The  tract  of  land  involved  consisted  of  25,076  acres,  occupy- 
ing, in  general  terms,  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  of  Herkimer,  the  southern  half  of 
Fairfield,  Little  Falls  north  of  the  river,  and  the  western  part  of  Manheim.  The  Indian 
title  was  extinguished  in  1734. 

In  1738  five  of  the  lots  were  granted  to  Patrick  McClaughry  and  Andrew  McDowell, 
and  eight  to  James  De  Lancey,  John  Lindsay,  and  Abraham  Glen.  In  1739  three  were 
granted  to  Lendert  Helmer,  two  to  Jacob  Glen,  three  to  Archibald  Kennedy,  three  to 
John  Schuyler,  jr.,  three  to  Arent  Brant,  and  three  to  Philip  Schuyler.  In  1761  three 
were  granted  to  Samuel  Auchunity,  three  to  William  Mitchell,  and  three  to  William 
Ogilvie. 

Henderson's  patent  of  6,000  acres  was  granted  to  James  Henderson,  his  son  of  the 
same  name,  and  John  Kelly,  1739.  Most  of  it  is  embraced  in  the  town  of  Warren.  In 
1741  Peter  Wiime  bought  2,000  acres  on  both  sides  of  West  Canada  Creek;  except 
where  bounded  by  the  Burnetsfield  patent  on  the  south,  this  tract  was  surrounded  by 
the  Hasenclever  patent.  The  southern  part  of  the  town  of  Warren  is  embraced  in 
Young's  patent,  granted  in  1752  to  Theobald,  Adam,  Frederick,  and  Andries  Young, 
and  seven  others.  In  the  same  year  Joban  Joo.st  and  Hendrick  Herkemer  bought  2,324 
acres  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  extending  from  Lindsay's  purchase  to  the  eastern- 
most Burnetsfield  lots.  Lansingh's  patent  was  granted  in  the  following  year  to  Jacob 
and  Abraham  Lansingh  and  Jacob  Glen.  The  part  of  it  in  Herkimer  county  lay  in  the 
south  of  Danube  and  the  northwestern  part  of  Stark. 

A  strip  along  the  southeastern  side  of  Winfield  was  part  of  a  tract  of  43,000  acres 
granted  in  1755  to  Daniel  Schuyler  and  twenty-one  others  and  called  Schuyler's  patent. 
Snell  and  Timmerman's  tract,  3,000  acres,  in  the  southern  part  of  Manheim,  was  granted 
in  the  same  year.  In  1755  were  also  granted  Staley's  first  and  second  tracts,  so  called, 
containing  34,000  acres.  The  patentees  were  Rudolph  Staley,  Johan  Joost  Herkimer, 
jr.,  Nicholas  Herkimer  and  fifteen  others.  The  first  tract,  together  with  the  river,  sur- 
rounded all  the  Burnetsfield  lots  south  of  the  Mohawk,  except  the  easternmost  five,  and 
extended  south  far  enough  to  take  in  most  of  the  present  towq  of  German  Flats.  The 
second  tract  included  almost  all  of  the  town  of  Columbia.  Between  the  two,  in  narrow 
form,  lay  Staley's  third  tract,  also  called  Frank's  patent,  from  Conrad  and  Frederick 
Frank,  who  were  interested  in  it. 

In  17C1  John  McNeil  and  three  others  bought  wliat  has  been  called  McNeil's  patent, 
in  the  southern  part  of  Stark.  In  this  year,  too,  Alexander  Colden,  William  Willett, 
Stephen  De  Lancey  and  Christopher  Blundell  procured  the  patent  called  by  the  name 
of  the  first  of  these  gentlemen.  It  consisted  of  4,000  acres,  mostly  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  filling  the  space  between  Burnetsfield  and  Cosby's  Manor ;  eight  small  lots 
south  of  the  river  embraced  the  site  of  Frankfort  village. 

Livingston's  patent,  part  of  which  occupied  the  southeastern  corner  of  Stark,  was 
granted  in  1702.  In  1765  Guy  Johnson  bought  2,000  acres,  now  about  equally  divided 
between  the  southeastern  corner  of  German  Flats  and  the  adjoining  portion  of  Little 


DESCRIPTIVE  OF  THE  COUNTY.  21 

Falls.  Walton's  patent  ran  along  the  western  county  line  from  Cosby's  Manor  to  Wes-t 
Canada  Creek,  with  a  breadth  of  two  and  a  half  miles  ;  it  was  granted  in  1768.  In  the 
following  year  Peter  Hasenclever  and  seventeen  others  bought  what  has  since  been 
called  Hasenclever's  patent.  It  consisted  of  18,000  acres,  all  but  a  small  portion  of 
which  was  bounded  by  Cosby's  Manor,  Walton's  and  Alexander  Colden  patents  and 
West  Canada  Creek. 

The  Royal  Grant  (so  called)  comprised  a  large  tract  of  land  lying  between  the  Can- 
ada Creeks  which  was  acquired  by  Sir  William  Johnson  from  his  Indian  friends  in  1760, 
and  for  which  he  received  a  patent  from  the  government  in  1769.  The  tiact  embraced 
about  66,000  acres  and  lay  back  of  the  lands  previously  granted. 

In  1770  8,000  acres,  comprising  most  of  Little  Falls  south  of  the  river  and  the  west- 
ern corner  of  Danube,  were  granted  to  John  Vaughn  and  seven  others,  forming  the 
Vaughn  patent.  In  the  same  year  the  Jersey  field  patent  was  made  to  ninety-four  per- 
sons, 1,000  acres  to  each,  bounded  by  the  Royal  Grant,  West  Canada  Creek,  the  line 
which  forms  the  northern  boundary  of  Salisbury,  and  the  eastern  county  line.  Bayard's 
patent,  purchased  by  two  brothers  of  that  name  and  fifty-three  others  in  1774,  embraced 
most  of  the  towns  of  Litchfield  and  Winfield.  In  178G  Isaac  Vrooman  bought  4,000 
acres,  and  in  1790,  10,193  acres  in  a  narrow  strip  extending  across  Danube  and 
parts  of  Manheim  and  Stark.  The  other  428  acres  of  Manheim  were  taken  in  1786  by 
John  Van  Driesen.  In  the  same  year  Thomas  Matchin  bought  1,600  acres  on  the  north 
side  of  West  Canada  Creek  in  the  town  of  Russia.  The  Totten  and  Crossfield  purchase 
was  made  in  that  year,  and  included  25,200  acres,  part  of  which  was  in  the  northeast- 
ern corner  of  the  county.  In  the  same  year  Ezra  L'Hommedieu  and  Nathaniel  Piatt 
bought  the  4,000  acres  remaining  in  the  northwest  part  of  Stark  and  the  southern  part 
of  Little  Falls.  In  1787  theNobleborough  tract  was  patented  to  Arthur  Noble  and 
comprised  41,000  acres,  lying  at  the  angle  in  the  southeastern  line  of  Wilmurt ;  and  in 
the  same  year  48,000  acres  southwest  of  the  above,  bounded  on  the  south  by  West 
Canada  Creek,  were  purchased  by  Henry  Remsen  and  three  others.  In  1792  the  State 
granted  to  Alexander  Macomb  an  immense  tract  of  land  in  the  great  northern  wilder- 
ness at  a  nominal  price,  of  which  the  John  Brown  and  the  Watson  tracts  are  parts. 
The  Guy  Johnson  tract  was  conveyed  by  Jeremiah  Van  Rensselaer,  Jacob  G.  Klock, 
and  Henry  Oathoudt,  commissioners  of  forfeitures  of  the  western  district  of  New  York 
to  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  major  in  the  array  of  the  United  States,  June  7,  1784,  and  by 
Tallmadge  to  Caleb  Brewster,  July  9,  1794.  Matthew  Adgate  in  1798  patented  4.3,907 
acres  now  in  the  southern  part  of  Wilmurt.  The  latest  patent  in  the  county  was  for 
13,080  acres  of  the  Moose  River  tract  granted  to  Anson  Blake  in  1847. 

The  titles  of  the  Indians  to  lands  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  as  well  as  those  of  the  white 
settlers  who  adhered  to  the  crown  in  the  Revolution,  were  destroyed  by  that  event, 
through  the  Attainder  Act  of  1770. 

The  Attainder  Act  of  1779  embraced  fifty-nine  persons,  three  of  whom 
were  married  females,  and  they  were  also  declared  convicted  and  at- 
tainted with  their  husbands  of  offenses  against  the  act.  This  manner  of 
procedure  was  warranted  by  the  fact  that  many  women  were  in  posses- 


DESCRIPTIVE  OF  THE  COUNTY.  23 

sionin  their  own  right  of  large  tracts  of  land.  The  Legislature  passed  an 
act  on  the  I2th  of  May,  1784,  directing  the  prompt  sale  of  confiscated 
and  forfeited  estates,  requiring  the  proceeds  to  be  applied  to  the  sinking 
and  discharging  of  public  securities  created  for  prosecuting  the  war. 
This  was  the  first  step  taken  to  dispose  of  these  estates,  and  the  functions 
of  the  commissioners  ceased  in  1788.  The  act  of  1784  designated  the 
kind  of  money  and  certificates  or  bills  of  credit  issued  by  the  State,  which 
might  be  received  in  payment  for  lands  sold.  In  the  course  of  the  trans- 
actions thus  effected  there  ensued  a  heavy  depreciation  of  public  securi- 
ties, which  was  severely  felt  by  the  people  who  were  forced  to  accept 
them  from  the  government.  The  purchasers  of  the  public  domain,  how- 
ever, were  in  no  respect  losers  by  their  operations.  Having  purchased 
these  securities  at  the  current  specie  market  price,  or  at  the  sum  fixed 
by  the  continental  scale  of  depreciation,  they  exchanged  them  in  most  in- 
stances for  some  of  the  best  lands  in  the  State,  at  a  price  per  acre  a  little 
more  than  nominal,  and  thus  accumulated  large  fortunes  for  themselves 
and  their  descendants.  The  titles  were,  moreover,  guaranteed  in  all  re- 
spects by  the  State. 

The  commissioners  of  forfeiture  of  the  western  district  of  the  State  sold 
and  deeded  between  September,  1784,  and  September,  1788,  ninety- 
three  lots  in  the  first  allotment  of  the  Royal  Grant;  ninety-one  in  the 
second  allotment;  130  in  the  third  allotment;  and  137  in  the  fourth 
allotment.  This  proceeding  on  the  part  of  the  State  was  founded  on  the 
attainder  of  Sir  John  Johnson,  by  the  act  of  1779. 

The  map  made  by  Lawrence  Vrooman  in  1797,  and  reproduced  here- 
with, shows  that  Sir  William  Johnson  gave  by  his  will  to  six  of  his 
natural  children  by  Molly  Brant  (or  Brandt),  15,000  acres  of  this  grant 
as  follows:  To  Margaret,  2,000  acres;  George,  3,000;  Mary,  2,000; 
Susan,  3,000;  Ann,  3,000;  Brandt,  1,000;  and  to  William  1,000.  The 
portion  of  this  tract  thus  devised  adjoins  the  East  Canada  Creek,  and  is 
in  the  present  towns  of  Manheim  and  Salisbury.  The  lots  as  numbered 
on  the  map  are:  166  in  the  first  allotment ;  102  in  the  second  ;  136  in 
the  third;  and  143  in  the  fourth.  These  are  the  highest  numbers,  but 
in  several  instances  intervening  numbers  below  are  not  found.  ^ 

'  The  late  Samuel  Earl  left  among  his  historical  memoranda  the  following  :  "  As  Mary  Brant  and 
her  eight  children,  Peter,  Elizabeth,  Magdalene,  Margaret.  George,  Mary,  Susanna,  and  Anne,  and 
young  Brant  Kaghnectayo  of  Canajoharie,  and  William  Tagawinente  of  C^najoharie,  were    inca- 


24  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

A  specific  half  of  eighteen  lots  in  Jerseyfield  patent  was  also  sold 
and  deeded  by  the  commissioners  of  forfeitures,  within  the  periods  above 
mentioned.  The  original  patentees  of  this  large  tract  were  mostly  of 
the  Dutch  extraction,  not  German,  and  residents  in  Albany,  Schenecta- 
dy and  the  lower  Mohawk  valley.  None  of  these  names  appears  in  the 
Attainder  Act  of  1 779.  Some  party,  known  to  be  obnoxious  to  the  pen- 
alties of  the  act,  must  have  been  proceeded  against  by  indictment  for 
treason  against  the  State,  and  the  lands  declared  forfeited  on  inquisition 
found.  The  whole  of  five  lots  and  a  specified  half  of  four  others  in  Liv- 
ingston's patent  were  also  sold  and  conveyed  by  the  commissioners. 
Peter  De  Bois,  who  was  attainted  by  the  act  of  October  22,  1779,  was 
one  of  the  patentees  of  this  grant,  and  the  sales  probably  covered  his 
interest,  or  what  remained  of  it,  in  the  whole  patent. 

A  part  of  Glen's  purchase  seems  to  have  been  owned  by  some  one  ob- 
noxious to  the  law  of  attainder.  James  De  Lancey  was  one  of  the  three 
joint  patentees  of  several  lots  in  this  purchase.  He  was  attainted  by  the 
act  of  1779.  (See  chapter  25,  of  the  Laws  of  1779).  Six  small  lots  in  that 
tract  were  sold  and  deeded  for  ;^i,095.  New  York  currency,  on  the  27th 
of  August,  1788,  to  replenish  an  exhausted  treasury.  James  Caldwell 
purchased  five  of  the  lots  and  Michael  Myers  one  of  them.  Johan  Jurgh 
Kast's  little  patent  of  1,100  acres  in  Schuyler  contributed  $500  to  pay 
war  expenses.  One  lot  in  that  patent  seems  to  have  been  sold  to  make 
compensation  for  treason  against  the  State.  "  Surely  none  of  the  de- 
scendants of  that  sturdy  old  Palatine  could  have  been  recreant  to  his 
country  and  a  traitor  to  humanity."  ^ 

A  portion  of  the  Bayard  patent  is  held  under  title  from  the  commission- 
ers of  forfeitures,  two  of  the  Bayards  having  been  attainted  by  the  act  of 
of  1779.  In  regard  to  the  Johan  Joost  Herkimer  property,  Judge  Ben- 
ton wrote  as  follows: 

Diligent  search  and  examination  has  been  made  in  the  proper  quarter  to  find  some 
evidence  of  grants  under  the  authority  of  the  State,  of  the  Johan  Joost  Herkimer  prop- 

pable  of  taking' and  holding  lands  by  reason  of  their  being  Indians,  the  several  devises  in  the  will 
of  Sir  William  Johnson  lo  them  were  inoperative  and  void,  and  the  lands  and  estate  devised  to 
them  respectively  upon  the  death  of  Sir  William,  descended  to  and  became  vested  in  Sir  John 
Johnson  as  heir  at  law,  and  by  his  attainder  became  vested  in  the  State  as  a  portion  of  his  inherit- 
ance. No  tribunal  competent  to  determine  the  law  as  it  was  at  the  death  of  Sir  William  or  the 
attainder  of  Sir  John  has  decided  anything  contrary  to  or  in  conflict  with  the  foregoing  prop- 
osition." 

2  Benton's  "  History  of  Herkimer  County." 


DESCRIPTIVE  OF  THE  COUNTY.  25 

erty,  but  without  success.  Some  part  of  the  Herkimer  property  came  into  the  hands 
of  Alexander  Ellice,  soon  after  the  Revolution.  The  preci.se  time  has  not  been  ascer- 
tained by  the  writer,  nor  has  he  been  able  to  lay  his  hand  upon  any  papers  showing 
the  title  to  have  come  from  the  State.  This,  however,  must  be  so,  for  Mr.  Ellice,  be- 
ing a  British  subject,  would  not  have  been  allowed  to  hold  forfeited  lands  except  by  a 
grant  from  the  State.' 

In  respect  to  that  part  of  the  Royal  Grant,  devised  by  Sir  William  to  his  Indian 
children,  the  sale  by  the  commissioners  could  not  be  sustained,  and  consequently  was 
abandoned  in  regard  to  some  of  them,  who  had  not  committed  any  overt  act  of  treason 
or  offense  against  the  statute.  One  of  these  children,  however,  did  bear  arms  against 
the  colonies,  and  may  have  been  proceeded  against  under  the  Attainder  Act,  by  indict- 
ment. The  present  titles  of  a  portion  of  the  grant  are  therefore  derived  from  Sir  \\  illiam's 
will,  through  his  Indian  children,  but  all  the  remainder,  which  passed  to  Sir  John  John- 
son, as  heirs  at  law,  is  held  under  the  State  by  virtue  of  his  attainder. 

Natural  Characteristics. — Tlie  surface  of  Herkimer  county  may  be 
called  a  hilly  upland,  with  a  series  of  ridges  extending  in  a  generally  north 
and  south  direction.  The  beautiful  Mohawk  River  flows  easterly  across 
the  southerly  part  of  the  county,  through  a  valley  that  is  broad  from  its 
westerly  end  to  near  Little  Falls  at  the  easterly  side  of  the  county, 
where  the  stream  breaks  through  a  mountainous  ridge,  the  naked  rocks 
rising  on  either  side  from  500  to  600  feet.  From  this  point  to  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  county  the  river  flows  through  a  valley  bordered  by 
high  and  precipitous  hills.  The  East  Canada  Creek  rises  in  Hamilton 
county,  flows  southward  and  empties  into  the  Mohawk;  it  forms  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  county  from  the  Mohawk  to  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  the  Royal  Grant.  The  West  Canada  Creek  rises  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  county  and  in  Hamilton  county,  flows  southwesterly  and 
discharges  into  the  Mohawk  near  the  village  of  Herkimer ;  part  of  it 
forms  the  boundary  between  Herkimer  and  Oneida  counties.  The 
Moose,  Black  and  Beaver  Rivers,  which  flow  northward  to  Lake  Onta- 
rio, have  their  sources  in  the  northerly  part  of  the  county,  where  numer- 
ous lakes  and  ponds  of  pure  water  are  found,  many  of  them  still  in  the 
forest  fastnesses  of  a  large  region  that  has  been  left  almost  wholly  in 
its  native  state,  the  surface  and  soil  rendering  it  of  little  value  for  culti- 
vation. 

The  geological  features  of  the  county  are  of  considerable  interest. 
The  portion  of  the  territory  lying  north  of  a  line  extending   west  from 

'  For  further  reference  to  titled  and  leases  from  Ellice.  see  subsequent  history  and  maps  ot  Little 
Falls. 


26  UISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Brockett's  Bridge  (now  Dolgeville)  is  covered  with  primary  rocks — 
granite,  gneiss,  feldspar,  and  hornblende.  The  same  formation  out- 
crops also  at  Little  F"alls.  Rising  successively  above  the  primary  are 
the  Trenton  limestone,  appearing  in  Norway  and  Russia,  the  Utica 
slate,  appearing  upon  the  summit  of  all  the  hills  immediately  north  of 
the  Mohawk ;  the  Frankfort  slate  appearing  immediately  south  of  the 
river;  the  Oneida  conglomerate  and  Clinton  group,  extending  in  a  belt 
through  near  the  center  of  the  south  half  of  the  county;  the  Onondaga 
salt  group,  waterlime,  Onondaga  and  corniferous  limestones,  appearing 
in  thin  layers  next  south  ;  and  the  Marcellus  shales  and  limestones  of 
the  Helderberg  range,  covering  the  summits  of  the  southern  hills.  These 
rocks  yield  an  abundance  of  lime,  waterlime,  and  building  material,  and 
are  extensively  quarried.  Useful  minerals  are  few  in  number,  among 
them  being  beautiful  crystals  of  quartz.  The  soil  of  the  county  is 
diversified,  comprising  sandy  and  argillaceous  loams,  based  on  limestone, 
sandstone  and  primitive  granite  gneiss;  calcareous  loam,  sandy  and 
clay  loam.  Rich  alluvial  flats  are  found  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  that  are 
as  productive,  perhaps,  as  any  lands  in  the  State.  The  soil  north  of  the 
Royal  Grant  is  light  and  sandy,  better  adapted  to  grazing  than  to  tillage. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  count)'  the  lands  were  tilled  and  the  pro- 
ductions comprised  wheat,  corn,  rye,  barley,  peas,  bea'ns,  oats,  hay  and 
potatoes.  Wheat  and  barley  constituted  the  chief  articles  of  export  to 
the  Albany  market.  With  the  opening  of  the  Erie  canal  in  1825,  the 
heavy  grain  producing  section  in  the  western  part  of  the  State  became 
a  rival  against  which  the  Mohawk  valley  could  not  successfully  contend. 
Between  1820  and  1830  the  prospects  of  the  Herkimer  county  agricul- 
turist were  not  encouraging.  Insects  destroyed  the  wheat  year  after 
year,  and  it  has  been  stated  that  in  1820,  "  if  all  the  personal  or  mova- 
ble property  in  the  county  had  been  sold  at  a  fair  appraisal,  it  would 
not  have  produced  sufficient  means  to  pay  the  domestic  debt  of  the 
county,  and  probably  not  more  than  half  of  it.  After  the  opening  of 
the  canal,  the  attention  of  the  community  was  gradually  turned  toward 
grazing  and  the  dairy,  and  for  many  years  past  the  latter  interest  has 
given  the  county  a  national  reputation.  The  dairy  products  of  the 
county  will  be  further  alluded  to  in  subsequent  town  histories. 

The  lumber  interest  of  the  county  was  extensive  in  former  years,  and 
is  still  carried  on  with  success  in  its  northern  parts. 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT.  27 

CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT. 

ONE  hundred  and  seventy  years  ago,  when  the  sturdy  German  emi- 
grants, fleeing  from  their  native  country  on  the  Rhine  to  escape  a 
cruel  vassalage,  planted  themselves  in  the  wilderness  within  and  around  the 
territory  of  which  this  volume  treats,  they  found  it  occupied  by  one  of 
the  Six  Nations  of  Iroquois  Indians — the  Mohawks.  These  nations 
(exclusive  of  the  Tuscaroras,  who  were  practically  amalgamated  with 
the  Oneidas)  were  established  across  the  territory  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  beginning  with  the  Mohawks  on  the  east,  with  the  Oneidas,  On- 
ondagas,  Cayugas  and  Senecas  next  in  the  order  named.  Their  central 
council  fire  was  with  the  Onondagas.  But  limited  as  was  this  country 
wherein  these  nations  had  their  permanent  abiding  place,  their  unexam- 
pled and  reckless  bravery  in  war;  their  statesmanship  as  demonstrated 
in  the  system  of  government  devised  by  them  ;  their  indomitable  per- 
severance and  unyielding  persistence  in  extending  their  power,  gave 
them  practical  domination  over  the  greater  part  of  the  continent  and 
earned  for  them  from  one  of  their  admirers  the  title  of  "  The  Romans  of 
the  New  World."  The  records  of  the  deeds  of  the  Iroquois  Indians  are 
found  upon  thousands  of  pages  in  words  from  gifted  pens,  while  their 
personal  characteristics  and  civil  and  domestic  history  have  no  less 
faithful  chroniclers.  This  fact  renders  it  wholly  unnecessary  to  attempt 
in  these  pages  more  than  a  simple  statement  of  their  occupancy  of  the 
soil,  to  be  followed  with  the  history  of  their  relations  with  the  white 
settlers  of  the  county. 

Through  the  settlement  of  the  French  in  what  is  now  Canada  early 
in  the  sixteenth  century;  the  nearly  simultaneous  establishment  of  the 
Dutch  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Hudson  river,  and  the  subsequent  domina- 
tion of  the  English,  a  long  series  of  bloody  wars  was  inaugurated,  which 
did  not  cease  until  the  final  extinction  of  French  power  in  1763.  There 
was  strife  from  the  beginning  to  gain  the  fealty  of  the  Indians.      They 


28  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

were  not  onl\'  extremely  useful  as  fighters  in  the  service  of  either  power, 
but  their  friendship  was  equally  desirable  for  purposes  of  trade.  Of 
course  they  were  regularly  swindled  by  either  party  toward  which  they 
leaned.  As  far  as  the  Mohawks  were  concerned  they  were  always  on 
terms  of  amity  with  the  Knglish.  The  influence  of  Sir  William  John- 
son over  them  was  boundless,  and  at  his  death  the)'  transferred  their 
affections  to  his  family,  a  fact  which  was  the  cause  of  untold  woe  to 
the  colonists  in  after  years.^  King  Hendrick,  as  he  was  called,  was  a 
celebrated  Mohawk  chief  who  was  at  the  height  of  his  power  when  the 
Mohawk  valley  was  opened  for  settlement.  He  was  an  intimate 
friend  of  Sir  William  Johnson  ;  adopted  and  wore  the  English  costume, 
and  never  faltered  in  his  allegiance  to  that  nation.  He  resided  much 
of  the  time  at  the  upper  Mohawk  castle  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Danube.      He  was  killed  at  Lake  George,  September  8,  1755. 

To  the  religious  wars  that  swept  over  Europe  early  in  the  seventeenth 
century  may  be  directly  attributed  the  emigration  from  Germany 
which  ultimately  led  to  the  first  permanent  settlement  of  the  upper  Mo- 
hawk valley  by  white  people.  Germany  was  a  battlefield  of  religious 
war  for  nearly  a  hundred  years.  The  peasantry  generally  embraced 
the  doctrines  of  the  Reformation,  in  which  they  received  the  sj-mpathy 
of  Protestant  Englishmen.  The  affinity  existing  between  the  sovereigns 
of  England  and  the  German  Palatinate,  led  to  the  application  bj'  the 
suffering  Germans  to  Queen  Anne,  in  1708,  to  send  the  Palatines  to 
her  then  colony  of  New  York.     To  escape  from  what  they  would  not 

'  ^' .         -.  ,■  twenty-three  was  sent  to  the 

M"-  -le.  who  was  a  British  admiral. 

Tht  ssful  in  their  cnltivation.  sale. 

sto' r  .^^Ti-!,     :  r;  ,-,:  hc  became  connected  with  tv 

riir  '  permanently  in  the  Mohawk  vallej'.  and  applip 

him  .Mininjr  the  friendship  and  confidence  of  the  fu 

iliai  It  I  '.1111  Ml.  St. me  mansion  which  he  called  Fort  Johnson,  and 

wh'  W.1S  entrusted   with    the   sole   management  of   the  Indian 

mill  v.'ellerit  service.    He  was  appointed  a  colonel  in  the  British 

■  •""     colonial  troops  and  the  Indian  warriors,  the 

nm  devastation  by  the  French  and  their  allies. 

ct.  Joseph  Brant,  which  gave  him  additional 

:  —'-.-  under  appointment  as  major-g-eneral,  he  led  the 

:tnd  was  rewarded  by  a  baronetcy  and  5,000 pounds  from 

'  'nccat  Fort  Johnson  in  the  eastern  part  of  Montprom- 

'■    -moved  to  Johnstown,  where  he  built  his  stately 

^:e  nth  of  July,  7774-    His  remains  were  buried 

''torred  while  repairs  to  a  church  were  being 

..  ,.w  i.i.  ■■■■'•    "■"■ 'tincf  place. 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT.  29 

endure  in  their  own  country,  they  fled  to  another  where  their  religious 
faith  might  be  cultivated  and  enjoyed  free  from  persecution. 

On  the  loth  of  May,  1708,  Joshua  Kockerthal,  a  minister,  with  forty 
others  from  the  Lower  Palatinate  in  Germany,  reached  England.  They 
were  in  a  condition  of  destitution.  The  English  Lords  of  Trade 
vouched  for  their  good  character  and  "  humbly  proposed  "  that  they 
"  be  sent  to  settle  upon  Hudson's  River,  in  the  province  of  New  York, 
where  they  may  be  useful  to  this  kingdom,  particularly  in  the  produc- 
tion of  naval  stores,  and  as  a  frontier  against  the  French  and  their  In- 
dians." On  the  lOth  of  August  following  the  provincial  governor  was 
directed  to  provide  subsistence  for  Joshua  Kockerthal  and  forty- two 
German  Protestants,  and  "  to  grant  him  500  acres  of  land  for  a  glebe 
with  liberty  to  sell  a  suitable  portion  thereof  for  his  better  maintenance 
till  he  shall  be  able  to  live  by  the  produce  of  the  remainder." 

These  Palatines  probably  arrived  in  New  York  about  the  close  of  the 
year  1708,  and  an  order  was  made  in  the  Provincial  Council  at  New 
York  May  26,  1709,  to  continue  the  relief  promised  by  the  queen  until 
the  expiration  of  twelve  months  from  the  date  of  their  arrival;  this  re- 
lief included  clothing,  mechanical  tools  and  materials  to  work  with.  It 
is  known  that  this  company,  or  the  greater  part  of  it,  settled  permanent- 
ly in  what  is  now  Ulster  county;  and,  as  has  often  happened  in  similar 
cases,  the  emigrants  met  with  much  difficulty  in  securing  the  promised 
aid  from  England.     The  tools  were,  however,  supplied  them,  as  agreed. ^ 

The  second  immigration  of  Palatines,  and  by  far  the  larger  in  num- 
bers, arrived  at  New  York  shortly  before  June  14,  1 7 10.  In  the  Coun- 
cil, the  president  (Mr.  Beekman)  "  informed  the  Board  that  the  ship 
Lyon  is  arrived  in  this  port,  having  brought  a  considerable  number  of 
Palatines  for  whom  her  Majesty  has  commanded  him  to  Provide  Lodg- 
ing and  Provisions  and  desired  the  Gentlemen  of  the  Councill  to  give 
their  opinions  what  measures  are  proper  to  be  taken  with  them." 
More  than  3,000  emigrants  came  over  at  this  time,  and  there  being  con - 

1  The  following  lists  of  tools  and  names  of  their  recipients  are  interesting  :  Joshua  Kockerthal— 
I  Barrel  of  Lime.  3  Gouches,  2  formers,  i  Grindingstone,  i  square,  i  Rule,  i  Compass,  and  several 
pieces  more-  Hermanns  Schuneman— 2  Handsaws,  1  Great  Saw,  3  Gouches.  2  Agors.  besides  several 
pieces  more.  Michael  Wiegand—i, great  file,  i  smaller  dito,  1  mortising  chisel,  i  Joynter,  i  Agor, 
besides  several  pieces  more.  Andreas  Volk— i  Cross  Cut  Saw,  i  Smooding  plain,  i  wiping  saw,  an- 
other set  of  gouches,  besides  severall  pieces  more.  Peter  Rose — i  Glupott.  i  Whimplingpitts,  i 
hatchet,  i  little  hamer,  2  Agors,  i  Joynter,  besides  severall  pieces  more.  These  lists  are  continued 
in  Doc.  Hist.  New  York,  vol.  HI,  pp.  550-51. 


30  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

tagious  disease  among  them,  they  were  quarantined  at  Nutten  Island 
(now  Governor's)  where  they  were  maintained  in  liuts  at  pubhc  ex- 
pense.i     Many  died  on  the  passage  over. 

This  body  of  Palatines  came  over  under  the  special  charge  of  Governor 
Hunter,  who  had  particular  directions  where  to  settle  them,  with  the 
view  of  their  aiding  in  protection  against  the  French  and  Indians.  For 
this  purpose  the  commissioners  designated  "  a  tract  of  land  lying  on  the 
Mohaques  river,  containing  about  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  four  miles  in 
breadth,  and  a  tract  of  land  lying  upon  a  creek  [evidently  the  Scho- 
harie] which  runs  into  said  river,  containing  between  twenty-four  and 
thirty  miles  in  length.  This  last  mentioned  land  is  claimed  by  the  Mo- 
haques, but  that  claim  may  be  satisfied  on  easy  terms."  ^  Reference  is 
made  by  the  commissioners  to  the  obstruction  in  the  river  at  Cohoes, 
but  they  thought  that  should  be  but  little  hindrance.  In  the  spring  of 
1710  Hunter  ordered  the  survey  of  lands  on  the  "  Mohaks  "  river,  and 
particularly  in  the  "  Skohare  to  which  the  Indians  had  no  pretence." 
But  owing  to  the  remoteness  of  the  Schoharie  lands,  and  their  supposed 
unfitness  for  agriculture,  with  the  scarcity  of  pine  timber.  Hunter  finally 
purchased  "  a  tract  of  land  on  Hudson's  river  from  Mr.  [Robert]  Liv- 
ingston, consisting  of  6,000  acres,  for  ;^400  of  this  country  money,  for 
planting  of  the  greatest  division  of  the  Palatines."  He  also  informed 
the  Board  of  Trade  that  he  had  found  an  ungranted  tract  near  by  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river  where  he  had  planted  the  remainder  of  the  Pala- 
tines, or  intended  to  do  so  soon.  On  the  i6th  of  June,  1710,  in  prob- 
able anticipation  of  what  would  naturally  occur,  the  Board  expressed 
the  opinion  "  that  a  Proclamation  doe  Issue  to  prevent  Exactions  and 
Extortions  in  the  price  of  Bread  &  other  Provisions  whereby  the  Pala- 
tines may  be  the  better  and  easier  Provided  therewith."  The  sequel 
justified  this  measure,  for  the  contractor  who  supplied  flour,  etc.,  cheated 
the  poor  immigrants  in  weight ;  and  they  complained  bitterly  to  the 
home  government  that  the  conditions  under  which  they  came  to  New 
York  were  not  fulfilled.     The  number  of  Palatines  on  Livingston's  man- 

'  "  It  is  the  opinion  of  this  Hoard  thereupon  that  Nutten  Island  is  the  properest  place  to  put  the 
Palatines  on  and  that  Huts  should  be  made  for  them."  The  huts  were  built  by  two  of  the  Palatine 
carpenters,  Johannes  Hebon  and  Peter  Williamse. 

2  The  board  also  designated  lands  on  the  "  Hudson's  river,  where  are  great  numbers  of  Pines,  fit 
for  Production  of  Turpentine  and  Tarr,  out  of  which  Rozinand  Pitch  are  made." 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT.  31 

or  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Hudson  river  in  171 1  numbered  about 
1,800. 

Many  Palatine  children,  some  of  whom  were  orphans,  were  taken  un- 
der direction  of  the  governor  and  bound  out  as  apprentices  to  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  colony. 1  Some  of  these  afterwards  became  conspicuous  in 
the  history  of  the  State.     About  eighty  children  were  thus  apprenticed. 

Among  the  volunteers  who  accompanied  Colonel  Nicholson  on  his 
expedition  to  Canada  in  1711,  are  found  the  names  of  several  that 
afterwards  became  familiar  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  as  follows : 

Hen.  Hoffman,  Warner  Dirchest,  Fred.  Bellinger,  Hen.  Wederwachs,  Frantz  Finck, 
Martin  Dillenback,  Jacob  Webber,  William  Nellis,  George  Dacbstader,  Christian  Bauch, 
Mich.  Ittick,  Melch.  Folts,  Niclaus  Loiix,  Hartman  Windecker,  Hans  Hen.  Zeller,  Jno. 
Wm.  Finck,  Jno.  Hen.  Arendorff,  Johan  Schneider,  Henry  Feling,  Job.  Jost  Petry  and 
Lud.  W.  Schmit. 

Steps  were  taken  at  an  early  day  for  the  inauguration  of  simple  gov- 
ernment among  the  Palatines,  as  indicated  from  the  following: 

In  Council,  17th  June  1710.  Mr.  Cheife  Justice  Reported  to  his  Excellency  that 
himselfe  Mr.  Barberie  and  Mr.  Bickley  have  met  on  the  Reference  made  to  them 
yesterday  to  consider  of  a  Scheme  for  the  good  Governing  the  Palatines,  and  haveing 
Considered  the  same,  Proposed  that  Commissions  of  the  peace  and  other  Commissions 
be  Granted  to  some  persons  among  them  for  that  End  and  that  an  Ordinace  Issue  Im- 
powering  to  heare  and  determine  Small  Causes,  all  of  which  his  Excellency  Referred 
to  Mr.  Cheife  Justice  and  Mr.  Bickley  to  prepare  such  Commissions  and  Ordinaces. 

Dissatisfaction  and  discontent  arose  among  the  Palatines  on  the  Hud- 
son River.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  much  of  this  feeling  was 
chargeable  to  Robert  Livingston,  who  had  a  contract  for  providing  them 
with  flour,  etc.,  and  was  also  intimately  associated  with  them  in  other 
directions,  in  all  of  which  he  made  the  most  of  his  situation  for  his 
personal  gain.  In  a  letter  written  in  March,  171 1,  by  a  meinber  of  the 
British  government  to  one  of  his  colleagues,  the  writer  says: 

I  think  it  unhappy  that  Colo.  Hunter  at  his  first  arrival  in  his  government  fell  into 
ill  hands,  for  this  Livingston  has  been  known  many  years  in  that  province  for  a  very  ill 

1  In  Cotincil,  June  20, 1710 :  There  haveing  beene  severall  Proposalls  made  for  the  takeing  many 
of  the  Palatine  Children  for  a  terme  of  Yeares  and  there  being  many  Orphans  who  are  unable  to 
take  care  of  themselves  to  work,  and  many  who  by  sickness  are  rendered  incapable  of  doeing  any 
service  for  some  time  and  in  that  condition  would  be  a  great  expence  ^nd  there  being  noe  Prospect 
of  Settleing  them  this  sumer  by  reason  its  soe  much  advanced  His  Excellency  does  appoint  Doctor 
Staats  and  Mr.  Van  Dam  or  either  of  them  to  take  such  Proposalls  for  Placeing  out  the  Orphans 
and  other  Children  whose  Parents  have  a  numerous  ffamily  Entring  into  an  Instrument  in  Write- 
ing  to  Cloath  Victuall  and  use  them  well  and  to  deliver  them  to  the  government  when  called  for.— 
Doc.  Hist.  New  York,  vol.  Ill,  p.  553. 


32  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  CODNTY. 

man,  he  formerly  victualled  the  forces  at  Albany,  in  which  he  was  guilty  of  most  noto- 
rious frauds  by  which  he  greatly  improved  his  estate;  he  has  a  mill  and  a  brew-house 
upon  his  land,  and  if  he  can  get  the  victualling  of  those  Palatines  who  are  conveniently 
posted  for  his  purpose,  he  will  make  a  very  good  addition  to  his  estate,  and  I  am  per- 
suaded the  hopes  he  had  of  such  a  subsistance  to  be  allowed,  were  the  chief,  if  not  the 
only  inducements  that  prevailed  with  him  to  propose  to  Colo.  Hunter  to  settle  them 
upon  his  land. 

The  charitable  view  of  Hunter's  conduct  is  that  he  was  a  dupe  of 
Livingston. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  171 1,  the  colonial  secretary  informed  the  Board 
of  Trade  that  the  Palatines  would  not  work  at  tar  and  turpentine- making 
on  the  Hudson  River  lands  where  they  had  been  seated,  but  were  deter- 
mined to  remove  to  the  Schoharie  lands  where  the  queen  had  ordered 
them.  We  may  be  sure  that  there  was  very  good  reason  for  this  action 
on  their  part.  They  were  not  people  who  would  have  become  discon- 
tented if  they  had  been  honorably  treated.  That  they  were  poorly  fed, 
clothed  and  housed,  cheated  in  trade,  and  forced  into  kinds  of  work 
which  were  distasteful  to  them,  is  well  known.  In  reply  to  a  question 
as  to  the  behavior  of  his  people,  Mr.  Kockerthal  said  :  "  They  are  all 
at  work  and  busy,  but  manifestly  with  repugnance  and  merely  tempo- 
rarily ;  that  the  tract  intended  for  them  [the  Schoharie  and  Mohawk 
lands]  is  in  their  minds  a  land  of  Canaan.  •  »  *  They  will  not  listen 
to  tar-making." 

In  the  autumn  of  17*1  Governor  Hunter  warned  the  Palatines  to 
"  take  measures  to  subsist  themselves "  during  the  following  winter. 
Thereupon  immediate  action  was  begun  for  removal  to  the  Schoharie 
lands.  Their  own  account  says  :  "  All  hands  fell  to  work  and  in  2  weeks 
time  clear'd  a  way  thro'  the  woods  of  15  miles  long  with  the  utmost 
toyle  and  labour,  tho'  almost  starved  and  without  bread."  Fifty  families 
reached  the  Schoharie  district,  only  to  learn  that  the  lands  had  been 
granted  to  people  in  Albany,  and  to  be  warned  not  to  settle  thereon  by 
the  governor.  The  governor,  however,  "  prevailed  with  the  proprietors 
of  these  lands  to  make  an  offer  of  the  lands  free  from  all  rent  or  acknowl- 
edgment for  ten  years,  and  ever  after  at  a  very  moderate  quit  rent." 

Governor  Burnet  succeeded  Governor  Hunter  in  1720.  Among  his 
instructions  from  the  home  government  were  express  directions  to  re- 
move such  of  the  Palatines  as  might  desire,  from  their  first  settlements 


v-^ 


^ 


/ 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT.  33 

to  lands  more  suitable  for  them.  This  action  was  doubtless  precipitated 
by  a  strong  memorial  from  the  commissioners  of  the  Palatines  at  Scho- 
harie, which  was  taken  to  England  in  1718,  and  the  instructions  above 
noted  were  issued  within  the  next  sixteen  days. 

In  October,  1722,  a  third  company  of  Palatines  arrived  in  New  York 
from  Holland,  having  touched  at  England  on  the  passage.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year  a  large  exodus  of  the  Schoharie  Palatines  took  place  to  Penn- 
sj'lvania  and  other  localities,  in  consequence  of  the  Albany  ownership 
of  Schoharie  lands,  above  alluded  to.  The  arrival  of  the  third  company 
from  Holland  in  1722,  and  this  exodus  in  1723,  will  enable  us,  as  nearly 
as  may  be,  to  fix  the  date  of  the  first  settlement  of  the  Palatines  at  Ger- 
man Flats.  On  this  important  point  we  shall  quote  from  the  late  Judge 
Benton's  work,  wherein  he  shows  the  result  of  careful  and  exhaustive 
research  : 

On  the  21st  of  November,  1722,  Governor  Burnet  informeJ  the  Board  of  Trade,  elc, 
that  he  had  expected  when  he  was  at  Albany,  to  have  fixed  the  Palatines  in  their  new 
settlement  which  he  had  obtained  of  the  Indians  for  them  at  a  very  easy  purchase,  but 
in  consequence  of  the  divisions  among  them,  and  their  complaints  about  the  quaHty  of 
the  lands  in  the  new  purchase,  he  concluded  not  to  show  any  earnestness  in  pressing 
them  logo  on  to  the  lands.  But  he  says  there  tvere  about  sixty  families  who  desired 
to  have  a  distinct  tract  by  themselves,  and  being  those  who  had  all  along  been  most 
hearty  for  the  government,  he  had  given  them  leave  to  purchase  lands  from  the  Indians 
between  the  English  settlements  near  Fort  Hunter  and  part  of  Canada,  on  a  creek 
called  Canada  Creek,  where  they  will  be  more  immediately  a  barrier  against  the  sudden 
incursions  of  the  French,  who  made  this  their  road  when  they  last  attacked  and  burned 
the  frontier  town  called  "  Schonectady ."  The  Indian  deed  for  the  lands  at  and  west  of 
Little  Falls,  covered  in  part  by  the  so  called  Burnetsfield  patent,  is  dated  July  9,  1722, 
anterior  to  the  arrival  of  the  third  company  of  Palatine  immigrants,  and  this  fact  forces 
the  conclusion  that  the  grantees  of  the  patent  were  composed  chiefly,  if  not  entirely  of 
those  Palatines  who  arrived  in  1710,  and  were  first  .'eated  on  the  Hudson  River;  and 
this  view  seems  to  be  strengthened  by  Governor  Burnet's  remarks  to  the  Board  of 
Trade.  It  is  quite  certain  that  but  few,  if  any,  of  the  Schoharie  people  were  among 
the  first  settlers  of  the  German  b^lats,  unless  they  straggled  from  below.  But  there  is 
no  such  name  as  Erghemar,  Herkemer  or  Herkimer  in  the  lists  of  those  who  came  over 
in  the  two  first  companies  of  immigrants,  nor  apparently  any  name  from  which  Herki- 
mer could  be  derived  or  coined  without  violating  all  known  rules  of  etymology.  The 
Erghemar  family  were  not  among  the  Palatines  on  Hudson  River  in  1711,  nor  of  those 
who  remained  in  New  York.  They  probably  arrived  with  the  third  company  of  im- 
migrants in  1722,  from  Holland,  where  they  had  sojourned  many  years. 

At  what  time  these  people  actually  settled  upon  the  lands  patented  to  them  by  the 
crown,  in  the  spring  of  1725,  is  perhaps  problematical,  and  rests  in  tradition.  They 
5 


34  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

were  very  urgent  to  remove  to  a  part  of  the  country  vehere  they  could  pursue  their 
vocations  and  indulge  in  their  own  peculiar  customs,  unmolested  by  strangers  and  un- 
controlled by  colonial  task  masters;  where  the  lands  they  tilled  were  secured  to  them 
(}y  all  the  sanctions  of  a  public  grant  emanating  from  the  king.  They  had  long  felt  and 
known  that  "  patience  and  hope  make  fools  of  tliose  who  fill  their  hands  with  them." 
They  and  their  ancestors  for  three-quarters  of  a  century  nearly,  had  been  afflicted  with 
all  the  worldly  evils  and  miseries  that  an  intolerant  and  tyrannical  hierarchy,  .supported 
by  absolute  despotic  governments,  could  bring  upon  them  ;  and  they  had  looked  to  the 
future  with  patient  and  hopeful  emotions  for  a  day  of  deliverance.  After  twelve  years 
of  trial  and  privation  incident  to  a  new  climate  and  a  wilderness  country,  during  which 
time  they  saw  that  strangers,  and  not  their  families  after  them,  were  to  be  benefited  by 
their  labors  (no  lands  had  yet  been  set  out  to  them,  by  grant  from  the  crown),  well  might 
they  exclaim  that  those  who  endure  patiently  present  wrongs  and  take  no  means  of 
relief  only  to  hope  for  it,  were  unwise  and  improvident. 

The  Dutch  recaptured  New  York  in  1673,  but  it  was  restored  to  the  English  by  treaty 
in  1674.  At  this  time  and  to  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  a  very  great  ma- 
jority of  the  people  of  the  province  were  Low  Dutch  or  Hollanders,  and  the  French  of 
Canada  exerted  much  interest  with  all  the  Iroquois  Indians,  through  the  agency  of  the 
Jesuits  and  the  control  of  the  fur  trade,  except  the  Maquae-s,  Mohocks  or  Mohawks. 
The  whole  country  from  Albany  north  to  Lake  Cbamplain,  and  from  Schenectady  west 
to  Lakes  Ontario  and  Erie  was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  and  it  was  therefore  important 
that  England  should  strengthen  her  colony  of  New  York  in  both  directions  by  planting 
.settlements  as  barriers  against  hostile  approaches,  but  she  had  no  people  to  spare;  the 
<;ontinental  wars  in  which  she  had  been  long  engaged  and  was  then  involved,  more  than 
liecimated  her  population,  and  she  eagerly  embraced  the  opportunity  of  sending  over 
the  Palatines  at  the  public  expense.  Governor  Burnet,  whose  talents,  learning  and 
kindness  commended  him  to  the  well  disposed  colonists,  seconded  this  policy  of  his 
Ljovernment  with  zeal  and  success.  Little  did  the  governor  or  the  home  government 
then  believe  they  were  planting  a  barrier  of  stout  hearts  and  sinewy  arms  on  this 
frontier,  which  was  soon  to  aid  in  obstructing  the  designs  of  the  mother  country  in  one 
of  her  most  deliberate  and  best  planned  campaigns  of  the  Revolution.  Nor  could  these 
then  houieless  exiles  put  aside  the  curtain  of  futurity  and  behold  the  terrific  and  tragic 
scenes  which  were  so  effectively  and  relentlessly  enacted  upon  the  soil  they  had  chosen 
for  their  homes,  and  by  the  power  through  whose  agency  they  had  obtained  their 
promised  land. 

The  precise  time  when  the  Palatines  made  their  first  lodgment  in  the  county  is  not 
ascertained.  It  was  not  later  than  1725.  Some  who  have  speculated  upon  the  subject 
suppose  they  came  up  the  Mohawk  valley  as  far  as  the  Little  Falls  and  to  the  Stone 
Ridge  as  early  as  the  year  1720.  Their  agents,  sent  to  spy  out  the  lands,  may  have 
traversed  the  valley  to  the  western  bounds  of  the  territory  claimed  by  the  Mohawk 
Indians  as  early  as  1720,  and  perhaps  before  that  period  ;  but  Governor  Burnet  had  not 
fixed  them  in  the  new  settlement  he  had  obtained  for  them  of  the  Indians,  at  a  very 
easy  purchase,  as  late  as  November,  1722,  and  he  that  year  permitted  some  of  them  to 
purchase  lands  of  the  Indians  "  on  a  creek  called  Canada  Creek."  They  secured  the 
carrying  place  at  the  lesser  falls  as  well  as  a  long  extent  of  wilderness  country  above, 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT.  3& 

by  their  Indian  deed;  and  the  license  of  the  colonial  governraent  to  make  the  purchase 
may  have  been  considered  by  both  parties  an  authorization  tor  them  to  remove  before 
the  patent  was  made  out,  as  it  no  doubt  was  a  solemn,  irrevocable  public  pledge  that 
the  lands  would  be  granted  by  the  crown  as  soon  as  they  should  be  surveyed.  On 
this  hypothesis  it  may  be  conjectured  that  settlements  were  made  at  or  near  the  present 
site  of  the  Stone  Church  in  the  town  of  German  Flats,  and  at  Herkimer  village  as  early 
as  the  years  1723-24,  if  not  before.  Owning  the  lands  at  the  carrying  place,  it  is  not 
likely  that  point  was  long  neglected  or  unimproved. 

Burnetsfield  patent,  so  called  in  popular  parlance,  is  a  curious  document,  and  well 
worthy  of  some  special  notice.  It  was  granted  on  the  30th  of  April,  1725.  It  recites 
that  "  whereas  our  loving  subjects,  John  Joost  Petri  and  Coenradt  Rickert,  in  behalf  of 
themselves  and  other  distressed  Palatines,  by  their  humble  petition  presented  the  17th 
day  of  January,  1722,  toour  trusty  and  well  beloved  William  Burnet,  Esq.,  Captain 
General  and  Governor-in-chief  of  the  province  of  New  York,  in  council  have  set  forth 
that  in  "  accordance  with  the  governor's  license  they  had  purchased  "  of  the  native 
Indians  in  the  Mohawks  country"  the  tract  of  land  on  both  sides  of  the  "Mohawks 
river"  commencing  at  the  "first  carrying  place  [Little  Falls],  being  the  eastermost 
bounds  called  by  the  natives  Astourogon,  running  along  on  both  sides  of  the  said  river 
westerly  unto  a  place  called  Ganondagaraon,  or  the  upper  end  of  it,"  being  "  about 
twenty-four  English  miles  along  on  both  sides  of  the  said  river.  '  The  Indian  deed  is 
dated  July  9,  1722.  That  the  council  advised  the  governor  to  "grant  to  each  of  the 
said  persons,  man,  woman  and  child,  as  are  desirous  to  settle  within  the  limits  of  the 
said  tract  of  land  the  quantity  of  100  acres." 

The  grantees  were  to  hold  the  lands  of  the  crown  "  in  free  and  common  socage,  that 
being  the  usual  tenure  named  in  the  colonial  grants  at  this  time,  as  of  the  manor  of  East 
Greenwich,  in  the  county  of  Kent,  in  Great  Britain,  subject  to  an  annual  quit-rent  of 
two  shillings  and  sixpence  per  hundred  acres,  and  on  condition  that  the  grantees,  their 
heirs  and  a.ssigns,  should  within  three  years  from  the  date,  plant,  settle  and  effectually 
cultivate  at  least  three  acres  of  land  of  every  fifty  acres  "  granted  to  them.  This  patent 
also  contains  the  usual  reservation  of  gold  and  silver  mines.Jtimber  fit  for  the  royal  navy, 
and  the  right  to  enter  upon  the  lands  and  take  and  carry  away  the  same. 

Of  the  ninety-two  persons  named  in  the  patent  to  whom  lands  were  granted,  twenty- 
two  appear  to  be  females,  by  the  description,  married,  single  or  widowed.  The  paper 
does  not  disclose  the  number  of  families  or  the  heads  of  families  represented  by  males 
who  settled  on  the  tract,  or  how  many  one  hundred  acre  lots  went  to  any  one  family, 
husband,  wife  and  children.  There  are  several  Pellingers,  Starings,  Wevers,  Smiths, 
Edicks,  Beermans,  to  whom  grants  were  made.  Jurgh  Erghemar,  Johan  Jost,  Mada- 
lana  and  Catharina  Erghemar  are  separately  named,  but  Nicholas  Herkimer,  afterwards 
the  General,  was  not  a  patentee. 

The  following  table  gives  the  names  of  the  original  patentees,  the 
number  of  the  lots  taken  by  each,  and  their  location.  Many  of  the 
names  will  be  familiar  as  still  belonging  to  their  descendants  in  the 
county,  while  many  of  them  have  been  so  changed  in  their  orthography 
as  to  be  scarcely  recognizable : 


36 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


NAMES  OF   PATENTEES   ARRANGED. 


r-  Beerman,  Mary, 

a.  Beerman,  Johannes/-- - 
3-  Same 

4.  Bowman,  Jacob,.. 

5.  Bowman,  Johan  Adam,. 
Same, 


D. 

6.  Dacksteder,  Anna,  wife  of  Jurgh  Dacksteder,. 

7.  Dacksteder,  Jurgli,_ 

Same, 


8.  Edich,  Elizabeth, 

9.  Edigh,  Johan  Michael,. 

10.  Edich,  Jacob, 

11.  Editch,  Michael, 

12.  Er^hemar,  Jurgh, 

13.  Erghemar,  John  Jost,.. 

14.  Erghemar,  Madalana,.. 

15.  Erghemar,  Catharina.-. 


16.  Feller   Nicholas, 

Same, 

17.  Feller,  Mary,  wife  of  Nicholas  Feller,- 

18.  Felmore,  Coenradt,__. 

ig.  Felmore,  Chri.stiana, 

20.  Fols.  Jacob, 

21.  Fols.  Melgert, 

Same, 

22.  Fox.  Christopher, 


H. 
Heger,  Henry. 

Helmer,  Elizabeth,  wife  ofLendert  Helmer,, 

Helmer,  Philip. 

Helmer,  Johan  Adam, 

Same, _ .__ 


Helmer,  Frederick, 

Helmer,  Anna  Margaret. i 

Herter,  Apolone, 

Herter.  Lowrens, _. 

Hess.  Augustines, 

Hoss,  Johannes, _. 


ife  of  John  Adam  Helmer 


K. 

^4.  Keslaer,  Johannes, _. 

35.  Keslaer,  Nicholas, 

^6.  Kast.  Johan  Jurgh,  jr., 

Same, 

37.  Kast,  Johan  Jurgh, 

Same, 

"iS.  Koons,  Mary  Catharine,  widow, 

Same _ 

3().  Korsing,  Rudolph, 

40.  Korsing,  Belia,  wife  of  Rudolph  Korsing.. 

41.  Koues,  Lodowick, 


43.  Mayor,  Hendrik,.. 
Same. 

44.  Mayor,  Anna, 

45.  Miller,  Johannes.. 


North 
South 


North 
South 


South 
North 
I  South 


At  the  Little  Falls. 


All  the  30  acre  lots  were 
set  on  what  were  call- 
ed the  Great  Flats,  in 
and  near  the  present 
village  of  Herkimer. 
The  70  acre  lots  are 
described  in  the  patent 
as  wood  land. 


Mohawk  Village. 

And   large  island  in 


Mohawk  Valley. 


At  the  Little  Falls 


Near  Rankin's  Lock. 


I  South     Opposite  Great  Flats. 


*  l\vo  lots  of  same  number  to  Johannes  Beerman. 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 


37 


S'AMES   OF   PATENTEES   ARRANGED. 


48.  Pears,  Catharine, 

4g,  Pears,  Lodowick, ;__ _ 

50.  Pell,  Frederick, 

51.  Pell,  Anna  Mary, 

52.  PelUnger,  Johannes, 

Same,  ,. 

53.  Pellinger,  Peter, 

Same, 

54.  Pellinger,  Margaret,  wife  of  Johannes  Pellinger,. 

55.  Pellinger,  Frederick, 

56.  Pellinger,  Margaret,  wife  of  Johannes  Pellinger,., 

57.  Petri,  Johan  Joost, 

Same,  __ 

58.  Petri,  Gurtruydt,  wife  of  Johan  Joost  Petri, 

Sg.  Petri,  Mark. _._ 

60.  Pouradt,  Johannes 

61.  Poenradt,  Gurtruydt,  wife  of  Johannes  Poenradt,. 


R. 


62.  Reelle,  Godfrey, 

Same, 

63.  Reele,  Godfrey,  jr.,*. 

64.  Reele,  Godfrey, 

65.  Rickert,     Lodowick.. 
Same, 

66.  Rickert,  Catharine,-. 

■67.  Rickert.  Conradt, 

68.  Rickert,  Mark 


.  Shoemaker,  Rudolph, 

.  Shoemaker,  Thomas,- 

Same, 

.  Smith,  Adam  Michael, 

Same, __. 

.  Smith,  Johan  Jurgh, 

Same, 

.  Smith,  Ephraim, 

.  Smith,  Marte, 

.  Speis,  Peter,-- _. 

,  Speis.  Elizabeth,  wife  of  PeterSpeis, 

,  Spoon,  Hendrik _ 

,  Spo  .n,  Hendrik,  jr., --- 

,  Staring,  Mary  Eva,  wife  of  John  Adam  Staring,. 
.  Staring,  John  Adam, 

Staring,  Frederick, _ 

Same, __. 

.  Staring,  Johannes  Velden, 

,  Staring,  Nicholas, 

Staring.  Joseph, 

Staring,  John Velde,  jr., 


86.  Temouth,  John  Jost,. 

87.  Temouth,  Fredrigh,.. 


Same,  - 


88.  Veldelent,  John,- 
Same,  -_ -_ 

8g.  Veldelent,  Anna, 


90.  Wever,  Jacob, 

Same. 

QT.  Wever,  Nicholas, 

Same. 

92.  Wever,  Andries, 

93.  Wever,  Jacob,  jr., 

94.  Welleven,  Nicholas, - 


South 
North 


Opposite  Great  Flats. 
And  )^  of  an  island. 
On  east  side  of  West  Can- 
Same,  [ada  Creek. 


Near  Mohawk  Village. 


Stone    Ridge,    Herkimer 
Village. 


Nori:h  Capt.  Peter  Klock. 


Nori;h 
South 
North 

South 


Ilion  Village. 


Ilion  Village. 


At  the  Little  Falls. 
And  X  of  an  island. 


At  Little  Falls. 


Ft.  Herkimer,  Stone  Ch. 


Same  lot  to  Godfrey  Reele  and  Godfrey  Reele,  jr 


38 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


In  the  Burnetsfield  patent 
there  were  forty-six  lots  on 
each  side  of  the  river.  Those 
embracing  the  villages  of  Ilion 
and  Mohawk  and  the  inter- 
vening ground  were  of  uni- 
form shape  and  size.  Lots 
24  south  and  27  and  28  north 
of  the  Mohawk,  were  partly 
composed  of  islands  in  the 
stream.  The  broad  river  bot- 
toms about  the  site  of  Herki- 
mer were  naturally  a  coveted 
portion  of  the  patent ;  and  to 
give  as  many  as  possible  of 
the  grantees  a  share  in  this 
choice  land,  it  was  not  appor- 
tioned among  a  few  in  100- 
acre  lots,  but  was  divided  as  a 
rule  into  lots  of  thirty  acres 
each,  and  the  recipients  of 
these  completed  their  allot- 
ments by  taking  70-acre  lots 
(of  the  same  number)  of  the 
higher  wooded  ground  back 
of  the  river.  The  30-acre  lots 
covered  the  site  of  Herkimer 
(except  one  86- acre  piece) 
and  all  the  vicinity  in  the  an- 
gle of  the  river  and  West 
Canada  Creek,  back  to  a  line 
passing  from  the  river  to  the 
creek  a  little  northwest  of  the 
village ;  while  from  this  line 
the  corresponding  70-acie  lots 
stretched     away     in     a     block 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT.  39 

northwestwardly  for  about  two  miles  and  a  quarter.  These  large  lots 
ran  the  whole  length  of  this  block,  while  they  were  only  sixteen  rods  in 
width,  the  object  being  to  give  each  of  them  an  end  toward  the  flats 
and  as  close  communication  as  possible  with  the  low  lot  belonging  to 
the  same  proprietor.  (The  accompanying  plan  shows  the  divisions  of 
these  lots). 

The  act  of  confirmation,  January  17,  1723,  required  that  the  names 
and  number  of  all  the  persons  to  be  concerned  in  the  grant  should  be 
certified  to  the  surveyor-general  before  the  survey  was  made,  and  as 
appears  by  the  patent  issued,  there  were  only  thirty- nine  families  and 
ninety-four  persons  reported. 

The  Burnetsfield  patent  was  dated  April  30,  1725,  about  two  years 
after  the  first  Palatine  settlements  in  this  vicinity.  The  Burnetsfield 
grantees  held  their  land  subject  to  a  quit- rent  of  two  shillings  and  six- 
pence per  hundred  acres,  and  were  bound  to  cultivate  within  three  years 
at  least  three  acres  of  every  fifty  given  them.  "  For  a  long  time  after  the 
Palatines  came  to  this  valley,"  said  Samuel  Earl  in  a  historical  address, 
"  the  heart  of  their  settlement  was  where  the  old  stone  church  stands 
[Fort  Herkimer].  Here  came  the  Schoharie  Palatines,  to  the  number 
of  thirty  families  and  upwards,  in  the  spring  of  1723,  and  then  began 
the  first  settlement  in  this  county." 

While  the  impartial  reader  of  this  day  will  readily  accord  the  pre- 
sumption that  the  offer  by  the  queen  of  a  haven  to  the  persecuted  Ger- 
mans was  a  boon  of  the  highest  importance,  we  cannot  shut  our  eyes  to 
the  selfishness  and  injustice  of  the  government  and  its  unprincipled  agents 
who,  at  the  same  time,  sought  to  profit  through  the  necessities  of  the 
immigrants  and  to  set  them  up  on  the  frontier  as  probable  targets  for 
the  French  insurgents. 

It  was  not  until  1724,  long  after  Governor  Burnet's  arrival,  that  the 
6,000  acres  purchased  of  Mr.  Livingston  fourteen  years  earlier  was  se- 
cured to  the  Palatines  by  patent.  This  gave  each  of  the  families  a 
liberal  domain;  each  of  the  sixty-three  heads  of  families  took  what  he 
had  held  and  improved,  while  the  remainder  of  the  tract  was  left  in 
common. 

At  one  time  Governor  Burnet  contemplated  removing  the  whole  of 
the  German  population  then  under  his  government  to  the  center  of  the 


40  HISTORT  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTV. 

State,  as  indicated  in  his  letter  of  October  i6,  1721,  to  the  Lords  of 
Trade,  wherein  he  says :  "  I  did  intend  to  settle  the  Palatines  as 
far  as  I  could  in  the  middle  of  our  Indians,  but  finding  they  could  not 
be  brought  to  that,  I  have  granted  their  own  request  which  was  to  have 
a  license  to  purchase  of  the  nearest  Indians,  which  are  on  the  Mohocks, 
which  I  have  granted  them  with  this  condition,  that  they  be  not  nearer 
than  2.  fall  in  the  Mohocks  River,  which  is  forty  miles  from  Fort  Hunter, 
and  four  score  from  Albany,  by  which  the  frontier  will  be  so  much  ex- 
tended, and  those  people  seem  very  well  pleased  and  satisfied  with  what 
I  have  done."  In  his  letter  of  November  21,  1722,  he  says:  "As 
about  sixty  families  desired  to  be  in  a  distinct  tract  from  the  rest,"  he 
gave  them  leave  to  purchase  from  the  Indians  on  the  Canada  Creek, 
where  they  would  be  more  immediately  a  barrier  against  the  sudden 
incursions  of  the  French. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

THE    FRENCH    AND    INDIAN    WAR. 

THE  time  came  soon  enough  when  the  peaceful  German  settlers  of 
the  upper  Mohawk  valley  were  called  upon  to  "  stand  as  a  frontier 
against  the  French  and  their  Indians."  After  about  thirty-five  years  of 
prosperous  peace,  during  which  their  farms  had  been  cleared,  buildings 
erected,  stock  and  crops  raised  and  defenses  established,  the  shock  of 
the  French  and  Indian  war,  as  it  is  known,  came  upon  them  in  Novem- 
ber, 1757.  The  English  fort  at  Oswego  and  the  small  fortifications  on 
Wood  Creek  and  the  upper  Mohawk  had  been  captured  in  the  previous 
year;  and  on  the  12th  of  November,  1757,  a  force  of  about  three  hun- 
dred marines,  Canadians  and  Indians,  under  command  of  M.  De 
Belletre,  traversed  the  wilderness  by  way  of  Black  River,  and  attacked 
and  destroyed  the  Palatine  settlements  on  the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk 
at  or  near  the  present  village  of  Herkimer.  The  attack  was  a  surprise 
and  resulted  in  a  cold-blooded  massacre,  which  is  described  as  follows  in 
the  bombastic  style  of  the  French  narrator : 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  41 

"On  the  11th  of  November,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  M.  de  Belletre,  pre- 
ceded as  was  his  custom  by  scouts,  crossed  the  river  Corlaer  [Mohawk]  with  his  de- 
tachment, partly  swimming,  partly  in  water  up  to  the  neck.  He  encamped  at  night- 
fall in  the  woods  a  league  and  a  half  from  the  Hrst  of  the  five  forts  that  covered  the 
Palatine  settlements. 

"The  l'2th,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  gave  his  detachment  the  order  of 
march  and  attack  so  as  to  surround  the  said  five  forts  and  the  entire  Palatine  village, 
consisting  of  sixty  houses. 

"  Though  M.  de  Belletre  knew  that  the  English  got  notice  the  day  preceding,  yet 
that  the  courage  of  the  Indians  may  not  receive  the  least  check,  and  to  show  them  that 
he  would  not  rashly  expose  them,  he  liberated  an  Indian  of  the  Five  Nations,  whom  he 
had  until  then  detained  under  suspicion.  But  this  savage  could  not  injure  M.  de 
Belletre,  because  he  commenced  at  the  same  time  to  attack  the  five  forts  and  the  Pala- 
tines' houses. 

"  At  sight  of  the  first  fort  he  decided  to  take  it  by  assault.  The  enemj'  kept  up  a 
most  active  fire  of  musketry,  but  the  intrepidity  with  which  M.  de  Belletre,  and  all  the 
officers  and  Canadians  of  his  detachment  advanced,  coupled  with  the  war  whoop  of  the 
Indians,  terrified  the  English  to  the  degree  that  the  mayor  of  the  village  of  the  Pala- 
tines, who  commanded  the  said  fort,  opened  the  doors  and  asked  for  quarters. 

"  M.  de  Belletre  lost  no  time  in  repairing  to  the  second,  the  third,  the  fourth  and 
fifth,  which  were  not  less  intimidated  than  the  first,  by  his  intrepidity  and  the  cries  of 
the  Indians.     They  all  surrendered  at  discretion  and  were  entirely  burnt. 

"  During  this  time  a  party  of  Canadians  and  Indians  ravaged  and  burnt  the  said  sixty 
houses  of  the  Palatines,  their  barns  and  other  out  buildings,  as  well  as  the  water  mill. 

"  In  all  these  expeditions  about  forty  English  perished — killed  or  drowned.  The 
number  of  prisoners  is  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  women  and  children,  among 
whom  is  the  mayor  of  the  village,  the  surgeon  and  some  militia  officers.  We  had  not 
a  man  killed ;  but  M.  de  Lorimer,  officer,  was  wounded  in  the  right  side  by  a  ball,  and 
three  or  four  savages  slightly. 

''  The  damage  inflicted  on  the  enemy  is  estimated  according  to  the  representations 
of  the  English  themselves,  to  wit: 

•'  In  grain,  of  all  sorts,  a  much  larger  quantity  than  the  island  of  Montreal  has  pro- 
duced in  years  of  abundance.  The  same  of  hogs;  3,000  horned  cattle;  3,000  sheep. 
All  these  articles  were  to  be  sent  in  a  few  days  to  Corlaer  [Schenectady] ;  1 ,500  horses, 
300  of  which  were  taken  by  the  Indians,  and  the  greater  number  consumed  for  the 
support  of  the  detachment. 

"  The  property  in  furniture,  wearing  apparel,  merchandise  and  liquor  might  form  a 
capital  of  1,500,000  livres  [$277,500].  The  mayor  of  the  village  alone  has  lost  400, 
000  [$74,000].  The  French  and  Indians  have  acquired  as  rich  a  booty  as  they  could 
carry  off.  They  have  in  specie  more  than  100,000  livres  [$18,500].  One  Indian  alone 
has  as  much  at  30,000  [$6,550].  There  was  likewise  plundered  a  quantity  of  wampum, 
silver  bracelets,  &c.,  scarlet  cloth  and  other  merchandise,  which  would  form  a  capital 
of  80,000  more.  All  this  damage  could  not  be  done  short  of  forty-eight  hours.  M.  de 
Belletre  made  provision  to  be  always  able  to   resist  the  enemy,  who  as  has  been  ob- 


42  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMKR  COUNTY. 

served  were  to  the  numlier  of  350  men   in   the   said    Fort  Koiiari  |HerkinieiJ,  jdioul  a 
quarter  of  a  league  from  the  field  of  battle." 

Although  this  account  is  greatly  exaggerated,  as  was  proved  subse- 
quently by  the  narrative  of  Mr.  Daine  which  was  sent  to  the  French 
minister, '  especially  in  regard  to  destruction  of  property,  it  still  tells  a 
tale  of  barbarity  most  revolting  in  all  its  details.  The  responsibility  for 
this  disastrous  event  is  in  dispute.  William  L.  Stone,  the  biographer 
of  Sir  Wilham  Johnson,  exonerates  the  baronet  from  blame,  while  the 
late  Judge  Benton  throws  doubt  upon  Stone's  proofs.  It  seems  almost 
incredible  that  Sir  William  Johnson  could  have  connived  for  this  wan- 
ton attack,  and  no  less  incredible  that  he  would  endeavor  to  hide  his 
duplicity  under  proofs  deliberately  manufactured.  Sir  William  had 
long  before  the  assault  urged  the  stationing  of  a  force  of  rangers  at  the 
German  Flats  for  scouting  purposes.  He  had  characterized  the  garri- 
sons among  the  Palatines  as  being  "  not  only  very  arrogant  and  self- 
sufficient,"  but  "  of  no  use  in  protecting  the  Germans."  His  interest 
for  the  welfare  of  the  Germans  seems  to  have  continued  down  almost 
to  the  date  of  the  attack.  He  wrote  to  the  Lords  of  Trade  September 
28,  1757,  as  follows  : 

The  Tiiscaroras  and  Oneidas  have  not  yet  made  any  e.xpress  declaration  to  me ; 
they  have  promised  soon  to  do  it.  The  latter  are  divided  among  themselves,  and  the 
greater  part  under  the  influence  of  those  of  their  nation  whom  the  French  have  drawn 
ofT  to  live  at  Sweegachie  on  St.  Lawrence  river,  and  at  whose  scalping  parties,  which 
molest  the  German  Flats,  they  do  at  least  connive. 

The  evidence  of  Sir  William's  honor  in  the  matter  rests  chiefly  upon 
the  following  :  Having  been  informed  that  the  Indians  had  not  notified 
the  Palatines  of  the  enemy's  approach  until  the  morning  of  the  attack, 
he  sent  his  dsputy  to  make  inquiry  of  several  Oneida  and  Tuscarora 
Indians  who  had  assembled  at  the  German  Flats  why  they  had  not 
given  the  settlers  timely  warning.  The  deputy  agent,  George  Crogin, 
did  not  arrive  at  the  scene  of  desolation  until  the  Indians  had  left  for 
home;  but  at  his  request  they  returned.  His  narrative  of  what  then 
took  place  states  : 

>  Governor  DeLancy,  in  mentioning  the  tlestruction  of  "  a  valuable  settlement  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Molia\vk*s  rivtr,  opposite  to  Fort  Hareniger,  called  the  Gerinan  Flats,"  says,  "  the  loss  is 
estimated  at  twenty  thousand  pounds  this  money,"  a  large  discrepancy  from  that  given  by  the 
valorous  Frenchman.—  Hcnton's  Herkimer  County. 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  45 

The  aforesaid  Indians  returned,  and  on  the  30th  of  ISl ovember  [1757],  at  Fort  Harke- 
man,  Conaghquieson,  the  chief  Oneida  sachem,  made  the  following  speech  to  Mr.  Cro- 
ghan,  having  first  called  in  one  Rudolph  Shumaker,  Hanjost  Harkeman  and  several  other 
Germans,  who  understood  the  Indian  language,  and  de.'^ired  them  to  sit  down  and  hear 
what  he  was  going  to  say.  Conaghquieson  then  said  :  "  Brother,  I  can't  help  telling 
you  that  we  were  very  much  surprised  to  hear  that  our  "brethren,  the  English,  suspect 
and  charge  us  with  not  giving  them  timely  notice  of  tiie  designs  of  the  French,  as  it  is 
well  known  we  have  not  neglected  to  give  tliem  every  piece  of  intelHgence  that  came 
to  our  knowledge. 

"  Brother  :  About  fifteen  days  before  the  afiFair  happened,  we  sent  the  Germans  word 
that  some  Swegatchi  Indians  told  us  the  French  were  determined  to  destroy  the  Ger- 
man Flats,  and  desired  them  to  be  on  their  guard.  About  six  days  after  that  we  had 
a  further  account  from  the  Swegatchi,  that  the  French  were  preparing  to  mai-cli. 

"  I  then  oame  down  to  the  German  Flats,  and  in  a  meeting  with  the  German.s,  told 
what  we  had  heard,  and  desired  them  to  collect  themselves  together  in  a  body  at  their 
fort,  and  secure  their  women,  cliildren  and  efifects,  and  make  the  best  defense  they 
could  ;  and  at  the  same  time  told  th^i  to  write  what  I  had  said  to  onr  brother  War- 
raghiyagey  [Meaning  Sir  William  Johiison.  The  Palatines  never  sent  this  intelligence]. 
But  they  paid  not  the  least  regard  to  what  I  told  them,  and  laughed  at  me,  saying  they 
did  not  value  the  enemy.  Upon  this  I  returned  home  and  sent  one  of  our  people  to 
the  lake  [meaning  the  Oneida  lake]  to  find  out  whether  the  enemy  were  coming  or  not; 
and  after  he  had  stayed  there  two  days,  the  enemy  arrived  at  the  carrying  place,  and 
sent  word  to  the  castle  at  the  lake,  that  they  were  there,  and  told  them  what  they 
were  going  to  do ;  but  charged  them  not  to  let  us  at  the  upper  castle  know  anything  of 
their  design.  As  soon  as  the  man  I  seut  there  heard  this,  he  came  on  to  us  with  the 
account  that  night,  and  as  soon  as  we  received  it  we  sent  a  belt  of  wampum  to  confirm 
the  truth  thereof,  to  the  Flats,  which  came  here  the  day  before  the  enemy  made  their 
attack ;  but  the  people  would  not  give  credit  to  the  account  even  then,  or  they  might 
have  saved  their  lives.  This  is  the  truth  and  those  Germans  here  present  know  it  to 
be  so." 

The  aforesaid  Germans  did  acknowledge  it  to  he  so,  and  that  they  had  such  intelli- 
gence. Gkorgk  Croguan. 

The  authenticity  of  this  document  is  doubted  by  Judge  Benton,  while 
Mr.  Stone  gave  it  credence  and  at  the  same  time  claims  to  have  other 
evidence  that  the  Palatines  were  promptly  and  properly  warned  of  the 
impendi<ig  attack.  Other  writers  believe  that  the  warning  was  sent, 
but  that  it  was  delivered  in  such  a  manner  as  to  weaken  its  import  in 
the  minds  of  the  settlers.  It  is  a  subject  that  must  be  left  for  the  histor- 
ical student  to  investigate  for  himself  and  form  his  own  conclusions. 

Judge  Benton  sums  up  the  consequences  of  the  deplorable  event  as 
follows:  "These  people  were  then  seated  on  as  fertile  a  spot  as  any  in 
the    State,  had  good  buildings  on  their  farms,  and.  were  generally  rich. 


44  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Their  buildings  and  crops  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  their  horses,  cat- 
tle, sheep  and  hogs  were  many  of  them  killed.  Some  of  the  people 
were  slain  by  the  marauders  and  nearly  one  hundred  carried  into  cap- 
tivity. The  German  minister  and  a  majority  of  the  inhabitants  who 
followed  him,  saved  themselves  by  going  to  the  fort  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river,  on  the  morning  of  the  attack.  The  enemy  burned  a  grist- 
mill, probably  on  what  is  now  called  Staring's  Creek,  and  a  saw  mill 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  settlement.  There  were  about  twenty  houses 
between  Fort  Kouari  (Herkimer)  and  Fall  Hill  or  Little  Falls,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river  at  this  time,  and  eight  on  the  north  side,  w  hich 
were  abandoned  for  a  time  when  the  settlement  at  Herkimer  was  de- 
stroyed." 

On  the  30th  of  April,  1758,  the  Palatines  were  ag.iin  attacked  by  a 
large  party  of  Indians  and  a  few  French,  the  assault  being  directed 
against  the  settlement  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  near  the  fort.  Lieu- 
tenant Blair,  of  the  Rangers,  was  wounded  and  about  thirty  of  the  in- 
habitants were  killed.  It  will  be  of  interest  to  copy  the  follouing  ac- 
count of  this  event  from  the  New  York  Mercury  of  May  22,  1758: 

About  12  o'clock  on  Monday,  the  30th  of  April  last,  an  Oneida  Indian  acquainted 
Captain  Herkimer  that  a  party  of  eighty  Indians  and  four  Frenchmen  were  nigli  his  fort, 
and  would  certainly  come  down  and  attack  the  settlements  that  day,  and  advised  Cap- 
tain Herkimer  to  go  into  the  fort  and  take  as  many  of  the  inhabitants  with  him  as  he 
could  collect.  About  3  o'clock,  most  part  of  the  inhabitants,  having  no^ice  from  Cap- 
lain  Herkimer,  left  their  houses  and  assembled  at  the  fort.  Four  families  that  fled  from 
Henderson's  purchase  in  the  spring  for  fear  of  the  enemy,  could  not  get  in ;  and  had  in 
their  houses  two  Indian  traders  of  the  name  of  Clock,  and  six  wagoners  that  were 
carrying  Captain  Gage's  baggage  to  the  fort.  At  4  o'clock,  all  of  a  sudden,  the  hou.ses 
were  attacked,  and  the  wagoners,  being  surprised,  ran  up  .stairs,  the  better  to  defend 
themselves.  The  Indians  immediately  rushed  into  the  hou.se,  and  killed  and  scalped  all 
that  were  below.  Some  of  the  Indians  attempted  the  stairs,  but  they  were  knocked 
down  by  the  wagoners.  They  then  fired  up  through  the  loft,  and  soon  were  joined  by 
more  Indians,  who  fired  many  shots  quite  through  the  house,  and  proposed  to  set  it  on 
fire;  which  intimidated  John  Bhel,  a  wagoner,  to  such  a  degree  that  he  leaped  out  of  a 
window,  thinking  to  make  his  escape,  but  was  soon  killed.  The  other  five  defended 
themselves  with  great  intrepidity,  having  killed  one  Indian,  until  they  were  relieved 
by  a  party  of  Rangers  who  came  to  their  assistance,  and  after  exchanging  a  few  shots 
the  Indians  fled,  seeing  our  people  had  the  advantage  of  a  log  fence. 

The  Palatines  received  only  about  four  hours'  notice  of  this  attack, 
which  fact,  in  the  opinion  of  Judge    Benton,   tends   to   substantiate  his 


.ft- 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  45 

theory  that  the  settlement  was  not  properly  warned  of  the  attack  in  the 
previous  year.^ 

The  French  and  Indian  war  closed  with  the  conquest  of  Canada  in 
1760,  and  a  period  of  peace  succeeded,  which  was  most  grateful  to  the 
harassed  Palatines.  Those  wha  had  been  carried  into  captivity  returned 
and  again  took  up  the  cultivation  of  their  farms  and  the  improvement 
of  their  homes.  There  were  at  this  time  nearly  five  hundred  houses  in 
the  Mohawk  valley  between  East  Canada  Creek  and  Sir  William  John- 
son's residence,  and  there  was  rich  promise  of  development  of  the  lo- 
cality. Several  important  Indian  councils  were  held  in  the  valley,  some 
of  them  upon  the  soil  of  Herkimer  county,  between  the  restoration  of 
peace  and  the  period  immediately  preceding  the  outbreak  of  the  Revo- 
lution. 

In  1763  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  Cape  Breton  and  other  dependencies 
were  ceded  by  France  under  the  treaty  of  Paris,  to  the  British  crown, 
and  the  two  Floridas  by  Spain,  thus  giving  Great  Britain  control  of  the 
entire  North  American  continent.  During  the  preceding  three-quar- 
ters of  a  century,  and  in  spite  of  the  four  destructive  wars,  the  colonies 
had  greatly  developed  and  improved  the  country  as  far  as  the  settle- 
ments extended,  and  were  pushing  with  rapid  strides  their  commercial 
interests.  This  latter  advancement  led  the  mother  country  into  the 
imposition  of  restrictions  that  threatened  to  disturb  trade,  to  the  great 
injury  of  the  colonies;  this,  with  burdensome  taxation  without  repre- 
sentation, finally  led  to  the  revolt  that  culminated  in  the  Revolution. 
It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  work,  nor  is  there  space  in  its  pages,  to 
follow  in  detail  the  historic  events  that  resulted  in  the  final  declaration 
of  independence;  but  merely  to  briefly  note  the  conditions  that  were 
imposed  upon  this  immediate  locality  by  the  great  struggle  and  the  part 
taken  in  it  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  Mohawk  valley. 

'  The  old  fort  at  German  Flats  was  called  Fort  Herkimer  ;  and  in  1758  was  commanded  by  Colonel 
Charles  Clinton,  father  of  General  James  and  Governor  George  Clinton,  and  grandfather  of  De 
Witt  Clinton,  who  was  a  son  of  General  James  Clinton.  This  officer  marched  from  this  fort  in  the 
summer  of  1758,  under  General  Bradstreet.  to  Oswepo,  and  thence  to  the  siege  of  Fort  Frontenac 
[Kingston,  Canada).  This  expedition  was  completely  successful  ;  the  French  were  not  apprised  at 
their  approach  until  they  saw  them  before  the  walls  of  their  fortress.  Among  the  persons  who 
were  afterward  distinguished,  who  accompanied  General  Bradstreet,  were  Horatio  Gates  [to 
whom  Burgoyne  surrendered],  then  a  captain,  and  Nathaniel  Woodhull,  then  a  major,  afterward 
first  president  of  the  New  York  Provisional  Congress,  and  who  in  the  Revolution  was  a  general 
and  sealed  his  attachment  to  the  caube  of  his  country  with  his  blood. 


46  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

In  the  Revolutionary  VVar,  as  far  as  it  pertained  to  this  part  of  New 
York,  Sir  William  Johnson  exercised  a  greater  influence  than  any  other 
one  person.  His  power  over  the  Indians  was  almost  unbounded,  while 
his  close  adherence  to  the  cause  of  England  made  him  one  to  be  feared 
ill  the  coming  contest.  But  his  influence  was  not  felt  among  the  Pala- 
tines as  it  was  farther  east  in  the  valley  and  nearer  his  home.  Sir 
William  died  on  the  i  j  th  of  July,  1 774,  just  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revo- 
lution, but  his  mantle  of  partisanship  against  the  colonists  fell  upon  his 
son.  Sir  John  Johnson,  and  his  nephew,  Guy  Johnson,  and  they  ex- 
erted all  their  powerful  influence  to  hold  the  allegianceof  the  Indians  to 
the  cause  of  England.  At  the  same  time,  it  was  only  a  natural  result 
of  such  a  tremendous  overthrow  of  government  and  its  established 
usages  and  institutions,  that  there  should  be  partisans.  The  epithet  of 
"tory"  has  come  down  to  us  of  to-day  surrounded  with  an  atmosphere 
of  obloquy  and  opprobrium  which,  perhaps,  it  scarcely  deserves.  The 
very  principle  of  free  speech,  thought  and  action,  which  underlies  the 
government  that  was  established  by  the  patriots  in  the  Revolution, 
would  seem  to  have  given  the  individual  of  that  trying  period  a  certain 
right  to  choose  as  to  the  direction  which  his  allegiance  should  take.  This 
would  surely  be  true,  were  it  not  that  the  provocation  meted  out  to  the 
colonists  was  unbearable.  The  tory  was  the  patriot  in  the  eyes  of  the 
mother  country,  while  the  patriot  colonist  was  the  rebel  of  that  govern- 
ment. This  is  not  advanced  in  mitigation  of  many  barbarous  deeds  by 
tories  and  Indians  against  the  suffering  settlers  in  America;  but  because 
it  may  be  better  to  forget,  under  the  softening  influence  of  time,  the 
animosities  and  differences  that  could  not  fail  to  be  stirred  into  life  during 
such  a  struggle  as  our  Revolution.  But  whatever  the  opinion  enter- 
tained on  this  point,  it  can  be  truthfully  recorded  that  very  few  of  the 
Palatines  are  known  to  have  abandoned  their  homes  and  followed  the 
fortunes  of  the  Johnsons.  If  promises  were  held  out  to  them  as  induce- 
ment toward  such  a  course,  they  were  generally  futile.  They  had  not 
forgotten  the  scenes  of  November,  1757,  and  April,  1758,  when  they 
were  left  on  an  unprotected  frontier,  by  those  who,  possibly,  might  have 
given  them  succor,  to  the  destruction  and  bloodshed  that  followed  in 
the  wake  of  a  savage  foe.  And  they  also  had  loftier  motives  to  guide 
their  actions  and  control  them  in   the   course  they  should  pursue  in  the 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  47 

contest.  They  well  knew  the  miseries  of  serfdom,  a  concomitant  of 
regal  power  and  the  rule  of  one  man.  They  appreciated  the  sentiment 
that  man  ought  not  to  be  burdened  unjustly  without  his  consent;  and 
exposed  as  they  were,  and  suffer  as  they  undoubtedly  knew  they  must 
in  the  coming  struggle,  they  still  embraced  with  zeal  the  cause  of  the 
colonies  against  the  mother  country  and  held  out  firmly  to  the  end. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD. 

THROUGH  the  influence  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  Tryon  county  was 
formed  in  1772,  with  Johnstown,  Fulton  county,  as  the  county  seat, 
where  a  court-house  and  jail  were  soon  erected.  At  the  formation  of 
the  new  county  there  were  probably  about  10,000  inhabitants,  most  of 
whom  were  settled  along  the  Mohawk.  The  county  embraced  all  of 
the  State  west  of  a  line  running  due  north  from  the  Delaware  River 
through  what  is  now  Schoharie  county,  and  along  the  eastern  limits  of 
the  present  counties  of  Montgomery,  Fulton  and  Hamilton,  to  the  Ca- 
nadian line.  Instead  of  townships,  this  large  territory  was  divided  into 
five  districts,  the  easternmost  one  being  named  Mohawk  ;  this  embraced 
the  territory  between  the  eastern  line  of  the  county  and  a  line  running 
parallel  thereto  crossing  the  Mohawk  at  the  "  Noses."  The  Stone 
Arabia  district  extended  indefinitely  northward  from  the  river  between 
the  Mohawk  district  on  the  east  and  on  the  west  from  a  line  running 
north  and  south  through  the  State  crossing  the  river  at  Little  Falls. 
With  the  same  breadth,  the  Canajoharie  district  reached  southward  to 
the  Pennsylvania  line.  North  of  the  Mohawk  River  and  west  of  the 
Stone  Arabia  district,  as  far  as  settlements  extended,  was  the  Kingsland 
district;  while  south  of  the  river,  extending  westward  from  the  Canajo- 
harie district  to  the  meridian  of  Fort  Stanwix,  and  southerly  to  the  Penn- 
sylvania line,  was  the  German  Flats  district.  One  year  after  the  for- 
mation of  these  districts,  the  name  of  Stone  Arabia  district  was  changed 
to  Palatine.     The  inhabitants  of  the  districts  elected  on  the  first  Tues- 


48  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

day  in  the  year,  a  supervisor,  two  assessors  and  one  collector  for  each 
district.  Courts  and  civil  officers  were  provided,  and  the  first  court  in 
the  county  was  held  at  Johnstown  on  Tuesday,  September  8,  1772. 

There  was  not,  perhaps,  in  the  whole  country  during  the  period  just 
preceding  the  Revolution  a  section  of  the  frontier  where  a  deeper  and 
more  active  interest  was  shown  in'the  affairs  and  prospects  of  the  colonies, 
than  in  the  Mohawk  valley.  This  was  necessarily  the  case,  on  account 
of  the  intense  partisanship  of  the  Johnsons  combined  with  their  great 
power  over  the  Indians  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  the  patriotic 
loyalty  to  the  colonists  of  the  Dutch  in  the  lower  valley  and  the  Pala- 
tines farther  west.  Sir  William  Johnson  had  not  been  dead  two  months 
when  a  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  Palatine  district  at  which  a  series 
of  resolutions  was  adopted  warmly  commendatory  of  the  blessings  to  be 
derived  from  the  British  government  and  extolling  the  duty  of  every 
person  in  submitting  to  whatever  restrictions  and  burdens  the  crown  saw 
fit  to  impose.  Then  followed  the  Declaration  of  Rights  by  the  Conti- 
nental Congress  in  September,  1774,  and  the  battle  of  Lexington,  as  it  is 
termed,  in  the  spring  of  1775.  The  news  of  this  event  was  received  in 
Johnstown  during  a  session  of  the  court.  The  loyalists  thereupon  under- 
took a  demonstration  against  the  Colonial  Congress  by  circulating  a 
declaration  disapproving  of  the  proceedings  of  that  body  in  the  preced- 
ing autumn.  After  much  altercation  the  signatures  of  a  majority  of  the 
county  officials  were  obtained  to  the  declaration,  which  proceeding 
threw  the  Whigs  into  a  fever  of  excitement  and  indignation.  They 
called  public  meetings  and  appointed  committees,  and  adopted  an  article 
of  association  endorsing  the  action  of  Congress  and  pledging  the  signers 
to  its  support. 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  the  Johnsons  and  their  allies  were  not 
only  loyalists  of  the  most  determined  character,  but  that  they  would 
attempt  the  suppression  of  all  patriotic  demonstration  in  the  countJ^ 
In  view  of  this  condition  of  affairs  the  Palatine  committee  met  on  the 
19th  of  May,  1775,  and  addressed  a  letter  to  the  committee  at  Albany, 
in  which  they  represented  their  circumstances,  stating  that  Johnson 
Hall  was  fortified  and  armed  ;  that  Colonel  Johnson  had  stopped  two 
New  England  men  passing  up  the  valley  and  searched  them  ;  recom- 
mending that  no  ammunition  be  sent  up  the   valley   except   under   the 


^. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  4J> 

inspection  of,  and  consigned  to,  the  committee,  to  be  given  out  to  such 
shopkeepers  as  they  should  approve  and  concluding  :  "  In  a  word,  gentle- 
men, it  is  our  fixed  resolve  to  support  and  carry  into  execution  every- 
thing recommended  by  the  Continental  Congress,  and  to  be  free  or 
die."  That  expression  bears  the  true  ring  of  patriotism  and  shows 
clearly  the  attitude  of  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley. 

In  Campbell's  "  Annals  of  Tryon  County  "  the  date  of  the  first  united 
meeting  of  the  county  committee  is  given  as  June  2,  1775,  with  the 
following  as  the  names  of  the  committee  : 

From  the  Palatine  district :  Cliri.stopher  P.  Yates,  John  Frey,  Andrew  Fink,  Andrew 
Reiber,  Peter  Waggoner,  Daniel  McDougal,  Jacob  Klock,  George  Ecker,  Jun.,  Harma- 
nus  Van  Slyck,  Christopher  W.  Fox,  Anthony  Van  Veghten  ;  11. 

From  the  Cana)oharie  district :  Nicholas  Herkimer,  Ebenezer  Cox,  William  Seeber, 
John  Moore,  Samuel  Campbell,  Samuel  Clyde,  Thomas  Henry,  John  Pickard ;  8. 

From  the  Kingsland  and  German  Flats  districts:  Edward  Wall,  William  Petry,  John 
Petry,  Augustine  Hess,  Frederick  Orendorf,  George  Wentz,  Michael  Ittig,  Frederick 
Fox,  George  He.-kimer,  Duncan  McDougal,  Frederick  Helmer,  and  John  Frink;   12. 

From  the  Mohawk  district:  John  iVlorlett,  John  Bliven,  Abraham  Van  Home,  Adam 
Fonda,  Frederick  Fisher,  Sampson  Simmons,  William  Schuyler,  Volkert  Veeder,  James 
McMaster  and  Daniel  Lane;   10.     In  all,  41. 

Previous  to  the  above  named  meeting  the  Mohawk  delegates  had  been 
influenced  by  the  Johnsons  against  attending  the  committee  gatherings. 
Such  was  the  case  on  the  24th  of  May,  when  all  the  committees  met, 
excepting  Mohawk,  and  unanimously  approved  of  the  previous  action 
of  the  Palatine  committee,  and  voted  that  Daniel  McDougall,  for  Pala- 
tine district,  David  Cox  for  Canajoharie,  and  Edward  Wall  and  Duncan 
McDougall  for  German  Flats  and  Kingsland,  be  sent  to  Sclienectady 
and  Albany  to  confer  with  the  committees  of  those  places  upon  the  sit- 
uation, and  to  procure  ammunition,  etc.  Meanwhile  Guy  Johnson  was 
secretly  active  in  inciting  the  Indians  to  keep  alive  their  memory  of  Sir 
William  and  to  hold  themselves  ready  to  protect  himself  and  his  property. 
He  undoubtedly  early  saw  his  impending  doom.  At  the  meeting  of 
June  2,  above  mentioned,  a  long  letter,  written  in  a  spirit  of  patriotic 
and  dignified  protest  against  his  disloyal  acts  and  maintaining  the  position 
of  the  committees,  was  prepared  and  forwarded  to  Johnson.  This  drew 
from  him  a  reply  in  which  he  mildly  deprecated  the  unconstitutional 
means  taken  by  the   colonists  to   redress   their   wrongs  ;  excusing  the 


50  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

fortification  of  his  house  by  his  fears  of  actual  danger  to  himself;  deny- 
ing that  he  had  stopped  any  travelers,  and  closing  with  the  assurance 
that  he  should  always  be  glad  to  promote  their  true  interests.  But  his 
acts  belied  his  words.  He  went  first  to  Fort  Stanwix  and  thence  to 
Ontario  and  Oswego,  where  he  held  councils  with  the  Indians  and 
further  secured  their  promised  devotion  to  the  king  through  gifts  and 
rewards.  He  finally  repaired  to  Montreal  where  he  remained  through 
the  war,  continuing  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  Indian  agent  and  de- 
voting himself  indirectly  to  the  destruction  of  the  people  of  whom  lie 
had  written  that  he  "  should  always  be  glad  to  promote  their  true  iii- 
erests." 

In  their  alarming  situation,  especially  as  regarded  the  attitude  of  the 
Six  Nations,  the  colonists  made  earnest  efforts  to  dissuade  them  from 
joining  in  the  approaching  struggle.  These  efforts  were  successful  only 
with  a  large  part  of  the  Oneidas  and  the  Tuscaroras.  The  last 
council  held  before  the  war  was  convened  at  Albany  August  23-3 1, 
1775,  and  although  some  assurance  was  then  obtained  from  the  Indians 
that  they  would  remain  neutral,  it  was  not  many  months  before  the 
great  body  of  the  Mohawks,  Onondagas,  Cayugas  and  Senecas  evinced 
their  attachment  to  the  royal  cause.  Following  the  flight  of  Guy  John- 
son, the  colonists  found  it  necessary  to  keep  a  close  watch  upon  the 
movements  of  Sir  John.  He  was  surrounded  by  a  large  body  of  tories 
and  Indians  and  left  no  means  untried  to  harass  and  annoy  the  settlers. 
As  a  last  resort  the  Tryon  county  committee  resolved  to  make  him 
speak  out  his  intentions  and  hold  him  responsible  for  his  utterances. 
They  accordingly  addressed  a  letter  to  him,  over  the  signature  of 
Nicholas  Herkimer,  which  contained  the  following  paragraph  : 

We  want  to  know  whether  you  will  allow  that  the  inhabitants  of  Johnstown  and 
Kingsboi'oiigh  may  form  themselves  into  companies  according  to  the  regulations  of  our 
Continental  Congress,  for  the  defense  of  our  country's  cause  ;  and  whether  your  honor 
would  be  ready  himself  to  give  his  personal  assistance  to  the  same  purpose. 

Sir  John's  reply  left  no  doubt  resting  upon  his  sentiments,  at  least. 
It  was  thus  reported  to  the  committee  by  the  messengers  who  conveyed 
their  inquiries  : 

In  regard  of  embodying  his  tenants  into  companies,  he  never  did  forbid  them,  neither 
should  do  it,  as  they  may  use  their  pleasure ;  but  we  might  save  ourselves  the  trouble, 
he  being  sure  they  would  not. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  51 

Concerning  himself,  he  said  that  before  he  would  sign  any  association,  or  would  lift 
his  hand  up  against  his  king,  he  would  rather  suffer  that  his  head  shall  be  cut  off. 

Sir  John  continued  hi.s  military  preparations  about  Johnson  Hall,  and 
succeeded  in  keeping  the  inhabitants  of  the  county  in  continual  alarm. 
The  activity  and  growing  boldness  of  the  tories  led  to  the  issuance  of  an 
order  by  Congress  to  General  Sciiuyler  in  January,  1776,  directing  him 
to  take  steps  to  captur-  the  materials  of  war  reported  as  stored  at  Johns- 
town and  disarm  the  tories.  With  about  700  men  General  Schuyler 
proceeded  toward  Johnstown.  At  Guy  Park,  some  miles  east  of  Johns- 
town, Sir  John  and  a  party  of  his  followers  were  encountered.  The 
baronet  was  at  first  disposed  to  assume  a  belligerent  attitude,  but  he 
was  soon  convinced  of  a  better  course  and  asked  for  twenty-four  hours 
for  consideration.  This  was  granted  and  he  returned  to  the  Hall.  From 
Caughnawaga,  whither  General  Schuyler  had  marched,  and  where  he 
had  met  General  Herkimer  and  the  militia,  an  ultimatum  was  sent  to 
Sir  John.  He  was  permitted  to  retain  some  family  arms  and  allowed 
certain  liberty  in  prescribed  limits  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State.  To 
this  he  agreed,  but  his  continued  violation  of  the  compact  and  renewed 
evidences  of  his  hostility  to  the  cause  led  General  Schuyler  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  only  proper  and  safe  course  was  to  place  him  under 
arrest.  An  expedition  was  sent  out  in  May  for  this  purpose  and  to  quell 
all  disaffection  about  Johnstown.  Sir  John  received  information  of  this 
movement  and  he  fled  with  his  retainers  to  Canada,  where  he  accepted 
a  commission  as  colonel  in  tlie  British  arm\'  and  formed  two  battalions 
of  "  Royal  Greens"  from  the  tories  who  had  accompanied  him.  They 
became  the   bitterest  enemies  with  whom   the   patriots  had  to  contend. 

After  the  departure  of  Sir  John  and  his  band,  who  were  subsequently 
followed  by  other  parties  of  tories,  this  class  of  persons  made  no  further 
hostile  demonstrations  in  the  county. 

Returning  to  the  subject  of  military  affairs  in  the  county  in  1775,  the 
committee  of  safety  organized  the  militia  of  the  county  into  four  battal- 
ions and  on  the  26th  of  August  transmitted  the  return,  through  Nicho- 
las Herkimer,  the  chairman,  to  the  general  committee  of  safety,  then  in 
session  in  New  York,  by  whom  it  was  approved  on  the  6th  of  Septem- 
ber. Following  is  a  list  of  field  officers  of  the  four  battalions  who  were 
nominated  in  each  district  : 


52  HISTORY  Q¥  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

First  battalion  Canajoharie  district. — Nicholas  Herkheimer,  colonel;  Ebenezer  Cox, 
lieutenant-colonel ;   Robert  Wells,  major  ;  Samuel  Clyde,  adjutant. 

Second  battalion,  Palatine  district. — Jacob  Clock,  colonel;  Peter  Waggoner,  lieuten- 
ant-colonel;  Harmanus  Van  Slyck,  major;  V.  Vechten,  adjutant. 

Third  battalion,  Mohawk  district. — Frederick  Fisher,  colonel;  Adam  Fonda,  lieuten- 
ant-colonel ;  John  Bliven,  major ;  Robert  Yates,  adjutant. 

Fourth  battalion,  German  Flats  and  Kingsland. — Hanyoost  Herkheimer,  colonel ; 
Peter  Bellinger,  lieutenant-colonel ;  Hanyoost  Shoemaker,  major  ;  John  Demooth,  ad- 
jutant. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  other  officers  of  the  fourth  bat- 
talion : 

1st  company. — John  Eisenlord,  captain;  John  Keyser,  1st  lieutenant ;  Adam  Bellin- 
ger, 2d  lieutenant;  John  Smith,  er.sign. 

2d  company.— John  Petry,  captain;  Hanyoost  Mx.  Petry,  1st  lieutenant;  Hanyoo.«t 
H.  Petry,  2d  lieutenant ;  William  Empie,  ensign. 

3d  company. — Daniel  Petry,  captain  ;  Peter  Volts,  1st  lieutenant ;  Marx  Raspach, 
2d  lieutenant ;  George  Helmer,  ensign. 

4th  company.— Frederick  Bellinger,  captain;  Henry  Herter,  1st  lieutenant;  John 
Demooth,  2d  lieutenant;   Peter  Ja.  Weaver,  ensign. 

5th  company. — Peter  Bellinger,  captain ;  Jacob  Baschawn,  1st  lieutenant  ;  Nicholas 
Staring,  2d  lieutenant;  John  P.  Bellinger,  ensign. 

6th  company. — Hanyoost  Herkheimer,  captain  ;  Frederick  Ahrendorf,  1st  lieutenant; 
Tinus  Clapsaddle,  2d  lieutenant. 

7th  company. — Rudolph  Shoemaker,  captain  ;  Deiterick  Stale,  1st  lieutenant ;  Freder 
ick  Shoemaker,  2d  lieutenant. 

8th  company. — George  Herkheimer,  captain;  Frederick  Fox,  1st  lieutenant;  Archi 
bald  Armstrong,  2d  lieutenant;   Hanyoost  Tygert,  ensign. 

9th  company. — William  Tygert,  captain;  Jacob  Volts,  1st  lieutenant ;  George  Wenis, 
2d  lieutenant;  Frederick  Frank,  ensign. 

By  a  vote  of  the  committee,  Nicholas  Herkimer  was  appointed  "Chief 
Colonel,  Commander  for  the  County  of  Tryon." 

The  year  1777  produced  a  series  of  events  of  remarkable  historical 
importance  to  the  people  of  the  Mohawk  valley.  In  the  spring  an  in- 
vasion was  threatened  by  a  large  force  of  Indians  under  the  famous 
Brant.  He  was  met  at  Unadilla  by  General  Herkimer,  with  whom  he 
had  been  on  friendly  terms.  The  interview  was  beset  with  danger  and 
a  conflict  was  narrowly  escaped  ;  but  it  closed  without  practical  results, 
and  Brant  returned  down  the  Susquehanna. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  53 

On  the  3d  of  August  (  1777)  Fort  Schuyler  was  invested  by  Colonel 
St.  Leger,  with  a  force  of  1,700  men.  The  approach  of  this  attack  was 
communicated  to  Colonel  Gansevoort  and  the  authorities  of  Tryon  coun- 
ty by  the  friendly  Oneida  Indians.  The  American  force  at  the  fort  was 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  the  supply  of  ammunition  was  deficient. 
The  first  news  of  the  proposed  siege  of  Fort  Schuyler  seems  to  have 
thrown  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley  into  needless  alarm  which  became 
almost  a  panic — a  condition  justified  only  by  their  unprotected  situation 
and  the  probability  that  they  could  receive  little  assistance  beyond  their 
own  efforts.  On  the  17th  of  July  General  Herkimer  issued  a  proclama- 
tion announcing  that  2,000  "  Christians  and  savages  "  had  assembled  at 
Oswego  for  a  descent  upon  the  Mohawk  valley,  and  warning  the  people 
to  be  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to  take  the  field  against  the  enemy,  the 
men  from  sixteen  to  sixty  for  active  service,  and  the  aged  and  infirm  to 
defend  the  women  and  children.  Of  the  immediate  subsequent  opera- 
tions Judge  Benton  wrote  as  follows  :  "  As  soon  as  the  approach  of  St. 
Leger  to  Fort  Schuyler  was  known  in  Tryon  county,  General  Herkimer 
ordered  the  militia  of  his  brigade  to  rendezvous  at  Fort  Dayton  ( theh 
called  German  Flats  ).  This  defense  was  erected  in  the  western  part  of 
Herkimer  village,  and  the  general  soon  found  himself  at  the  head  of 
about  nine  hundred  men,  composed  of  the  three  militia  regiments  conv 
manded  by  Colonels  Klock,  Cox,  Vischer  and  some  others,  with  volun- 
teers of  officers  and  men  from  various  parts  of  the  country.  The  pub- 
lished accounts  of  the  forces  collected  under  General  Herkimer  on  this 
occasion  do  not  designate  the  localities  from  which  the  several  regiments 
were  drawn  ;  enough  is  known,  however,  to  warrant  the  assertion  that 
the  militia  of  the  German  Flats  and  Kingsiand  district  were  attached  to 
the  regiment  commanded  by  Colonel  Peter  Bellinger,  whose  lieutenant- 
colonel  was  Frederick  Bellinger ;  major,  Enos  Klepsattle.  The  militia 
of  these  districts  participated  in  the  battle  of  Oriskany.  The  alacrity 
and  zeal  evinced  on  this  occasion  should  have  entirely  eradicated  all 
impressions  unfavorable  to  the  patriotic  devotion  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  valley,  growing  out  of  the  expression  of  despondency  in  the  early 
part  of  the  year.  Surely  after  this  no  one  could  complain  of  German 
disloyalty  to  the  cause  of  the  colonists.  General  Herkimer  left  Fort 
Dayton  on  the  4th  of  August,  and  encamped  near  the  Oriskany  on  the 


54  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

5th,  crossing  the  Mohawk  river  at  old  Fort  Schuyler  (  now  Utica  )  on  the 
march  up.  At  this  point  the  general  expressed  his  doubts  of  the  ex- 
pediency of  a  forward  movement,  until  reinforcements  should  arrive,  or 
the  prearranged  signal  should  be  given  by  Colonel  Gansevoort  from  the 
fort.  An  express,  Adam  Helmer  and  two  other  men,  had  been  dis- 
patched to  the  fort,  informing  the  commandant  of  the  general's  approach, 
and  to  arrange  matters  of  co-operation.  The  messengers  did  not  reach 
the  fort  until  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  6th.  Three 
successive  discharges  of  heavy  ordnance  was  the  signal  agreed  on,  an- 
nouncing the  arrival  of  the  express  ;  the  reports  of  which,  it  was  assumed, 
could  be  heard  at  Herkimer's  encampment,  eight  miles  distant  from  the 
fort.  Recriminatory  and  insubordinate  language  was  used  on  the  occa- 
sion, and  the  general  was  denounced  to  his  face  as  a  tory  and  coward  ; 
who  replied,  that  their  safety  was  in  his  hands,  and  he  desired  to  avoid 
all  difficulties  that  could  not  be  surmounted  by  bravery  and  good  con- 
duct. On  this  occasion  the  general  told  some  of  his  subordinates,  who 
had  been  noisy  and  liberal  in  their  accusations  of  his  fidelity  and  cour- 
age, that  they  would  be  the  first  to  run  on  the  approacli  of  the  enemy  ; 
which  was  soon  verified  to  the  very  letter. 

"  All  previous  accounts  had  fixed  St.  Leger's  forces  at  2,ooo  strong, 
nearly  half  of  which  were  Indians  led  by  Brant,  a  brave,  active  and 
artful  Mohawk  sachem.  Herkimer  knew  this,  and  he  no  doubt  believed, 
as  well  he  might,  that  a  force  superior  to  his  own  could  be  sent  against 
him,  which  would  select  its  own  battlefield,  without  in  any  way  inter- 
fering with  the  investment  of  the  fort.  But  noisy  insubordination  pre- 
vailed, and  precipitated  the  little  band  of  patriots  into  the  jaws  of  death. 
Smarting  under  the  repeated  accusations  heaped  upon  him,  and  irritated 
no  doubt,  the  general  gave  orders  to  take  up  the  line  of  march,  which 
was  received  with  cheers  by  the  men,  who  proceeded  rapidly  on  their 
way,  two  deep,  having  thrown  out  the  usual  advanced  and  flanking 
parties. 

"At  lo  o'clock  on  the  6th  the  main  body  of  troops  passed  over  a 
causeway  on  a  marshy  ravine,  the  advance  having  commenced  an  ascent 
of  the  westerly  slope,  when  a  well  directed  fire  from  the  enemy,  in  front 
and  on  both  flanks,  accompanied  with  the  dismal  Indian  war-whoop, 
unfolded  to  the  .American  fjeneral  that  his  division  had  become  involved 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  •      55 

in  an  almost  inextricable  ambuscade.  Retreat  was  impossible,  for  the 
causeway  over  the  marsh  was  already  blocked  up  with  teams;  and  the 
rear  guard,  just  commencing  the  descent  of  the  eastern  declivity,  com- 
manded by  one  of  the  officers  who  in  the  morning  had  taunted  his  gen- 
eral with  cowardice,  turned  and  fled  on  the  first  fire  of  the  enemy.  But 
flight  did  not  save  them  from  the  fate  that  awaited  their  comrades  on  the 
west  side  of  the  ravine;  the  enemy,  knowing  well  the  ground,  had  gained 
the  rear,  and  shot  down  the  fugitives  as  they  ran  away  from  their  com- 
panions. As  might  well  be  expected,  the  suddenness  of  the  attack  and 
the  intensity  of  the  enemy's  fire,  not  only  produced  great  disorder 
among  the  provincials,  but  annihilation  seemed  almost  inevitable  for  a 
time. 

"  In  this  disorder  the  conflict  raged  about  half  an  hour,  when  the 
Americans  formed  themselves  into  circular  squads,  the  more  effectually 
to  repel  the  attacks  of  the  enemy,  who  were  steadily  approaching  on 
all  sides;  and,  from  this  moment,  resistance  became  more  effective.  The 
enemy  then  charged  with  bayonet,  but  they  were  met  by  brave  hearts 
and  strong  arms,  and  thus  the  battle  raged,  until  the  parties  were  com- 
pelled to  desist  by  a  heavy  shower  of  rain,  which  raged  with  great  fury 
more  than  an  hour.  The  enemy  sought  the  best  shelter  they  could 
find,  at  a  good  distance  from  the  provincials,  when  the  latter,  under  the 
directions  of  their  general,  occupied  a  favorable  piece  of  ground,  and 
then  so  formed  themselves  as  to  be  able  to  repel  an  attack  from  any 
quarter.  The  fight  was  renewed,  but  the  Indians,  suffering  severely 
by  the  deadly  fire  of  the  militia,  began  to  give  ground,  when  a  detach- 
ment of  Johnson's  Greens,  composed  chiefly  of  loyalists  who  had  fled 
from  Tryon  county,  were  brought  into  action  face  to  face  with  many  of 
their  former  neighbors.  Then  mutual  hate  and  revenge  raged  with  un- 
speakable intensity  between  the  combatants,  and  the  conflict  now  be- 
came, if  possible,  more  a  death  struggle  than  ever. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  while  the  battle  was  the  most  fierce,  a  firing  was 
heard  in  the  direction  of  the  fort;  no  unwelcome  sound,  as  may  well  be 
supposed,  to  the  handful  of  surviving  provincials,  nor  very  gratifying  to 
the  enemy.  During  the  conflict  at  the  Oriskany,  a  well  conducted 
sortie  from  the  fort,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Willett,  was  made 
upon  the  forces  under  St.  Leger,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  the  enemy's 


56  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  CODNTT. 

attention  to  the  preservation  of  their  camp  in  that  direction.  This  was 
well  understood  by  the  provincials,  and  in  it  they  saw  great  hope  of  de- 
liverance. This  was  not  a  fight  suited  to  the  taste  of  savages,  who  found 
their  numbers  fast  diminishing,  nor  could  such  a  contest  be  long  main- 
tained with  much  hope  of  survivorship  by  either  party,  '  Oouah,'  the 
retreating  cry  of  the  Indians,  was  heard  in  the  distance,  and  their  flight 
commenced  with  a  salute  of  shouts  and  bullets  from  the  surviving  pro- 
vincials. The  Greens  and  Rangers  soon  followed  the  example  of  their 
illustrious  allies  by  a  precipitate  retreat,  abandoning  their  dead  and 
wounded,  and  the  deeply  crimsoned  battlefield  in  the  undisputed  pos- 
session of  the  Tryon  county  militia.  Was  this  a  victory,  or  a  defeat  of 
the  provincials?  By  all  the  laws  of  war,  they  are  victors  who  remain 
masters  of  the  battle-ground.  The  American  report  gave  the  number 
of  provincial  militia  killed,  two  hundred,  besides  the  wounded  and  pris- 
oners. The  British  accounts  state  the  killed  at  four  hundred,  and  two 
hundred  prisoners,  making  in  all  six  hundred,  besides  the  wounded. 
Now  in  modern  warfare,  and  in  the  severest  battles,  the  wounded  are 
more  than  two  to  one  of  the  killed,  say  nothing  about  prisoners.  The 
British  accounts  do  not  claim  there  was  over  one  thousand  militia  on 
the  march  at  this  time  to  raise  the  siege  of  Fort  Schuyler.  Surely  four 
hundred  killed,  eight  hundred  wounded  and  two  hundred  prisoners,  out 
of  one  thousand,  is  making  sad  havoc  in  the  fighting  line.  But  this  is 
not  so ;  and  St.  Leger,  when  he  gave  this  statement  of  killed  and 
prisoners  to  General  Burgoyne,  was  indulging  not  a  little  in  the  M.  de 
Belletre  vein. 

"The  battle  was  a  severe  one.  The  severest,  perhaps,  for  the  num- 
ber engaged,  that  took  place  during  the  whole  Revolutionary  War. 
And  from  the  character  of  the  combatants,  the  surprise,  and  the  disad- 
vantages under  which  the  provincials  labored  during  the  whole  six 
hours'  conflict,  the  proportion  of  the  killed  to  the  wounded  must  have 
been  greatly  beyond  what  ordinarily  occurs  in  the  hardest  actions,  where 
firearms  are  used  as  the  principal  weapon  of  assault  and  defense. "^ 

In  his  account  of  the  battle  of  Oriskany  published  in  1877,  William 
L.  Stone  gives  the  following  list  of  officers  of  the  Tryon  county  militia 
who  were  killed  or  wounded  in  the  engagement: 

1  For  sketch  of  General  Herkimer,  see  later  pages. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARy  PERIOD.  57 

In  Colonel  Visscher's  regiment,  Captains  John  Davis  and  Samuel  Pettingill,  killed  ; 
Major  Blauvelt  and  Lieutenant  Groat,  taken  prisoners  and  never  afterwards  heard  of; 
Captain  Jacob  Gardinier  and  Lieutenant  Samuel  Gardinier,  wounded.  In  Colonel  Ja- 
cob Klock's  regiment,  Major  John  Eisenlord  and  Major  Van  Slyck  (Palatine  district) 
and  Captain  Andrew  Dillenback  (Palatine  district),  killed;  Captain  Christopher  Fox 
and  John  Breadbeg  ( Palatine  district),  wounded;  Brigade  Major  John  Frey  (Palatine 
district),  wounded  and  prisoner.  In  Colonel  Peter  Bellinger's  regiment.  Major  Enos 
Klapsattle,  Captain  Frederick  Helmer,  and  Lieutenant  Petrie  (  all  of  German  Flats), 
killed;  Lieutenant-colonel  Frederick  Bellinger  and  Henry  Walradt  (German  Flats), 
prisoners.  In  Colonel  Ebenezer  Cox's  regiment,  Colonel  Cox  and  Lieutenant-colonel 
Hunt  (Canajoharie  district),  killed;  Capl.nins  Henry  Dievendorff,  Robert  Grouse  and 
Jacob  Bowman  (  all  of  Canajoharie  district),  killed  ;  Captain  Jacob  Seeber  and  Lieu- 
tenant William  Seeber  (  both  of  Canajoharie  district),  mortally  wounded.  The  sur- 
geon, Moses  Younglove,  was  taken  prisoner.  Among  the  volunteers  not  belonging  to 
the  militia,  who  were  killed,  were  Isaac  Paris  (Palatine  district),  Samuel  Billington 
(Palatine  district ),  John  Dygert  and  Jacob  Snell  (Manheim). 

Colonel  Gansevoort  refused  to  surrender  Fort  Schuyler  on  any  terms 
offered  by  St.  Leger,  and  the  latter  undoubtedly  feared  the  consequences 
of  prolonged  delay  after  the  battle  of  Oriskany.  An  effort  was  there- 
fore made  by  Sir  John  Johnson  and  Colonels  Claus  and  John  Butler, 
who  were  among  the  besiegers,  to  detach  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley 
from  the  patriot  cause  by  sending  emissaries  among  them  with  incen- 
diary proclamations.  Knowledge  of  a  secret  meeting  of  tories  to  be  held 
at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Shoemaker  reached  Colonel  Weston  at  Fort  Day- 
ton, who  immediately  sent  a  party  and  surprised  and  captured  Lieuten- 
ant Walter  N.  Butler,  of  St.  Leger's  army,  with  twenty  eight  soldiers 
and  Indians,  who  had  come  to  German  Flats  on  a  mission  from  Sir  John 
Johnson.  Butler  was  tried  as  a  spy  and  sentenced  to  death,  but  was 
reprieved  and  sent  to  Albany  as  a  prisoner.  He  finally  made  his  escape 
and  became  one  of  the  most  dastardly  and  bloodthirsty  tories  of  his 
time.     His  final  fate  is  noticed  a  little  further  on. 

The  American  General  Arnbld  arrived  at  Fort  Dayton  about  the  mid- 
dle of  August,  at  which  point  troops  were  gathering  with  the  purpose 
of  relieving  Fort  Schuyler.  Arnold  issued  a  proclamation  to  counter- 
act the  efforts  of  Johnson  and  Claus  on  the  20th  of  August,  and  on  the 
23d  left  Fort  Dayton  with  his  soldiers,  determined  to  risk  a  battle  with 
the  superior  numbers  of  the  enemy  at  Fort  Schuyler.  After  half  a 
day's  march  he  met  a  courier  from  Colonel  Gansevoort  with  the  news 
that  the  siege  was  raised.     This  happy  result  was  accomplished  through 


5S  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

a  ruse  devised  by  General  Arnold,  in  which  an  ignorant  and  half-witted 
person  named  Han  Yost  Schuyler  who  leaned  towards  the  tory  element 
and  was  captured  with  the  others  at  Shoemaker's  house,  was  the  active 
instrument.  He  had  been  sentenced  to  death,  but  upon  intercession  by 
his  mother  and  brother,  it  was  stipulated  that  liis  life  would  be  spared 
if  he  would  proceed  to  St.  Leger's  headquarters  in  company  with  a 
friendly  Oneida  Indian,  and  find  some  way  to  so  alarm  the  enemy  that 
they  would  retreat.  Han  Yost  gladly  accepted  the  mission  and  left  his 
brother  Nicholas  as  a  hostage.  Schuyler's  wits  were  sharpened  by  his 
danger,  and  he  cunningly  fired  numerous  holes  in  his  garments  to  in- 
dicate that  he  had  fled  for  his  life,  and  started  with  the  Indian  for  St. 
Leger's  camp.  He  went  by  one  road  and  the  Indian  by  a  different  one, 
it  being  arranged  that  they  should  not  recognize  each  other  when  they 
met.  Being  well  known  as  a  loyalist,  the  ignorant  German  found  will- 
ing listeners  in  the  British  officers,  and  he  soon  impressed  them  with 
the  danger  of  continuing  the  siege.  The  Indian  corroborated  the  story, 
and  the  effect  was  all  that  could  have  been  desired  ;  the  army  retreated, 
accompanied  as  far  as  Wood  Creek  by  Han  Yost,  who  then  left  them 
and  returned  to  Fort  Schuyler  the  same  evening.  The  commander  of 
the  fort  was  then  able  for  the  first  time  to  understand  the  sudden  de- 
parture of  the  enemy. '^ 

The  remainder  of  the  year  1777  was  not  marked  by  any  important 
occurrence  that  deserves  notice  here.  Tiie  inhabitants  of  the  county 
proceeded  with  the  spring  work  on  their  farms  in  1778,  in  the  liope  of 
reaping  a  harvest  in  the  autumn.  They  were  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment. 

On  the  25th  of  June  the  following  appointments  were  made  by  the 
governor  and  council  to  the  regiment  of  militia  in  the  German  Flats 
and  Kingsland  districts  : 

Field  Ollioers  and  Regimental  Stall'. — Peter  Bellingfr,  colonel;  Frederick  Bellinger, 
lieuten.int-colonel ;  George  Demoth,  adjutant ;  Rudolph  Steel,  quartei  master. 

Michael  Ittig,  captain;  Jacob  Baulcom,  first  lieutenant ;  Frederick  Frank,  second 
lieutenant ;   Patrick  Campbell,  ensign. 

1  Although  this  stratagem  is  generally  credited  to  [General  Arnold,  Judge  Benton  doubts  the 
statement,  and  we  are  inclined  to  agree  with  him.  The  principal  ground  for  the  doubt  lies  in  the 
extreme  probability  that  nothing  would  better  have  pleased  the  rash  American  General  Arnold  at 
that  time  than  an  opportunity  to  flog  the  "  banditti  of  robbers,  murderers  and  traitors,"  as  he  had 
characterized  the  forces  under  St.  Leger ;  and  that  he  would  not,  therefore,  have  adopted  a  plan  to 
frighten  them  beyond  his  reach. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD. 


59 


Henry  Harter,  captain ;  John  Demotb,  first  lieutenant;  Peter  .Ta.  Weaver,  second 
lieutenant;  John  F.  Bellinger,  ensign. 

Jacob  Small,  captain ;  George  F.  Helmer,  second  lieutenant;  Jacob  D.  Petrie,  ensign. 

Henry  Staring,  captain ;  Theobald  Baker,  first  lieutenant ;  George  Weaver,  second 
lieutenant. 

Soverenus  Cassleman,  captain;  Henry  Uuber,  first  lieutenant;  Jacob  G.  Klock,  sec- 
ond lieutenant. 

Frederick  Getman,  captain  ;  Jacob  Meyer,  second   lieutenant;  John   Meyer,   ensign. 

Henrv  Eckler,  captain  ;  Conrad  Orendorff,  first  lieutenant;  Timothy  Frank,  second 
lieutenant;  Adam  A.  Staring,  ensign. 

The  nine  companies  formed  in  1775  were  thus  reduced  to  seven  by 
the  casualties  of  the  war.  The  names  of  Herkimer  and  Shoemaker 
had  disappeared  from  the  rohs,  and  only  one  of  the  Petries  was  left. 


Plan  and  Profile  of  Retrenched  Work  round  Harkemeis  house  at  y"  German  Flats,  1756 


The  first  hostility  in  the  county  in  1778  occurred  in  what  is  now  the 
town  of  Warren,  when  Brant  and  a  few  of  his  followers  attacked  and 
burned  a  settlement  called    Andrustown,  killed   five   persons  and  cap- 


60  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

tured  the  remainder  of  the  seven  famihes  living  there.  This  event 
occurred  in  July,  and  in  the  following  month  and  the  first  days  of  Sep- 
tember, the  Palatine  settlements  were  destined  to  suffer  at  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  At  this  time,  as  the  reader  has  already  learned,  there 
were  two  fortifications  for  the  protection  of  the  upper  valley  :  Fort 
Herkimer,  near  the  south  bank  of  the  Mohawk  river,  containing  the 
stone  church  and  the  stone  mansion  of  the  Herkimer  family,  with  some 
other  buildings,  and  surrounded  by  a  ditch  ;  and  Fort  Dayton,  on  a 
slight  elevation  in  the  westerly  part  of  Herkimer  village,  a  few  rods 
from  the  site  of  the  present  court-house.  These  forts,  while  they 
would  appear  as  insignificant  defenses  from  the  standpoint  of  modern 
warfare,  were  then  quite  effective  protection  against  the  arms  of  that 
period.  There  were  then  about  seventy  dwellings  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  two  forts,  besides  barns,  other  out- 
buildings and  mills,  with  a  large  population  in  proportion  to  the  num- 
ber of  houses.  Brant  had  remained  quiet  at  Unadilla  for  a  long  time, 
a  fact  that  aroused  the  suspicions  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley,  and 
they  finally  sent  four  men  as  scouts  to  learn  the  Indian's  intentions. 
The  scouts  fell  in  with  the  moving  enemy  and  three  were  killed,  while 
the  fourth,  John  Helmer,  escaped  by  flight,  returned  to  the  fort  and 
reported  the  approach  of  Brant  and  a  large  body  of  Indians  and  tories. 
The  terror-stricken  people  fled  into  the  forts,  carrying  with  them  their 
most  valuable  possessions. 

The  Indian  chief  at  the  head  of  three  hundred  tories  and  about  half 
as  many  savages  approached  the  senlement  just  at  nightfall,  but  as  the 
weather  was  stormy  they  remained  near  the  dwelling  of  Shoemaker, 
the  tory  sympathizer,  until  morning,  when  the  torch  was  applied  to 
every  building  in  the  settlement  and  to  the  stacks  of  hay  and  grain, 
while  the  stock  of  the  farmers  was  jtfterward  driven  away.  Only  two 
persons  lost  their  lives,  thanks  to  the  escape  and  return  of  John  Hel- 
mer with  the  news  of  the  intended  attack.  It  is  recorded  that  sixty- 
three  dwellings,  fifty-seven  barns,  three  grist-mills  and  two  saw- mills 
were  burned  ;  and  235  horses,  229  cattle,  269  sheep  and  93  oxen  were 
driven  away.  About  400  militia  followed  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy  as 
far  as  Unadilla,  but  the  chase  was  fruitless.  It  seems  sadly  unfort- 
unate  that  there   could  not    have   been   a   force  of  soldiers   from   the 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  6l 

general  army  provided  at  one  of  these  forts,  sufficient  to  have  left  the 
defenses  and  attacked  such  a  body  of  marauders  at  such  a  time  ;  but 
by  the  student  of  tlie  records  of  the  great  struggle  it  is  known  that  the 
numbers  of  the  army  were  inadequate  to  the  protection  of  an  extended 
frontier,  and  at  the  same  time  prosecute  the  war  at  many  vastly 
more  important  points. 

This  destructive  raid  seems  to  have  satisfied  the  tories  and  Indians 
that  they  had  accomplished  all  the  damage  possible  for  a  considerable 
period.  The  lower  valley  and  other  localities  received  the  incursions  of 
the  enemy,  while  the  German  Flats  and  what  is  now  the  territory  of 
Herkimer  county  was  exempt  from  attack.  On  the  3d  of  April,  1780, 
about  sixty  tories  and  Indians  descended  upon  the  settlements  of 
Rheimensynder's  Bush,  a  few  miles  north  of  Little  Falls,  and  burned 
a  grist-mill.  A  tory  named  Cassleman  was  with  the  party.  They 
took  John  Garter  and  his  son  John  prisoners  at  the  mill,  and  captured 
three  men  in  the  road,  one  of  whom  was  Joseph  Newman  ;  at  the  same 
time,  John  Windecker,  Henry  Shaver,  George  Adle,  Cobus  Van  Slyke 
and  one  Youker  (or  Uker),  with  several  others,  were  taken  at  Win- 
decker's  father's  house  some  distance  north  of  the  mill.  All  of  these 
returned  at  the  close  of  the  war  excepting  John  Garter,  who  died  in 
Canada  from  punishment  received  for  an  attempt  at  escape,  and  George 
Adle,  who  escaped  and  returned  earlier.  Others  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Rheimensynder's  Bush  secured  refuge  in  the  block-house  in  the 
settlement.  After  this  visit  of  the  Indians,  the  people  of  that  part  of 
the  county  left  their  farms  and  retired  to  the  lower  part  of  the  valley. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1781,  Fort  Schuyler  was  so  far  destroyed  by 
flood  and  fire  as  to  lead  to  its  abandonment  and  the  withdrawal  of  the 
garrison  to  the  German  Flats;  but  this  was  not  a  severe  affliction,  nor 
did  it  greatly  weaken  the  situation  of  the  settlers  in  Tryon  county.  On 
the  8th  of  May,  of  this  year,  Solomon  Woodworth,  a  brave  lieutenant 
in  Colonel  John  Harper's  New  York  regiment,  was  appointed  first  lieu- 
tenant in  Colonel  Fisher's  regiment  of  Tryon  county  militia.  With  a 
company  of  forty  rangers  he  was  stationed  at  Fort  Dayton,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  scouting  the  country  north  of  the  F'lats.  Lieutenant  Woodworth 
and  his  company  left  the  fort  to  reconnoiter  the  Royal  Grant.  After  a 
few  hours'  march   they  came   upon  an   Indian,  fired  on  him,  and  found 


62  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

themselves  in  an  ambuscade  and  completely  surrounded  by  savages.  A 
bloody  conflict  followed,  and  the  hand-to-hand  fight  left  only  fifteen  of 
the  Americans  to  return  with  the  news  of  the  fate  of  their  comrades. 
Among  the  killed  was  Woodworth.  This  encounter  "  took  place  about 
three  miles  north  of  Herkimer  village,  on  the  east  side  of  the  West 
Canada  Creek,  in  a  deep  ravine,  where  now  may  be  seen  the  mound  of 
earth,  under  which  rest  the  remains  of  the  gallant  W'oodworth  and  iiis 
brave  companions."  ^ 

One  of  the  most  notable  incidents  in  tiiis  section,  though  partaking  of 
a  personal  character,  occurred  on  the  6th  of  August,  1781,  when  the 
small  settlement  of  Shell's  Bush,  about  three  miles  north  of  Fort  Day- 
ton, was  visited  by  a  party  of  about  sixty  Indians  and  tories,  under  com- 
mand of  Donald  McDonald,  a  notorious  Scotch  refugee  from  Johns- 
town. A  large  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Bush  probably  received 
notice  of  the  visit  and  sought  siielter  in  Fort  Dayton  ;  but  John  Chris- 
tian Shell  was  made  of  sterner  stuff,  and  he,  with  his  resolute  wife  and 
six  sons,  resolved  to  enter  his  block-house,  which  he  had  built  upon  his 
farm,  and  fight  it  out.  Two  of  the  boys,  however,  were  twins  only  eight 
years  old,  and  being  out  in  the  field  were  unable  to  reach  the  shelter, 
nor  could  the  others  reach  them  without  sacrificing  themselves,  and  the 
little  fellows  were  carried  away  to  Canada.  Shell's  block-house  was 
built  of  logs  and  in  the  lower  story  were  a  heavy  door  and  loop  holes, 
while  the  second  story  projected  over  the  first  and  the  floor  of  the  pro- 
jection vvas  pierced  with  holes  down  through  which  the  inmates  could 
fire  upon  an  attacking  party,  however  close  to  the  walls  they  might  be 
Shell's  wife  made  herself  of  the  utmost  usefulness  in  loading  the  guns 
for  her  husband  and  four  sons  to  fire,  and  under  the  perpetual  shower 
of  well- aimed  bullets  the  enemy  was  several  times  forced  to  retire.  At- 
tempts were  made  to  fire  the  block- house,  but  without  success,  and 
McDonald  himself  made  an  effort  to  force  the  door  with  a  crow  bar, 
but  was  wounded  in  the  leg  and  dragged  into  the  block-house  by  Shell. 
This  capture  protected  Shell  from  being  burned  out  by  the  enemy  and 
also  gave  him  a  supply  of  ammunition.  At  one  time  in  the  assault, 
just  after  a  short  respite,  the  enemy  came  up  for  a  vigorous  attack  and 
thrust  the  muzzles  of  their  guns  through  the  loop  holes.     This  was  Mrs. 

'  Benton's  Herkimer  County, 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  63 

Shell's  opportunity,  and  she  disabled  five  of  the  guns  with  a  blow  from 
an  axe.  Just  at  dark  Shell  practiced  ,a  little  stratagem  which  led  the 
party  to  believe  that  relief  was  coming  from  the  fort,  and  they  fled  to 
the  woods.  McDonald  was  taken  to  the  fort  the  next  day  and  hi.s  leg 
amputated.  Eleven  of  the  enemy  were  killed  and  six  wounded  and 
left.  Tlie  little  boys  reported  on  their  return  after  the  war,  that  of 
twelve  wounded  which  the  party  started  away  witii,  nine  died  before 
reaching  Canada.  In  the  following  year  Shell  was  dangerously  wounded 
by  a  bullet  while  at  work  in  his  field.  Two  of  his  sons  were  with  him, 
and  one  was  killed  before  relief  came  from  the  fort.  John  Christian 
Shell  did  not  long  survive  his  wounds,  and  died  a  good  Christian.  Judge 
Benton  wrote  as  follows  : 

"The  Shellbush  settlement  is  on  what  is  usually  called  Gens  Pur- 
chase, embracing  perliaps  some  portion  of  the  Royal  Grant,  and  it  will 
be  observed  that  the  name  of  Shell,  Schel  or  Shaul  does  not  occur 
among  the  patentees  of  Burnetsfield,  nor  is  the  name  found  in  the  list  of 
Palatines  remaining  in  New  York,  or  taken  to  Livingston  Manor,  of  the 
first  two  companies  that  emigrated.  Enough  is  still  known  of  him  to 
authorize  the  conclusion  that  he  was  a  German  Lutheran,  and  he  or  his 
ancestors  may  have  come  over  with  the  third  body  of  immigrants  in 
1/22,  or  at  a  later  period." 

On  the  24th  of  October  of  this  year  (1781)  an  expedition  under  Major 
Ross  and  Walter  N.  Butler  made  an  incursion  into  the  lower  valley  and 
repeated  the  bloody  and  barbarous  deeds  before  enacted  by  these  in- 
famous tories  in  other  localities.  After  burning  and  destroying  every- 
thing in  their  course,  they  retreated  in  a  northerly  direction  through 
Jerseyfield.  Colonel  Wiliett  learned  of  the  raid,  destroyed  their  ba- 
teaux left  on  Oneida  Lake,  and  reached  German  Flats  by  forced  marches 
to  intercept  their  retreat  on  West  Canada  Creek.  They  encamped  the 
first  night  in  a  thick  forest  on  the  Royal  Grant,  and  there  the  colonel 
learned  from  his  scouts  the  position  and  force  of  the  enemy.  The  next 
morning  he  started  in  pursuit,  but  Ross  was  equally  alert  and  began 
his  retreat  at  break  of  day.  Wiliett  came  up  with  the  enemy  in  the 
afternoon,  and  a  skirmish  followed  with  the  rear  of  the  party,  in  which 
several  of  them  were  killed  and  some  taken  prisoners,  among  the  latter 
being  Lieutenant  John  Rykeman.     The  Americans  overtook  the  main 


64  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

body  of  the  enemy  soon  afterward,  and  a  running  fight  was  kept  up 
until  they  crossed  the  creek  late  in  the  day.  Butler  rallied  his  men  and 
made  a  stand  on  the  west  bank,  and  a  brisk  action  took  place,  the  par- 
ties being  on  opposite  sides  of  the  creek.  About  twenty  of  them  were 
killed  and  among  them  Rutler  himself.'  With  his  death  his  men  fled 
in  confusion  and  were  pursued  by  Willett  until  darkness  fell.  The  enemy 
continued  in  retreat  all  night  and  marched  thirty  miles  before  a  halt 
was  made.  The  British  had  670  men  in  this  expedition,  and  it  closed 
the  active  operations  of  the  enemy  in  this  vicinity  for  the  year. 

At  the  close  of  Willett's  pursuit  of  the  British  on  the  expedition 
above  described,  he  returned  to  Fort  Dayton,  having  lost  only  one 
man. 

The  next  event  of  importance  to  the  people  of  Herkimer  county  took 
place  in  June,  1782,  when  a  party  of  Indians  and  tories  appeared  at  the 
Little  Falls,  apparently  for  the  sole  purpose  of  destrojing  a  grist-mill. 
This  mill  was  of  great  usefulness  to  the  settlers  in  the  valley,  especially 
after  the  destruction  of  those  at  the  German  Flats  by  Brant  more  than 
a  year  earlier.  When  the  enemy  reached  the  mill  it  was  occupied  by 
Peter  Wolleaver,  Christian  Edick,  Frederick  Getman,  Marks  Rasbach,_ 
John  Rasbach,  Thomas  Shoemaker,  Lawrence  Hatter,  Jacob  Petri,  Dan- 
iel Petri  (who  was  killed),  Peter  Orendorff;  Gershom  Skinner  and  F. 
Cox,  millers;  and  a  sergeant  and  six  men  from  Captain  McGregor's 
company.  Hardly  a  shot  was  fired  by  the  Americans.  Two  of  the 
soldiers  escaped  and  five  were  taken  prisoners.  Cox  and  Skinner  hid 
themselves  in  the  raceway  under  the  water-wheel  and  escaped;  two 
others,  P2dick  and  Getman,  jumped  into  the  raceway  and  endeavored  to 
conceal  themselves,  but  the  burning  mill  disclcsed  their  hiding  place 
and  they  were  taken  prisoners. 

This  was  the  last  serious  incursion  into  the  Mohav\k  valley  during  the 
Revolution.  Towards  the  close  of  the  j-ear  the  British  commander  iii- 
chief  directed  that  no  more  Indian  expeditions  should  be  sent  out  at  the 

'  The  manner  of  Butler's  death  has  been  differently  related  by  participants  in  the  battle,  and 
others,  some  insistiniaj  that  he  was  killed  outright ;  others  that  he  was  wounded  and  afterwards 
murdered  while  supplicating  for  mercy,  and  still  others  that  he  reached  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
creek  where  he  stepped  upon  a  fallen  tree  and  deiied  his  pursuers,  whereupon  he  was  shot  by  two 
persons  at  the  same  time.  There  is  no  good  reason  for  doubting  Colonel  Willett's  official  state- 
ment that  Hutlerwas  instantly  killed  in  the  course  of  the  firing  across  the  creek  :  in  any  event  the 
question  has  been  given  much  more  importance  than  it  ever  deserved. 


iu^i 


'2'^if,lrr~ 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  65  . 

north,  and  those  already  out  were  recalled.  The  dawn  of  peace  was  at 
hand.  In  February,  1783,  the  forces  under  Colonel  Willett  were  concen- 
trated at  Fort  Herkimer,  with  the  purpose  of  surprising  and  capturing 
the  fortress  at  Oswego  ;  but  the  expedition  failed  on  account  of  the  small 
number  of  troops  engaged  and  lack  of  proper  armament  to  besiege  the 
works.  Colonel  Willett  returned  to  Albany  in  time  to  share  in  thejoys 
caused  by  the  declaration  of  peace. 

On  the  7th  of  March,  1788,  the  boundaries  of  several  counties  in  the 
State  were  more  definitely  described,  among  them  being  Montgomery. 
Two  of  the  towns  established  at  this  time,  German  Flats  and  Herkimer, 
contained  most  of  the  territory  of  the  present  Herkimer  county,  with 
much  besides.  The  western  boundary  of  both  of  these  towns  was  a 
north  and  south  line  which  crossed  the  Mohawk,  "  near  and  on  the  east 
side  of  the  house  of  William  Cunningham."  This  house  stood  near  the 
foot  of  Genesee  street,  Utica.  The  original  town  of  Herkimer  extended 
north  to  the  St.  Lawrence  and  was  bounded  on  the  east  by  a  line  run- 
ning north  from  Little  Falls.  German  Flats  was  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  Mohawk  ;  on  the  east  by  the  line  now  forming  the  eastern  bounds 
of  Little  Falls  and  Warren,  and  included  all  of  the  present  towns  of 
Herkimer  county  west  of  the  latter  line,  excepting  a  part  of  Winfield. 
The  town  of  Palatine  adjoined  Herkimer  on  the  east,  and  Canajoharie 
lay  next  to  German  Flats.  A  part  of  Palatine  was  annexed  to  Herki- 
mer town  in  1791  ;  Warren  was  taken  from  German  Flats  in  1796,  and 
Litchfield  from  the  same  town  at  the  same  time  ;  and  in  1797  Salisbury 
was  set  off  from  Palatine.  In  the  following  year  Norway  and  Schuyler 
were  taken  ofT  from  Herkimer,  Newport  was  taken  off  in  1806,  and  a 
few  other  territorial  changes  were  made  in  the  town. 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolution  a  New  England  element  was  rapidly 
introduced  into  the  Mohawk  valley,  bringing  with  it  the  characteristic 
thrift  and  enterprise  and  push  of  that  people.  It  was  mainly  through 
their  influence  that  the  separation  of  Herkimer  from  Montgomery  county 
was  effected  on  the  1 6th  of  February,  1791.  The  petition  in  opposition 
to  the  measure  was  dated  December  29,  1790,  and  was  drawn  by  Dr. 
William  Petry.  Among  the  400  signatures  are  found  nearly  all  the  old 
Palatine  names. 

The  first  reduction  of  the  originally  vast  territory  of  Herkimer  county 
occurred  in  the  formation  of  Onondaga  from  it,  March  5,  1794.      Ham- 


66  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ilton  was  taken  off  March  31,  1797.  The  formation  of  Chenango  and 
Oneida,  March  15,  1798  (the  hitter  including  Lewis),  conpiinicd  most 
of  the  original  territory  of  Herkimer  county  till  then  remaining  outside 
of  its  present  limits,  and  gave  the  county  its  present  western  boundary. 
Its  north  line  was  established  by  the  creation  of  St.  Lawrence,  March  3, 
1802;  and  the  present  outline  of  Herkimer  county  was  completed  by 
moving  the  original  eastern  line  eastward  to  its  present  position,  April 
7,  18 1 7.  The  county  is  the  longest  in  the  State,  the  northernmost 
point  of  Wilmurt  being  a  little  over  ninety  miles  from  the  southern- 
most point  of  Warren. 

The  court-house  and  jail  for  Montgomery  county  were  located  at 
Whitesboro,  now  in  Oneida  county,  and  thus  remained  until  the  erec- 
tion of  Herkimer  county. 

Smarting  under  the  inflictions  ot  the  enemy  in  the  Revolutionary  war 
the  colonists  took  prompt  steps  after  the  close  of  the  war  to  organize 
their  militia  for  protection  against  future  aggression,  which  proved  to 
be  a  wise  course.  In  1786  the  local  militia  of  the  German  Flats  and 
Kingsland  districts  was  reorganized  and  officered  as  follow  s  : 

Fielil  ami  Regimental  Stafl" — Henry  Staring,  lieutenant-colonel;  Peter  Weaver,  major 
1st  battalion  ;  Patrick  Campbell,  major  2d  battalion;  John  Frank,  adjutant ;  Mek-liert 
Foils,  payma.ster;  William  Petry,  surgeon. 

l.st  company — Jacob  Petrie,  captain  ;  Dederick  Petrie,  lieutenant  ;  William  Feeter,' 
ensign. 

2d  company  -John  Meyer,  captain  ;  William  Clapsaddle,  lieutenant ;  Henrj'  Frank, 
ensign. 

3d  company — Adam  Staring,  captain;  Lndwick  Campbell,  lieutenant;  Lawrence 
Harter,  ensign. 

4tli  company — Peter  P.  Bellinger,  cajitain ;  Jost  Herkimer,  lieutenant;  Peter  Fox, 
ensign. 

5th  company — Michael  Meyer,  captain;  Peter  F.  Bellinger,  lieutenant;  George 
Weaver,  ensign. 

6th  company — William  Colbreath,  captain  ;  Daniel  C.  White,  lieutenant ;  George  J. 
Weaver,  ensign. 

Besides  the  above  a  company  of  cavalry  was  organized,  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Hudson,  of  what  is  now  the  town  of  Danube,  and  after- 

'  This  William  Ketler  was  aiterwaids,  in  Marcli.  1791.  appointed  captain  in  the  militia,  being 
commissioned  in  two  companies,  and  in  April.  17^6,  was  commissioned  second  major  in  Jacob  Pe- 
trie's  regiment.  In;  the  following  year  he  was  commissioned  first  major,  and  in  1798  was  commis- 
sioned lieutenant-colonel,  all  these  offices  being  in  the  Herkimer  county  militia.  He  died  at  Little 
Falls  in  1844. 


THE  REVOLUTIONAKV  PERIOD.  67 

wards  under  command  of  Peter  Young,  of  Fort  Plain,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Captain  Wemple,  and  he  by  Jacob  Eacker,  of  Palatine.  On 
the  loth  of  April,  1812,  Congress  authorized  the  drafting  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  men  from  the  militia  of  the  country,  13,500  being  the 
New  York  quota.  A  few  days  later  the  State  militia  was  formed  into 
two  divisions  and  eight  brigades.  The  Fourth  Brigade  comprised  the 
Tenth,  Eleventh,  Twelfth  and  Thirteenth  Regiments  in  the  Mohawk 
valley,  and  was  under  command  of  General  Richard  Dodge,  of  Johns- 
town. 

The  causes  that  led  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war  need  not  be  cata- 
logued here.  To  abolish  the  repeated  violations  of  the  Embargo  Act  on 
the  Canadian  frontier,  a  regiment  of  the  militia  under  Colonel  Christo- 
pher Bellinger  was  stationed,  in  May,  1812,  at  Sackett's  Harbor  and 
other  northern  points.  Upon  the  declaration  of  war  in  the  following 
month,  this  body  of  troops  was  reinforced  from  the  militia  not  yet  called 
into  service.  During  the  war  the  militia  and  volunteers  from  the  Mo- 
hawk valley  were  on  duty  along  the  frontier,  the  regiments  and  com- 
panies, when  their  terms  of  service  expired,  being  replaced  by  others. 
Records  are  not  accessible  from  which  to  obtain  a  list  of  those  who 
served  in  this  struggle  from  Herkimer  county,  but  previous  to  1859 
records  in  the  adjutant-general's  office  at  Albany  show  that  about  230 
men  from  the  county  had  presented  claims  to  the  State  for  various 
equipments  furnished  by  themselves. 

With  the  close  of  the  war  the  militia  returned  to  their  homes  and  the 
peaceful  arts  were  taken  up.  The  militia  then  comprised  all  able-bodied 
citizens  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty- five  years  with  certain 
exemptions.  This  organization,  with  minor  changes,  was  substantial!}- 
continued  down  to  near  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  186 1—5. 

With  the  development  of  the  valley  and  especially  of  the  rich  territory 
farther  west,  the  necessity  of  better  and  more  rapid  means  of  transpor- 
tation of  freight  and  passengers  became  paramount,  and  soon  led  to  the 
construction  of  the  Erie  Canal.  This  great  undertaking  had  been  dis- 
cussed since  1807,  and  in  the  following  year  a  preliminary  survey  was 
made  by  James  Geddes,  of  Onondaga.  His  report  was  favorable  for  a 
canal  on  substantially  the  line  which  it  finally  followed,  and  the  Legisla- 
ture thereupon  appropriated  $3,000  for  additional  explorations  and  sur- 


68  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

veys,  wliich  were  carried  out  in  1810.  The  war  with  Great  Britain  de- 
layed the  beginning  of  the  work,  but  it  was  revived  as  soon  as  peace 
was  declared,  and  in  18 17  De  Witt  Clinton,  who  was  a  staunch  friend 
to  the  enterprise,  procured  the  passage  of  an  act  creating  a  commission 
to  take  up  the  work,  and  construction  was  actually  begun  in  the  spring 
of  that  year.  It  was  more  then  two  years  before  any  part  of  the  canal 
was  ready  for  use.  On  the  22d  of  October,  1819,  the  first  boat,  called 
the  Chief  Engineer,  was  launched  at  Rome,  to  run  between  that  place 
and  Utica.  On  the  21st  of  July,  1820,  tolls  were  first  levied.  In  tlie 
previous  autumn  the  canal  was  filled  with  water  from  the  west  to  with- 
in two  miles  of  Frankfort,  where  a  dam  was  constructed  to  retain  the 
water  while  the  excavation  was  progressing  eastward.  The  canal  was 
used  between  Utica  and  Little  Falls  in  the  fall  of  1821,  the  contractor 
at  the  latter  point  availing  himself  of  the  works  of  the  Inland  Lock 
Navigation  Company,  and  that  portion  east  to  the  Hudson  was  under 
contract.  In  the  spring  of  1S23  the  canal  was  open  throughout  from 
Spraker's  to  the  western  part  of  the  State,  and  on  the  26th  of  October, 
1825,  the  great  waterway  was  open  from  Black  Rock  at  Lake  Erie  to 
the  Hudson  River.  On  the  morning  of  that  day  a  flotilla  of  boats 
started  from  Lake  Erie  for  New  York,  in  celebration  of  the  event,  car- 
rying the  governor,  commissioners  and  others.  Cannon  had  been  sta- 
tioned at  intervals  along  the  canal,  to  be  fired  when  the  boats  passed, 
thus  notifying  the  next  station  that  all  was  going  well.  One  of  the  guns 
was  planted  at  Little  Falls,  one  at  Herkimer  lock,  and  one  on  the  hill 
in  the  present  Frankfort  cemetery.  The  flotilla  proceeded  to  Albany, 
after  a  passage  marked  with  public  demonstrations  of  cntlnisiasni  along 
the  whole  line. 

The  completion  of  the  canal  revolutionized  travel  and  traffic  through 
the  Mohawk  valley,  as  it  did  throughout  the  State.  The  Mohawk 
River  and  the  Navigation  Company's  canals  were  abandoned,  and  an 
active  competition  between  the  old-time  stages  and  the  new  thor- 
oughfare sprang  up.  Travel  greatly  increased  and  the  eastern  mar- 
kets were  made  easily  and  cheaply  accessible  for  the  agricultural 
products  of  the  State,  thus  aiding  in  the  development  of  the  country. 
As  an  evidence  of  the  rapidity  with  which  the  canal  was  brought 
into  use,  particularly  as  regards  freight,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  num- 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  69 

ber  of  canal  boats  which  arrived  in  Albany  during  the  season  of  1823, 
was  1,329;  during  that  of  1824,  2,687;  during  that  of  1825  it  was 
3,336,  and  in  1826  it  was  about  7,000.  The  rate  of  transportation 
on  the  turnpike  in  1826  was  one  and  one-half  cents  per  mile  ;  the  rate 
by  the  canal  was  five  mills.  But  it  must  not,  therefore,  be  inferred 
that  all  passengers  deserted  the  stage  coaches  for  the  packet  boats. 
The  canal  passage  was  still  tedious  compared  with  that  by  land  and 
was  chosen  by  those  who  desired  to  lessen  the  fatigue  of  a  journey  ; 
it  was  avoided  where  time  was  of  special  account.  Merchants,  bank- 
ers and  tradesmen,  bound  to  and  from  the  metropolis,  lawyers  in 
their  journeys  to  courts,  and  all  who  were  fulfilling  engagements  or 
intent  only  on  business,  made  use  of  the  stages  until  after  railroads 
were  built. 

But  a  spirit  of  enterprise  was  abroad.  If  the  canal  had  proved  itself 
of  such  immense  importance,  still  more  rapid  and  extensive  transpor- 
tation facilities  would,  the  progressive  people  argued,  give  the  rich  fields 
of  the  Mohawk  valley  precedence  over  any  other  part  of  the  State. 
When  tlie  canal  was  opened  to  the  public  there  was  not  a  railroad  in 
America.  That  was  only  sixty-five  years  ago.  But  the  steam  locomo- 
tive was  already  attracting  attention  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  In 
April,  1826,  when  the  canal  was  just  coming  into  full  operation,  a  char- 
ter was  granted  to  the  "Mohawk  and  Hudson  River  Railroad  Compa- 
ny," to  construct  a  railroad  between  Albany  and  Schenectady.  It  was 
more  than  four  years  before  the  work  was  begun  under  this  charter,  and 
in  the  mean  time  railroads  in  other  States  had  been  completed,  and  the 
Auburn  and  Syracuse  Railroad,  chartered  in  May,  1834,  was  opened 
and  first  operated  by  steam  in  1839.  In  August,  1830,  work  was  begun 
on  the  Albany  and  Schenectady  road,  and  it  was  so  energetically  ad- 
vanced that  in  October,  1 83 1,  it  was  finished  and  carrying  about  four 
hundred  passengers  daily  on  the  average.  The  road,  although  crude  in 
its  construction,  and  running  so  slow  that  the  packet  canal  boats  were 
strong  rivals,  was  successful,  and  in  1833  a  charter  was  granted  for  the 
Utica  and  Schenectady  Railroad.  The  line  was  to  run  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Mohawk  River  and  the  road  to  be  finished  within  ten  years 
from  the  date  of  the  charter.  Work  was  begun  in  the  fall  of  1834,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1836  the  road  was  completed,  and  regular  traffic  was 


70  II1ST0R7  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

begun  on  the  2d  of  August  of  that  year.  The  event  was  celebrated  by 
public  demonstrations  all  along  the  line  These  railroad  lines,  with 
tiiose  running  west  from  Utica,  were  consolidated  into  the  New  York 
Central  in    1853. 

While  all  these  added  transportation  facilities  were  of  great  benefit 
to  the  State  antl  country  at  large,  it  cannot  be  said  that  the  Mohawk 
valley  shared  in  it  for  a  number  of  years  aftei  their  construction.  The 
lumber  interest,  perhaps,  was  extended  directly  by  the  canal  and  rail- 
roads until  a  large  portion  of  the  county  was  cleared  of  valuable  timber  ; 
even  in  recent  years  the  northern  parts  of  the  county  have  found  in  this 
industry  their  greatest  source  of  wealth.  But  the  opening  to  eastern 
markets  of  the  rich  fields  of  the  so-called  "  Genesee  country  "  in  com- 
petition with  the  products  of  Herkimer  and  adjoining  counties,  worked 
seriously  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  latter,  imposing  conditions  that  con- 
tinued to  be  felt  until  the  later  wonderful  growth  of  the  dairy  industry. 

Meanwhile  the  county  rapidly  advanced  in  all  the  various  institu- 
tions that  constitute  the  progressive  American  community.  Further 
town  divisions  were  made,  as  necessity  seemed  to  demand,  Manheim  be- 
ing formed  from  Palatine  in  1817  ;  Winfield  from  Litchfield,  Richfield 
(Otsego  county)  and  Plainfield  (Otsego  county)  in  1816;  Ohio  from 
Norway  in  1823  ;  Stark  from  Danube  in  1828;  Little  Falls  from  Fair- 
field, Herkimer  and  German  Flats  in  1829;  and  Wilmurt  from  Russia 
and  Ohio  in  1836.  Schools  were  established,  newspapers  published 
(the  first  in  1802,  followed  by  three  or  four  others  by  1810),  churches 
multiplied,  all  of  which  will  receive  proper  treatment  in  the  later  town 
histories. 

A  reorganization  of  the  Herkimer  County  Agricultural  Society  was 
effected  under  the  act  of  May  6,  1841.  The  original  society  dated 
back  to  1819,  and  was  established  under  the  act  of  that  year  which  pro- 
vided among  other  things  the  distribution  of  an  appropriation  among 
the  counties  of  the  State  for  the  promotion  of  agriculture  through  county 
societies.  As  far  as  Herkimer  county  was  concerned,  the  society  was 
short-lived.  Under  the  reorganization,  however,  new  life  was  infused 
into  the  society;  annual  fairs  were  held,  and  have  continued  to  the 
present  time,  and  the  interest  felt  is  general  and  the  benefits  freely 
acknowledged.      During  the  early  years  of  the  society  the  grounds  used 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  71 

were  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  between  Mohawk  and  Her- 
kimer, on  the  premises  of  A.  M.  Gray  ;  but  in  1874  grounds  that  were 
more  commodious  and  convenient  were  leased  from  Philip  Harter, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  road  and  nearer   to  Herkimer. 

In  estimating  the  services  of  the  settlers  in  the  Mohawk  valley  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution,  it  is  no  more  than  just  to  give  them,  as  a 
whole,  a  high  degree  of  commendation.  Beset  on  the  one  hand  by 
emissaries  to  induce  them  to  give  their  allegiance  to  the  king,  and  on 
the  other  knowing  that  almost  certainly  their  homes  would  be  ravaged 
and  their  lives  endangered  if  they  were  true  to  their  adopted  country, 
it  is  not  a  marvel  that  some  of  their  numbers  were  found  among  the 
tories  ;  it  is  even  a  wonder  that  so  few  embraced  the  royal  cause  It 
is  believed  by  the  best  authority  that  not  more  than  one  in  twenty 
deserted  the  colonists  in   the   struggle. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  a  large  portion  of  the  territory  of  the  pres- 
ent Herkimer  county  was  forfeited  and  confiscated,  as  before  related, 
largely  on  account  of  the  fact  that  the  Royal  Grant  and  other  lands 
were  in  possession  of  the  Johnson  family.  Most  of  this  grant  was  thus 
forfeited  and  vested  in  the  State.  The  tract  of  2,000  acres,  also, 
granted  to  Guy  Johnson  in  1765,  situated  in  the  present  towns  of  Ger- 
man Flats  and  Little  Falls,  was  forfeited.  The  Herkimer  estates  for- 
feited lay  in  the  present  limits  of  German  Flats  and  Herkimer.  These 
various  confiscations  of  lands  have  been  characterized  and  complained 
of  as  wanton,  unnecessary  and  cruel  ;  but  the  general  concensus  of 
opinion  upholds  the  proceeding  as  fully  justified  by  the  extreme  prov- 
ocation given  by  those  against  whom  the  act  was  operative. 

PERSONAL    NOTES    OF    PALATINE    FAMILIES.^ 

Descendants  of  a  considerable  number  of  the  Palatine  families  are  still 
resident  in  Herkimer  county,  as  will  be  seen  in  these  notes.  Among 
such  may  be  mentioned  the  following :  Bowman,  Dacksteder  (now 
Dockstader),  Felmore  (now  P''ulnier),  Herter,  Lant  (now  Landt), 
Mayor  (now  Moyer),  Orendros  and  Orendorf  (now  Ohrendorff), 
Pears   (now  Barse),  Pell  (now   Bell),  Reckert  and  Spohn.     The  families 

'These  brief  notes  are  condensed  from  sketches  prepared  by  the  late  Judge  Benton,  and  are 
given  space  in  these  pages  that  they  may  be  preserved  to  future  generations. 


72  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

who  became  extinct  before  the  Revolution,  their  lands  passing  into 
other  hands,  were  the  Beermans,  Fellers,  Hosses,  Korsings,  Pouradts, 
Spies  and  Veldelents. 

Frederick  and  Anna  .\fary  Pell  {Bell)  each  took  one  hundred  acres 
of  land  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  in  the  Burnetsfield  grant,  near 
the  site  of  Herkimer  village.  The  family  was  never  very  numerous 
in  the  county.  One  member  with  his  son  was  killed  by  Brant  and  his 
Indians  in  July,  1778.  George  Henry  Bell  married  General  Herkimer's 
sister  Catherine,  and  was  a  man  of  considerable  note  during  the  Revo- 
lution, commanded  a  company  in  the  battle  ofOriskany  and  was  placed 
on  the  pension  roll.  He  had  two  sons,  Joseph  and  Nicholas,  in  that 
battle,  the  former  of  whom  was  killed.  Nicholas  escaped  and  was 
subsequently  killed  and  scalped  about  a  mile  from  his  father's  house  on 
the  road  over  Fall  Hill.  Captain  Bell  had  charge  of  the  escort  which 
carried  the  wounded  General  Herkimer  from  the  battlefield  and  more 
than  thirty  miles  on  a  litter.  Captain  Bell  lived  on  Fall  Hill  within 
the  limits  of  the  patent  granted  to  his  wife's  father.  He  was  commis- 
sioned justice  of  the  peace  of  Tryon  county  February  2,  1778,  and 
again  in  Montgomery  county  July  8,  1784,  and  reappointed  March  27, 
1790.  He  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  One  of  the  daughters 
married  Henry  I.  Walrad  and  the  other  Peter  Waggoner.  The  late  Col. 
Joost  Bell  was  a  son  of  Nicholas. 

77/1?  Bellinger  {or  Pellinger)  Family. — There  were  five  persons  of 
this  name  who  were  grantees  under  the  Burnetsfield  patent,  two  of 
whom  were  married  women.  The  name  is  found  among  those  who 
volunteered  under  Colonel  Nicholson  in  the  expedition  against  Montreal 
in  171 1,  and  down  to  the  close  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  present  cent- 
ury the  name  was  a  conspicuous  one  for  numbers  in  the  county,  as  well 
as  the  high  regard  in  which  some  of  them  were  held.  In  the  Revolu- 
tion they  were  unyielding  in  their  adherence  to  the  patriot  cause.  Col. 
Peter  Bellinger,  whose  regiment  was  composed  of  the  militia  of  Ger- 
man Flats  and  Kingsland  districts,  and  Lieut.-Col.  Frederick  Bellinger, 
of  the  same  regiment,  participated  in  the  bloody  battle  of  Oriskany, 
and  the  latter  was  taken  prisoner  and  carried  to  Canada.  Col.  John 
Bellinger  was  also  in  the  battle  as  a  private.  Gen.  Christopher  P. 
Rellinsrer  was  horn  in  the  town  of  German  Flats,  and  became  an  exten- 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  73 

sive  farmer.  His  homestead  was  set  off  into  the  town  of  Little  Falls 
when  it  was  erected  in  1828.  He  was  many  times  chosen  for  the  office 
of  supervisor  and  justice  of  the  peace;  was  four  times  elected  member 
of  Assembly  within  fourteen  years.  In  1821  he  was  again  a  candidate 
for  the  Assembly  and  received  the  certificate  of  election,  but  was  un- 
seated soon  after  the  organization  of  the  house  upon  a  technical  con- 
struction of  the  returns.  In  the  fall  of  1823  he  was  elected  to  tlie 
Assembly,  and  it  devolved  upon  that  body  to  choose  the  electors  of 
president  and  vice-president  of  the  United  States,  or  provide  by  law 
for  some  other  method  of  appointment.  General  Bellinger  was 
appointed  on  the  committee  of  nine  to  which  was  referred  the  subject 
of  altering  the  law  prescribing  the  mode  of  choosing  electors.  The 
resulting  bill  to  that  end  was,  as  is  well  known,  defeated  in  the  Senate. 
This  was  the  last  time  General  Bellinger  represented  the  county  in  the 
Legislature.  When  the  war  of  iSi2-i5was  inaugurated  the  general 
had  attained  the  rank  of  colonel  in  one  of  the  county  militia  regiments, 
and  he  was  detached  by  Governor  Tomokins  to  take  command  of  one 
of  the  regiments  for  the  defense  of  the  northern  frontier  and  repaired 
with  his  command  to  Sackett's  Harbor  in  May,  18 12,  where  he 
rendered  efficient  service.  The  term  of  service  was  three  months 
and  at  its  expiration  the  regiment  was  discharged.  In  the  campaign 
of  1 8 14,  Colonel  Bellinger  made  a  military  tour  on  the  frontier  with 
the  patriotic  militia  of  the  county.  While  he  had  no  opportunity  of 
especially  distinguishing  himself,  he  was  noted  as  a  diligent  and  prudent 
officer.  Some  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  brigadier- general.  He  died  at  Little  Falls,  without  male 
descendants,  and  leaving  four   daughters. 

Major  Frederick  Bellinger  was  a  native  of  the  county.  He  repre- 
sented the  county  in  the  Assembly  in  1836,  and  was  otherwise  shown 
the  confidence  of  the  community.  He  died  at  Mohawk,  leaving  de- 
scendants. The  Bellinger  family  suffered  severely  during  the  raids  in 
the  valley  in  the  Revolution. 

The  Keslaer  or  Casler  Family. — This  family  was,  and  perhaps  now 
is,  one  of  the  most  numerous  of  the  Palatine  families  in  the  town 
of  Little  Falls.  The  name  is  derived  from  the  two  original  patentees, 
Johannes  and  Nicholas  Keslaer,  who  each  drew  one  hundred  acres  ;  no 


74  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

other  lands  were  drawn  by  persons  of  that  name.  Richard  Casler, 
who  died  at  a  venerable  age,  was  with  Colonel  Willett's  party  when 
Walter  N.  Butler  was  killed.  Before  his  death  he  told  Judge  Benton 
that  he  remembered  his  grandfather,  Johannes,  the  patentee.  His  father, 
Jacob,  and  his  uncle,  John,  were  both  in  the  Oriskany  battle.  A  small 
grist-mill  was  built  on  the  Casler  Creek  before  the  war,  which,  being 
stockaded,  protected  it  from  being  destroyed  by  the  enemy.  The  Petri 
and  Casler  families  were  connected  by  marriage.  Johan  Marks  Petri 
owned  lot  No,  12,  at  Little  Falls,  before  the  Revolution,  and  built  a  small 
grist-mill  in  the  first  place  on  Furnace  Creek.  The  mill  that  was  burned 
by  the  enemy,  a  relation  of  which  has  been  given  in  another  place,  was 
on  the  river,  and  supplied  with  water  from  it. 

Frederick  Casler,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  patentees,  died  in  Octo- 
ber, 1849,  ^fid  his  father,  Jacob,  died  in  1822  ;  John  Jacob,  the  grand- 
father of  Frederick,  died  in  January,  181 1.  Jacob  and  George  Keslaer 
were  two  of  the  seventeen  patentees  of  Staley's  first  and  second  tracts, 
granted  in  1755.  Richard  Casler,  before  mentioned,  died  on  the  i8th 
of  September,  1855,  at  the  great  age  of  ninety-five  years. 

The  Editch  Family. — This  name  is  variously  written  and  printed 
as  Edigh,  Edich,  Itigh,  Ittigh  and  Ittich.  Michael  Ittich  was  one  of  the 
volunteers  in  Colonel  Nicholson's  expedition  in  171 1.  There  were 
four  persons  of  the  name  among  the  patentees,  but  it  is  not  known 
which  one  was  the  head  of  the  family  or  how  they  were  related. 
Michael  Itigh  was  one  of  the  patentees  of  Cornradt  Frank's  patent, 
granted  in  1765,  and  Hans  Michael  Ittig,  jr.,  and  Jacob  Ittigh  were 
patentees  of  Staley's  first  and  second  tracts,  granted  in  1755.  The 
name  is  still  extant  in  the  county. 

The  Fols  (or  Folts)  Family.  —  Jacob  Fols,  a  patentee,  took  lot  3  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river  and  a  short  distance  east  of  Frankfort  village, 
and  Melgert  (now  Melchert)  took  lots  2,  high  and  low  land,  on  the 
north  side.  Their  descendants  still  live  near  the  original  seat.  Two  of 
this  name  (spelled  Volts)  were  first  lieutenants  in  the  fourth  battalion 
of  the  county  militia  in  1775.  Mich.  Folts's  name  is  on  the  roll  of  vol- 
unteers with  Colonel  Nicholson.  Warner  F"olts  was  a  descendant  of 
Jacob  F'ols,  the  patentee ;  was  a  member  of  Assembly  in  1824,  and  a 
worthy  citizen  and  farmer.      Melchert  Folts,  a  son  of  one  of  the  patent- 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  75 

ees,  was  paymaster  of  the  militia  regiment  commanded  by  Col.  Henri 
Staring,  1786;  was  elected  the  first  town  clerk  of  Herkimer  in  March, 
1789;  was  also  a  justice  of  the  peace.  He  was  born  May  5,  1746,  and 
died  May  2,  1829 

The  Fox  FiDuily. — Christopher  I'^ox  was  a  patentee  who  took  a  lot 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  stone  church,  German  Flats,  and  his  descendants 
still  live  in  the  county.  Frederick  was  a  son  of  Christopher ;  wasafijst 
lieutenant  in  Captain  George  Herkheimer's  company,  Fourth  battalion 
of  county  militia.  In  1786  Peter  Fox  was  commissioned  ensign  in  Cap- 
tain Peter  P.  Belhnger's  company  of  Colonel  Staring's  regiment. 

The  Hclmcr  Family. — The  name  of  Helmer  is  still  found  in  Herki- 
mer and  adjoining  counties.  Of  the  six  patentees  of  the  name  in  the 
grant  of  1725,  two  were  married  women  whose  husbands  were  then  liv- 
ing. Philip  and  Frederick  were  probably  children  of  the  other  grantees. 
Lendert  Helmer,  one  of  the  original  patentees  of  Burnetsfield,  was  also 
grantee  of  lots  13,  21  and  38,  in  the  grant  of  1739,  called  Glen's  pur- 
chase. John  Adam  Helmer,  with  two  others,  was  sent  to  Fort  Schuy- 
ler on  the  day  before  the  Oriskany  battle  to  warn  Colonel  Gansevoort 
of  General  Herkimer's  approach.  Captain  Frederick  Helmer,  of  Col- 
onel Peter  Bellinger's  regiment,  was  killed  at  Oriskany.  John  Helmer 
has  already  been  mentioned  as  one  of  the  four  men  sent  out  to'  watch 
Brant's  movements  at  Unadilla,  and  was  the  only  one  of  the  four  tore- 
turn,  the  others  having  been  killed.  The  family  of  Burnetsfield  patent- 
ees were  Palatine  immigrants,  but  whether  of  the  party  of  17 10  or  of 
171 1,  is  not  known. 

The  Erghemar  (or  Herkimer)  Family.  — This  family  early  exhibited 
evidence  of  wealth  and  thrift  far  ahead  of  any  other  of  the  Palatine  set- 
tlers in  the  erection  of  fine  stone  dwellings  and  the  possession  of  broad 
domains  purchased  after  the  Burnet  grant.  Jurgh,  Johan  Jost,  Mada- 
lana  and  Catharine  Erghemar  were  each  patentees  under  the  Burnets- 
field grant.  One  hundred  acres  on  the  south  side  of  the  Mohawk  was 
allotted  to  each  of  them.  Judge  Benton  could  obtain  no  reliable  in- 
formation as  to  Jurgh,  or  George,  Herkimer,  and  moreover  asks  the 
question :  "  Was  the  Catharina  named  in  the  patent  and  who  drew  lot 
No.  5,  on  or  near  which  the  former  county  poor-house  was  erected,  the 
wife   of  Johan   Jost?"   adding,    "  If  Jurgh   and   Johan  Jost   were   not 


?6  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

brothers,  the  conclusion  seems  to  be  that  Johan  Jost,  subsequently 
known  as  Hanyost  Herkimer,  the  eider,  was  the  son  of  Jurgh.  If  Johan 
Jost  was  married  in  1725,  the  date  of  the  patent,  he  probably  had  no 
children  to  whom  lands  could  be  granted  according  to  its  terms.  The 
fact  is  well  known  that  lands  were  granted  to  children  whose  fathers  and 
mothers  are  named  as  patentees.  Madalana  and  Catharina  are  not 
described  as  married  women,  and  may  have  been  sisters  of  Hanyost  the 
elder ;  if  this  be  the  true  solution  of  this  matter,  they  probably  died 
unmarried,  or  sold  their  interest  in  the  lands  allotted  to  them,  for  we  find 
some  of  the  same  lands  in  the  possession  of  Hanyost  the  elder,  in  April, 
1 77  I.  This  Hanyost  left  a  grandson,  born  in  October,  175  i,  who  was 
the  issue  of  his  second  son,  Henry." 

This  name,  like  many  others  of  the  Palatines,  has  undergone  numer- 
ous changes  in  spelling.  In  1775  the  family  was  numerous  and  influ- 
ential and  generally  friendly  to  the  popular  cause  ;  all,  excepting  the 
general,  were  residents  of  the  German  Flats  district.  The  patentee, 
Jurgh  (or  George),  left  no  descendants,  unless  Johan  Jost  and  one  or 
both  of  the  females  named  were  his  children,  or  they  left  this  part  of  the 
country  before  the  Revolution.  There  is  no  information  left  of  any 
persons  of  that  name  except  those  who  trace  their  descent  from  Hanyost 
Herkimer,  the  elder. 

General  Nicholas  Herkimer  was  the  eldest  son  of  Johan  Jost  Herkimer, 
who  was  one  of  the  Burnetsfield  patentees  and  drew  lot  No.  36,  and  also 
one  of  the  patentees  of  the  Fall  Hill  tract  granted  in  1752  to  Johan  Jost 
llerchkeimer  and  Hendrick  Herchkeirher.  Nicholas  Herkimer  was 
commissioned  lieutenant  in  Capt.  William  Wormwood's  company  of  the 
Schenectady  battalion  on  the  5th  of  January,  1758.  He  commanded 
at  Fort  Herkimer  in  1758,  when  the  French  and  Indians  attacked  the 
settlement  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  On  the  5th  of  September, 
1776,  he  was  commissioned  a  brigadier- general.  At  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Revolution  he  lived  in  the  Canajoharie  district  and  repre- 
sented that  district  in  the  county  committee  of  safety.  He  acted  as 
chairman  pro  tern,  of  the  Tryon  county  committee  of  safety  in  July  and 
August,  1775.  In  1760,  while  he  resided  in  the  Canajoharie  district, 
his  father  convej'ed  to  him  500  acres  of  land,  portions  of  the  Lindsay,  Liv- 
ingston and  Fall  Hill   patents,  with  a  small   island   in  the  river.     There 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  W 

the  family  mansion  was  erected,  substantially  as  it  stands  to-day.  He 
was  an  early  advocate  of  the  rights  of  the  colonists,  with  the  others  of 
his  family,  excepting  his  brother  Hanyost,  who  was  attainted  under  the 
act  of  1779.  General  Herkimer's  part  in  the  military  operations  of  the 
Revolution  have  already  been  described  in  a  general  way,  and  it  only 
remains  for  us  to  allude  to  the  charges  of  cowardice  or  inefficiency  that 
were  made  against  him  on  account  of  the  battle  of  Oriskany.  When 
General  Herkimer  was  hastening  by  forced  marches  and  with  a  small 
body  of  undisciplined  militia,  to  the  relief  of  Fort  Schuyler,  he  sent  a 
messenger  to  Colonel  Gansevoort  in  the  fort  to  arrange  for  co-opera- 
tion in  the  expected  battle,  a  sally  from  the  fort  to  be  made  upon  a  pre- 
concerted signal.  The  messenger  failed  to  reach  the  fort  in  time.  Gen- 
eral Herkimer's  force  was  not  sufficient  to  warrant  him  in  bringing  on  a 
battle  without  support  and  aid  ;  but  on  the  morning  of  August  6,  while 
awaiting  the  signal  of  the  sortie  from  the  fort,  several  of  the  general's 
officers  and  some  of  the  committee  of  safety  urged  an  immediate  advance. 
In  deference  to  their  continued  entreaties  he  finally  held  a  council  of  his 
principal  officers,  whom  he  warned  of  the  folly  of  bringing  on  a  battle 
with  the  force  at  their  command.  The  officers  would  not  listen  and 
some  of  them  went  so  far  as  to  charge  him  with  cowardice  or  toryism. 
Insulted  beyond  forbearance,  General  Herkimer  told  them  that  he  was 
entrusted  with  the  care  of  his  soldiers  as  well  as  with  their  leadership, 
and  that  he  could  not  place  them  in  a  position  in  which  his  judgment 
told  him  they  would  be  uselessly  slaughtered  ;  he  also  intimated  that 
those  who  were  now  taunting  him,  would  be  the  first  to  fly  in  action — a 
prophecy  which  was  fulfilled.  To  end  the  clamor  he  at  last  gave  the 
order  to  march.  The  consequences  are  well  known  and  have  been  re- 
corded on  the  pages  of  every  history  of  Revolutionary  battles.  The 
general  was  grievously  wounded  early  in  the  engagement,  but  continued 
to  command  his  men  until  the  end,  when  he  was  carried  from  the  field. 
His  conduct  after  he  received  his  wound  was  such  as  should,  and  it  does, 
surround  his  name  with  a  halo  of  honor  and  renown.  General  Herkimer 
died  from  hemorrhage  following  the  amputation  of  his  leg  in  his  own 
home.  When  he  became  convinced  that  his  hours  on  earth  were 
numbered  he  called  for  his  Bible  and  read  to  those  around  him  the  38th 
Psalm.  His  loss  was  deeply  deplored  by  the  inhabitants  of  Tryon  county. 
In  October  following  his  death  the  Continental  Congress  passed  a  reso- 


78 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


lution  appropriating  $500  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  his  mem- 
ory, and  in  conniuinicaling  this  action  to  the  governor  of  New  York 
the  Congress  said  :  "  Every  mark  of  distinction  shown  to  the  memory 
of  such  illustrious  men  as  offer  up  their  hves  for  the  liberty  and  happi- 
ness of  this  country,  reflects  real  honor  on  those  who  pay  the  grateful 
tribute  ;  and  by  holding  up  to  others  the  prospect  of  fame  and  immor- 
tality, will  animate  them  to  tread  in  the  same  path."  The  resolution 
passed  by  Congress  has  never  been  carried  into  effect.  The  Oneida 
Historical  Society,  of  Utica,  however,  is  making  an  effort  to  secure  the 
passage  of  a  bill  by  the  Stale  Legislature  for  an  appropriation  to  im- 
prove the  ground  and  erect  a  monument  to  mark  the  place  where  the 
body  of  General  Merkimer  is  buried  This  is  a  matter  which  concerns 
every  patriotic  person,  for  General  Herkimer  won  the  pivotal  battle  of 
the  Revolution.  His  body  now  lies  in  a  pasture  in  the  town  of  Danube, 
midway  between  Little  Falls  and  Indian  Castle.  The  surroundings  are 
unfit,  and  the  stone  which  marks  the  grave  is  not  such  as  should  grace 
the  resting  place  of  the  hero  of  Oriskany. 


On  yonder  well-remembered  hill, 

Scarred  and  neglected,  old  and  grey. 
Rises  the  house,  recalling  still 

The  story  of  that  bloody  day. 
Deep,  clear  and  beautifully  bright. 

Through  fields  of  waving  grass  and  grain. 
Like  silver  flashing  in  the  light. 

The  Mohawk  flows  across  the  plain. 

Hail,  Mohawk  winding  through  the  dale  ! 

Hail,  fairest  stream  in  lovely  York  ! 
The  farms  and  homes  in  thy  sweet  vale 

Ring  with  the  harvest  song  !  hush  I  mark 
Yon  close  of  hallowed  ground  !  there  lies 

The  hero  Herkimer  who  gave 
His  blood  for  liberty ;  there  rise 

The  mound,  the  stone  above  his  grave. 

Into  a  deep  and  dark  ravine, 

By  the  Oriskany,  he  led 
His  band.    Sudden  from  out  the  green 

Wood  all  about  uprose  the  dread, 
Painted,  red-Indian,  ^-ell  on  yell. 

And  in  the  deadly  ambuscade. 
Like  the  mown  grass,  his  cohorts  fell 

Bleeding  beneath  the  reeking  blade. 


Lo  !  lowering  in  the  sullen  sky. 

Black  storm-clouds  gathered,  thick  and  fast. 
And  Hghtning  flashes  from  on  high 

Foretold  the  fury  of  the  blast. 
It  broke  ;  the  thunder,  peal  on  peal, 

Roared  high  above  the  horrid  din 
Of  cannon  and  the  clash  of  steel. 

Loud  echoing  through  the  blood-stained  glen 

Then  thrice  from  out  the  dark  morass, 

Above  that  fearful  roar,  the  cheer 
Uprose;  but  Herkimer,  alas! 

Fell  foremost  fighting.     He  did  hear 
That  shout  of  victory  where  he  lay 

Stretched  death-white  on  the  gory  ground. 
His  life's  blood  ebbing  fast  away. 

And,  dying,  knew  what  meant  that  sound. 

On  many  another  blood-red  field, 

For  truth  and  liberty,  our  brave 
Fathers  did  fight  and  never  yield  : 

They  struck  for  freedom  or  the  grave. 
And  freedom  gained:  Columbia  's  free  ; 

Her  flag  floats  o'er  her  mountain  heights. 
And  on  the  land,  and  on  the  sea. 

Guards  well  a  nation's  dear-bought  rights. 

Frank  H.  Willarp 


'  During  the  battle  of  Oriskany,  when  the  utter  annihilation  of  General  Herkimer's  troops 
seemed  almost  inevitable,  a  furious  storm  arose.  The  enemy  fled  for  shelter,  while  the  Americans, 
occupying  a  strong  position,  formed  themselves  so  as  to  be  able  to  hold  victorious  possession  of 

the  field. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  79 

General  Herkimer  was  twice  married.'  Hi.s  will  was  proved  Octo- 
ber 4,  1783,  with  George  Herkimer  as  administrator.  The  "home 
place  "  was  devised  to  his  younger  brother  George,  and  he  was  consti- 
tuted his  residuary  legatee.  The  latter  lived  until  17S6,  and  left  seven 
children.  Various  members  of  the  families  descended  from  the  Herki- 
mers  live  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  but  not  one  of  the  name  is 
now  resident  in  Herkimer  county. 

John  Herkimer,  son  of  George,  inherited,  with  his  brothers  and 
sisters,  the  estate  devised  by  General  Herkimer  and  occupied  the 
family  mansion  until  about  1814.  He  was  an  active  politician;  repre- 
sented Montgomery  county  in  the  State  Assembly  and  after  the  town 
of  Danube  was  annexed  to  Herkimer  county,  was  appointed  one  of  the 
county  judges.  He  was  major  in  a  regiment  of  volunteers  in  the  last 
war  with  England  and  served  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  He  was  elected  to 
Congress  in  1822  and  was  an  efficient  member  of  that  body.  He  died  at 
his  residence  in  Danube  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years,  leaving  no 
male  descendants. 

The  Her ter  Family. — The  lands  allotted  to  Apolone  and  Lawrence 
Herter  were  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  but  some  of  the  family  re- 
moved to  the  north  side  in  early  years  Some  of  the  family  were  at  the 
Great  Flats  at  the  time  of  the  French  expedition  in  1757,  where  one  of 
the  Herters  was  taken  prisoner  with  his  wife  and  children  and  carried 
to  Canada,  where  they  were  kept  about  a  year.  A  daughter  born  to 
Mrs.  Herter  while  crossing  the  St.  Lawrence  river  in  a  birch-bark 
canoe,  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Michael  Myers.  Henry  Herter 
was  appointed  first  lieutenant  in  Capt.  Frederick  Bellinger's  company 
of  militia  in  1775.  Nicholas  and  Philip  Herter  settled  in  Deerfield, 
Oneida  county,  after  the  Revolution.  Numerous  descendants  of  this 
family  are  still  residents  of  Herkimer  county. 

The  Hess  Family. — Augustine  Hess  was  the  patentee  of  lot  No.  10  at 
Little  Falls.  Previous  to  and  during  the  Revolutionary  period  the 
name  was  quite  numerous  in  the  Mohawk  valley.  Augustine  Hess,  a 
son  of  the  patentee,  was  a  member  of  the  Tryon  county  committee  of 
safety  from  the  Kingsland  and  German  Flats  districts.     The  elder  Au- 

'  The  late  Samuel  Earl  wrote  of  the  general  as  follows  ;  "The  general  was  a  kind  hearted  and 
benevolent  man  and  a  good  Christian  neighbor.  He  was  iust  such  a  character  as  would  make  him 
beloved  by  those  who  knew  him.    He  was  without  guile  or  deceit,  generous,  brave  and  honest." 


80  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

gustine  was  a  patentee,  also,  of  Staley's  first  and  second  tracts ;  he  was 
killed  in  July,  1782,  by  the  Indians  near  Fort  Herkimer,  while  on  his 
way  to  the  fort  with  his  family. 

The  Kast  Family — Johan  Jurgh  Kast  and  his  son  of  the  same  name 
were  patentees  and  each  drew  a  small  lot  on  the  Great  Flats  and  seventy 
acre  lots  on  the  uplands,  in  the  Burnetsfield  tract.  In  1724  a  grant  of 
r,ioo  acres  was  made  to  the  wife  and  children  of  the  elder  Kast,  situ- 
ated in  Schuyler  and  surrounded  by  Cosby's  manor  ;  descendants  of 
the  family  lived  there  many  years.  Besides  Johan  Jurgh,  the  elder  Kast 
had  a  son  Lodovvick.  Johan  Jurgh,  the  younger,  had  two  sons,  Conrad 
and  Frederick.  The  former  was  taken  prisoner  in  1757,  carried  to 
England,  and  after  his  exchange  and  return  to  New  York,  enlisted  in 
the  British  army  and  never  returned  to  the  Mohawk  vallej'.  Descend- 
ants of  Frederick  still  live  in  Herkimer  county. 

The  Petrie  Family. — Johan  Jost  Petrie  was  one  of  the  Burnetsfield 
patentees  and  lands  were  allotted  to  him,  to  his  wife,  Gertrude,  and  to 
his  son  Mark  (or  Marks).  The  name  occurs  among  those  who  volun- 
teered for  Colonel  Nicholson's  expedition.  The  patentee  came  over 
with  the  second  company  of  Palatines  in  1710  and  came  to  German 
Flats  from  Livingston's  manor.  He  and  Coenradt  Rickert  were  the 
prominent  and  leading  men  of  the  little  colony  which  first  settled  here. 
He  was  named  first  in  the  license  given  by  Governor  Burnet  to  purchase 
the  Indian  title  to  the  lands  afterwards  granted,  and  also  the  first  named 
in  the  patent.  The  eighty-six  acre  lot,  long  known  as  the  Stone  Ridge, 
was  allotted  to  his  wife.  The  present  village  of  Herkimer  is  large- 
ly situated  on  this  lot.  Surrounded  by  rich  flat  lands  subject  to  in- 
undations, settlers  expressed  their  dissatisfaction  when  they  learned 
that  safe  building  lots  could  be  had  only  on  this  ridge,  and  Mr. 
Petrie  therefore  generously  divided  the  large  lot  into  smaller  parcels 
and  gave  them  to  the  owners  of  the  adjoining  low  lands.  When  the 
French  and  Indians  destroyed  the  settlements  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  November  11,  1757,  all  his  property  save  the  land  was  taken 
and  destroyed  and  he  and  his  family  carried  into  captivity.  He  was  the 
person  named  in  the  French  account  of  that  raid  as  "the  mayor  of  the 
villatje  of  the  Palatines."  Mr.  Petrie  remained  some  time  in  captivity. 
He  was  one  of  the  co-patentees  with  Philip  Livingston  and  John   De 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  81 

Peysterof  a  grant  of  6,ooo  acres  of  land  made  in  1740,  comprising  six 
lots  in  a  tract  called  Henderson's  or  Petrie's  purchase,  lying  in  the  pres- 
ent towns  of  Columbia  and  Warren.  He  died  before  the  beginning  of 
the  Revolutionary  War,  leaving  a  large  number  of  descendants,  and 
nearly  all  of  the  people  of  this  name  in  the  county  trace  their  lineage 
to  him.  John  Petrie,  a  son  of  the  patentee,  was  a  member  of  the  Tryon 
county  committee  from  the  German  Flats  and  Kingsland  districts 
which  met  in  June,  1775.  He  was  also  appointed  by  the  Tryon 
county  committee  August  16,  1779,  one  of  the  delegates  from  the 
county  to  a  State  convention  called  to  consider  measures  "  for  appre- 
ciating the  currency,  restraining  e.Ktortion,  regulating  prices,  and  other 
similar  purposes."  A  commission  is  in  existence  issued  to  Ded'k 
Marcus  Petrie,  gentleman,  dated  October  13,  1768,  by  which  Mr.  Petrie 
was  appointed  "  to  be  Ensign  of  a  company  of  Militia  Foot  in  a  regi- 
ment in  Albany  county,  of  which  company  George  Henry  Bell  esq.  is 
captain."  Mr.  Petrie  held  this  commission  until  the  country  changed 
rulers,  when  he  was  appointed  a  lieutenant  in  the  Tryon  county  militia. 
He  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Oriskany  while  serving  in  Col.  Peter  Bell- 
inger's regiment.  John  M.  Petrie,  assemblyman  in  1808-9,  was  a 
nephew  of  Lieutenant  Petrie,  the  son  of  the  patentee,  Mark  Petrie,  and 
consequently  grandson  of  the  original  settler,  Johan  Jost.  John  M. 
occupied  for  some  time  the  Burnetsfield  lot  No.  46,  and  afterwards 
changed  his  residence  to  a  farm  on  Glen's  purchase  a  few  miles 
north  of  Little  Falls,  where  he  died  respected  by  the  community. 
There  were  two  brothers,  sons  of  Ded'k  Marcus  Petrie,  named  Jost  D. 
and  John  D.,  who  were  prosperous  farmers  and  land  owners  and  left 
their  estates  to  their  children.  Daniel  Petrie,  a  member  of  this  family, 
was  killed  at  the  destruction  of  the  Little  Falls  mill,  in  1782,  as  before 
described.  Many  descendants  of  the  Petrie  family  still  reside  in  this 
county.      (See  history  of  the  town  of  Herkimer.) 

The  Reek  (or  Reall)  Family.  —  Lot  No.  15,  lowland  (thirty  acres), 
and  lot  No,  15,  woodland  (seventy  acres)  at  the  German  Flats  were 
granted  to  Godfrey  Reele,  jr.  Christian  Reall  settled  near  Deerfield 
Corners,  Oneida  county,  with  several  other  Germans,  before  the  Revolu- 
tion. In  the  second  year  of  the  war  the  settlement  was  destroyed,  but 
the  inhabitants  escaped  to  a  stockade  near  by.  After  the  war  Mr.  Reall 


82  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COT'NTY. 

returned  to  Deerfield.  Not  long  afterward  most  or  all  of  the  survivors 
of  the  family  removed  to  what  is  now  Onondaga  county.  One  member 
of  the  family  afterward  returned  and  lived  in  Little  Falls.  The  name 
was  never  numerous  in  the  county. 

The  Shoemakers — Ludolph  (afterwards  called  Rudolph)  and  Thomas 
Shoemaker  were  patentees,  and  both  of  them  were  young  and  unmar- 
ried when  they  came  to  German  Fiats.  Rudolph  had  several  sons,  one 
of  whom,  Johan  Jost,  married  the  daughter  of  an  Englishman  n;imed 
Smith,  the  fame  of  whose  eccentricities  and  devotion  to  the  British 
crown  still  occupies  considerable  space  in  the  unwritten  history  of  the 
valley.  Johan  Jost  had  been  one  of  his  majesty's  justices  of  the  peace 
in  Tryon  county  and  was  not  friendly  to  the  colonists  ;  but  he  was  not 
molested  in  person  or  property,  leading  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  a 
passive,  rather  than  an  active  adherent  to  royalty.  Judge  Benton  said  : 
"  With  the  exception  of  one  member  of  the  Herkimer  family,  I  do  not 
find  any  other  name  of  note  belonging  to  the  Palatine  emigrants  or  their 
descendants  who  faltered  in  their  duty  to  their  country  and  the  cause  of 
humanity."  Rudolph  L.  Shoemaker,  member  of  Assembly  from  this 
county  in  1812-13,  was  a  son  of  Johan  Jost.  He  was  a  farmer  and 
lived  and  died  in  the  present  town  of  German  Flats,  not  far  from  the 
site  of  the  village  of  Mohawk.  He  was  a  warm  supporter  of  the  War  of 
1812.  Robert  Shoemaker,  a  younger  brother  of  Rudolph  L.,  was  ap- 
pointed sheriff  of  the  county  in  18 17  and  held  the  office  several  years; 
he  was  a  prompt  and  efficient  officer.  He  also  represented  the  county  in 
the  Assembly  in  1822.  Late  in  life  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Illinois  and  died  there.  Thomas  Shoemaker,  the  patentee,  had  a  nu- 
merous family,  among  whom  was  a  son  of  the  same  name,  who  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Oriskany,  and  afterwards  his  wife  and  one  of  his 
children  (Christopher)  and  a  son  of  John  Shoemaker,  then  quite  young, 
were  taken  prisoners  and  carried  to  Canada.  There  are  now  many 
descendants  of  the  Shoemaker  families  in  Herkimer  county. 

The  Smith  Family. — The  Schmidts  were  among  the  cmigiants  of 
i/ioandfora  time  remained  at  the  camps  on  Livingston's  manor. 
Four  of  the  name  came  to  the  Great  t'lats,  two  of  wiioin  settled  on  the 
north  side  and  two  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  Adam  Michael 
Schmidt  was  one  of  the   volunteers  with    Colonel   Nicholson  in  1711. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  83 

Descendants  of  the  patentees  were  for  many  years  quite  numerous  in 
the  county,  but  many  removed  to  otht^  localities.  Colonel  Nicholas 
Smith,  a  prominent  resident  of  Utica  in  recent  years,  lost  his  parents  at 
the  hands  of  Indians  and  tories  during  the  Revolution.  In  common  with 
the  other  patentees  of  Burnetsfield,  the  family  felt  its  share  of  suffering 
during  that  struggle. 

The  Starings. — There  were  six  males  and  one  married  female  of  this 
name  among  the  Burnetsfield  patentees.  The  name  was  once  numer- 
ous in  the  county.  Hendrick  Staring  (who  often  wrote  his  name 
Henri)  was  a  man  of  some  note  in  the  Revolution  and  substquently.  A 
native  of  the  county,  he  lived  and  died  within  the  limits  of  the  present 
town  of  Schuyler.  He  was  one  of  the  few  survivors  of  the  Oriskany 
battle  and  from  that  time  held  prominent  office  in  the  militia  of  the  dis- 
trict, soon  attainingthe  rank  of  colonel.  Late  in  the  fall  of  1781  he  was 
so  unfortunate  as  to  be  surrounded  and  captured  near  Fort  Herkimer, 
with  Abraham  Wollever,  by  a  party  of  Indians.  Believing  it  was  the 
intention  of  his  captors  to  put  him  to  death  by  torture,  the  colonel 
managed  to  effect  his  escape  during  the  first  night  after  he  was  taken 
and  returned  to  the  fort  after  an  absence  of  two  days  and  nights.  He 
lived  near  the  small  stream  known  as  Staring's  Creek,  in  Schuyler,  on 
which  there  was  a  grist-mill  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  burned  by 
the  French  and  Indians  in  1757,  was  rebuilt  and  again  destroyed  dur- 
ing the  Revolution.  Though  of  limited  education.  Colonel  Staring  was 
a  man  of  thrift,  became  owner  of  large  landed  estates,  and  was  conspic- 
uous for  his  general  intelligence  and  good  judgment.  After  the  estab- 
lishment of  peace,  he  was  a  member  of  the  convention  from  Montgom- 
ery county,  called  in  1788,  to  consider  the  United  States  constitution, 
which  had  been  submitted  to  the  several  States  for  ratification.  He  was 
an  ardent  friend  of  Governor  Clinton,  who,  with  a  large  majority  of  the 
convention  when  elected,  were  opposed  to  the  ratification  of  the  con- 
stitution, and  it  is  supposed  that  he  voted  that  way.  Upon  the  organ- 
ization of  Herkimer  county  in  179 1  Colonel  Staring  was  appointed  first 
judge  of  the  court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  held  the  office  many  years. 
Many  curious  and  amusing  stories  have  been  told  of  the  methods  of 
administering  justice  followed  by  Judge  Staring  ;  but  he  was  an  honest, 
straightforward  man  and  filled  his  position   for   the   good  of  the   com- 


S4  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

munity,  if  not  always  according  to  the  acknowledged  proprieties  of  the 
bench.  The  judge  died  in  the  town  of  Schuyler,  leaving  male  and 
female  descendants.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Johan  Jurgh  Kast,  and 
through  her  he  obtained  title  to  about  600  acres  of  the  Kast  patent, 
which  he  left  to  his  children. 

The  Temojttli  Family. — This  name  appears  in  the  Palatine  records 
as  Demot  and  Demouth,  and  others  not  accustomed  to  the  German 
method  of  spelling  often  wrote  the  name  Damewood.  John  Jost  parted 
with  the  lot  of  land  granted  him  at  Little  Falls  before  the  Revolution, 
and  probably  before  1757,  as  no  trace  of  the  family  is  found  near 
that  place.  During  the  Revolution,  the  Demouths  were  in  the  vicinity 
of  Herkimer.  Captain  Demouth  was  with  John  Adam  Helmer  in  the 
dangerous  service  of  carrying  a  message  to  Colonel  Gansevoort  during 
t!ie  siege  of  Fort  Schuyler,  as  before  related.  After  the  close  of  the 
war  some  of  the  Demouths  migrated  to  Onondaga  county  with  the 
Realls.     There  are  very  few  of  the  name  now  resident  in  this  county. 

The  Welleven  {or  Wol/eaver)  Family. — This  name  is  written  VVoll- 
eben  and  Wohleben  in  the  list  of  heads  of  Palatine  families  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Hudson  in  1710.  Nicholas  W.  was  a  patentee  in  Burnets- 
field  and  also  in  Staley's  first  and  second  tracts,  and  died  in  1773, 
leaving  six  sons,  Henry,  Peter,  Richard,  John,  Abraham  and  Jacob  ; 
and  six  daughters,  Catharine,  wife  of  Frederick  Shoemaker ;  Mary 
Sophia,  wife  of  Peter  Flagg ;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Frederick  Schute  ; 
Lany,  wife  of  Frederick  Bellinger;  and  Hannah,  wife  of  John  Emgie, 
or  Empie,  who  was  a  tory  and  went  witli  his  family  to  Canada.  Richard, 
John,  Peter,  and  Abraham  were  in  the  battle  at  Oriskany  ;  the  two 
former  were  killed,  the  others  returning,  Peter  with  a  .slight  wound. 
Peter  was  one  of  the  party  in  the  Little  Falls  mill  when  it  was  burned, 
and  made  his  escape.  Peter  Wolleaver  lived  on  the  farm  in  Manheim 
afterward  known  as  the  Christy  place,  which  he  hired  of  Joseph 
Brant,  the  Mohawk  chief  When  the  chief  sent  word  to  him  in  1777 
that  he  would  come  and  tomahawk  him  if  he  did  not  immediately 
leave  the  farm,  Wolleaver  removed  to  Fort  Herkimer  with  his  family 
in  the  fall  of  that  year,  and  remained  there  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  had  three  sons  who  reached  manhood,  Nicholas,  John  and  Henry. 
His  daughters    were  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Frederick   Shoemaker  ;    Cath- 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD.  85 

arine,  wife  of  Garret  Van  Slyke  ;  Susan,  wife  of  Jacob  Edick  ;  Han- 
nah, who  married  a  Mr.  Furman  ;  Mary,  wife  of  Mr.  White,  and  Eva 
who  married  Stanton  Fox.  Abraham  Wolleaver,  one  of  the  patentee's 
sons,  was  taken  prisoner  in  October,  178 1,  with  Henry  Staring  near 
Fort  Herkimer ;  was  knocked  down  soon  afterward,  tomahawked  and 
scalped  by  his  captors  and  left,  while  they  went  on  with  their  other 
prisoner  towards  Oneida.  Abraham  survived  his  terrible  injuries;  was 
out  two  nights,  his  feet  being  frozen,  and  near  sunset  of  the  third  day 
was  brought  to  the  fort.      He  lived  a  number  of  years  afterward. 

The  Wever  {or  Weaver)  Family. — This  name  appears  on  the  Living- 
ston's manor  lists  as  Weber  and  Webber.  Jacob  and  Nicholas  were 
among  the  volunteers  in  the  Montreal  expedition  of  171 1.  Peter  J. 
Weaver  was  an  ensign  in  1775  in  the  Fourth  battalion  of  militia  of  the 
county.  Some  of  the  family  settled  in  Deerfield,  Oneida  county,  in 
1773.  George  L.  Weaver  was  taken  prisoner  during  the  Revolution 
and  held  in  captivity  about  two  years,  suffering  much  inhuman  treat- 
ment. Four  hundred  acres  of  land  were  assigned  to  this  family,  two 
hundred  on  the  north  and  two  hundred  on  the  south  side  of  the  river. 
Descendants  of  the  family  still  reside  in  the  county. 

This  chapter  may  be  fittingly  concluded  with  the  words  of  the  late 
Chancellor  Haven  in  speaking  of  the  men  who  fought  the  battle  of 
Oriskany:  "  Tlie  men  who  fought  this  battle  were  good  specimens  of 
a  peculiar  people.  They  had  been  sifted  out  of  Europe  by  a  process 
of  natural  and  gracious  selection.  They  came  across  the  ocean — or 
their  fathers  and  mothers  did — not  for  money,  but  for  liberty  and 
religion.  They  lived  in  log  houses,  but  they  went  to  log  churches 
and  their  children  to  log  school-houses.  They  ate  from  wooden 
dishes  and  were  clad  in  homespun,  but  they  read  the  Bible  and  gov- 
erned themselves.  They  had  wooden  plows  and  used  sickles  instead 
of  reaping  machines,  and  their  only  sewing  machines  were  their 
mothers  and  wives  and  sweethearts  ;  but  these  could  put  a  music  into 
their  rural  life  far  better  than  the  noise  of  the  modern  machine.  There 
was  not  a  pauper  nor  an  ignoramus  among  them.  They  were  the  hap- 
piest and  the  best  people  on  earth.  Such  a  people  fought  the  battle 
of  Oriskany — nay,   the  battle  of  freedom  for  all  mankind." 


86  niSTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

CHAPTER  V. 

GROWTH    AND    PROGRESS. 

WITH  the  dawn  of  peace  and  the  return  of  prisoners  and  refugees, 
industry  and  resultant  prosperity  and  contentment  settled  down 
upon  the  Mohawk  valley.  The  same  spirit  of  patriotic  determination 
which  had  impelled  the  settlers  to  risk  their  lives  and  endure  suffering 
and  loss  for  the  permanent  establishment  of  homes  in  a  free  country, 
now  enabled  them  to  take  up  with  renewed  energy  the  tilling  of  their 
farms,  the  building  of  mills,  the  construction  of  roads  and  other  labors 
for  the  development  of  their  chosen  valley. 

In  early  times,  before  the  Revolution,  the  road  through  the  valley 
came  into  what  is  now  Herkimer  county  from  the  west,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Mohawk,  and  continued  on  to  Canajoharie.  At  a  distance  of 
fifteen  miles  from  Fort  Herkimer  a  road  crossed  the  river  and  continued 
on  eastward  on  the  north  bank.  The  river  served  for  many  years  as  a 
waterway  for  the  transportation  of  freight  and  passengers  in  large  fiat 
boats,  called  bateaux.  But  this  mode  of  travel  was  greatly  interfered 
with  by  the  rapids  at  Little  Falls,  a  fact  that  led  in  1792  to  the  incor- 
poration of  the  Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company.  After  the 
full  organization  of  this  company,  about  thirty  directors  pushed  ahead 
the  contemplated  work,  and  four  years  later  the  canal  around  the  falls 
was  finished,  another  across  the  portage  at  Rome,  with  various  improve- 
ments in  Wood  Creek  and  the  Oneida,  Seneca  and  Oswego  Rivers. 
The  engraving,  "  Little  Falls  in  1892"  printed  in  the  history  of  that 
town  in  later  pages,  shows  the  course  of  the  canal  and  the  location  of 
the  locks  at  Little  Falls.  Much  of  the  masonry  built  at  that  point 
a  hundred  years  ago  is  still  in  good  preservation.  This  improvement 
was  of  immense  benefit  in  opening  up  the  country  and  it  was  esti- 
mated about  the  year  1812  that  three  hundred  boats  with  1,500  tons 
of  meicliandiSc  pa  scil  through  the  canal  at  the  Rome  portage  in  a 
single  year.     After  the  enlargement  of   the    locks    the    boats  carried 


88  niSTORT  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

twenty  tons  or  more  in  high  water,  and  half  as  much  at  other  times. 
Tliese  craft  were  known  as  Durham  boats,  were  low  and  open,  with 
a  walking  board  along  the  gunwale.  They  were  propelled  by  means 
of  long  poles  thrust  into  the  river  bottom  and  pushed  with  the  shoul- 
ders of  men  who  walked  from  end  to  end  of  the  boat.  A  Schenec- 
tady paper  of  1803  in  describing  one  of  the  boats  said:  "She  is 
sixty-three  feet  keel,  eleven  feet  wide,  and  two  feet  three  inches  deep. 
When  loaded  she  draws  two  feet  of  water  and  will  carry  twenty - 
four  tons.  She  now  brought  down  250  bushels  of  wheat  and  will  next 
trip  bring  800." 

Previous  to  the  Revolution,  and  perhaps  after  that  event,  many  roads 
were  not  fenced  and  had  gates  across  them  at  the  crossing  of  farm  lines. 
The  late  Samuel  Earl  said  that  there  was  such  a  road  in  earlj'  times  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river  where  the  public  road  now  is,  and  one  across 
the  flats  between  l""orts  Herkimer  and  Dayton,  called  the  King's  road  ; 
this  extended  west  over  "  Oak  Hill  "  and  thence  to  Oswego. 

Regarding  this  road  an  interesting  letter  has  been  found  among  the 
papers  of  the  late  Mr  Earl,  from  which  it  appears  that  Sir  William 
Johnson  wrote  John  Jost  Herkimer,  John  Jost  Petrie,  and  John  Conrad 
Frank,  on  the  22d  of  July,  1756,  in  regard  to  their  aiding  in  opening 
the  road.      A  reply  fiom  Herkimer  and  Frank  is  as  follows : 

Hon.  Sir. 

We  have  the  honour  of  yours  of  the  22d  ulli'o  about  laying  out  a  road  from  here 
to  Oswego,  throu'  the  Si.v  Nations,  and  as  for  my  part,  Han  Yost  Petri,  I  am  old,  and 
lame  in  one  of  my  hips,  jmd  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  undertake  any  such  fatigue,  and 
tor  me,  Jost  Herkimer,  I  dare  not  leave  my  house  upon  account  of  the  military  for 
they  terrorize  over  me  as  they  think  proper,  wether  the  commander  or  tlie  common  sol- 
diers, in  short  they  take  a  prerogative  power  in  their  own  hands — not  only  in  infesting 
mv  hou.se  and  taking  up  niy  rooms  at  pleasure,  but  take  what  they  think  necessary  of 
my  effects  for  their  own  use  without  asking.  And  if  such  doings  is  allowed  to  go  on, 
not  only  I  and  my  family  must  suffer,  but  also  all  my  neighbors. 

And  as  for  my  part,  Coniad  I'Vank,  it  is  not  possible  for  me  to  undertake  it  upon  ac- 
count of  soldiers  *  *  for  my  house  is  full  either  of  one  sort  or  another,  and  within 
this  short  lime  have  suffered  considerable  by  the  soldiers  of  Capt.  Harris  command, 
for  they  not  only  use  my  house  as  they  thought  proper,  but  likewise  tocik  whatever  of  my 
live  cattle  they  thought  proper  fir  their  use,  without  either  asking  liherly  or  paying  me 
for  tlieir  value,  and  .supposing  I  .should  undertake  such  a  thing  and  U^ave  my  house,  I  must 
I  imagine  never  see  eitiier  my  wife  or  children  again  ;  and  notwithstanding  all  the  en- 
deavors we  and  all  of  us  have  made  we  could  not  find  anyone  that  would  undertake 


GROAVTH  AND  PROGRESS.  89 

such  a  piece  of  work.  Aud  although  we  and  all  of  us  would  be  ready  and  willing  to 
do  anything  that  would  tend  to  his  majesties  honor  or  the  good  of  our  country,  yet  as 
matters  stand  we  must  be  excused.     We  remain  with  due  regard  Hon.  Sir, 

Your  Hum.  and  obedient  serv'ts, 

John  Jost  Herkimer. 

John  Conrad  Frank. 

In  April,  1790,  the  State  appropriated  ;^iOO  "for  the  ptirpose  of 
erecting  a  bridge  across  the  East  Canada  Creek,  not  exceeding  tliree 
miles  from  the  mouth  thereof,  upon  the  road  from  the  Mohawk  River  to 
the  Royal  Grant."  Three  years  later  the  Legislature  provided  for  the 
erection  of  a  bridge  over  East  Canada  Creek,  "  nearly  opposite  the 
Canajoharie  Castle,  on  the  public  road  leading  from  Tribes  Hill  to  the 
Little  Falls  ;  "  and  another  over  the  West  Canada  Creek  "  on  the  public 
road  or  highway  leading  from  the  Little  Falls  to  Fort  Stanwix."  A  still 
more  important  improvement  was  made  through  the  charter  of  a  com- 
pany in  April,  1800,  for  the  construction  of  the  Mohawk  turnpike  along 
the  north  bank  of  the  river  from  Schenectadj'  to  Utica.  The  work  was 
done  within  the  next  few  years,  under  the  direction  of  Seth  Wetmore, 
a  surveyor,  who  died  in  Canajoharie  in  1836.  This  road  became  a  part 
of  the  great  east  and  west  highway  from  Albany  to  Buffalo.  These 
means  of  transportation  sufficed  for  the  inhabitants  until  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Erie  canal  in   1825. 

Other  highways  that  passed  through  parts  of  this  county  and  were  of 
considerable  importance  to  the  inhabitants,  were  the  State  road,  so 
called  because  it  was  constructed  by  the  State  through  the  medium  of 
a  lottery,  authorized  in  1803,  to  raise  $41,500.  This  road  ran  from 
Johnstown  through  the  Black  River  country  to  Sackett's  Harbor,  pass- 
ing through  parts  of  Manheim,  Salisbury,  and  the  towns  of  Norway  and 
Russia.  The  road  was  much  used  in  the  early  years  of  the  present 
century. 

In  1804  the  Fall  Hill  Turnpike  and  Bridge  Company  was  incorpo- 
rated and  authorized  to  build  a  toll  bridge  over  the  Mohawk  River 
at  Little  Falls,  and  construct  a  road  from  the  house  of  Ira  Crane  in 
Minden,  Montgomery  county,  to  the  Mohawk  River,  thence  along  the 
river  'o  Henry  A.  Vrooman's  in  German  Flats,  and  thence  to  Samuel 
Abbott's  house  and  Kassler's  Mills.  The  principal  object  of  this  road 
12 


90  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

was  to  avoid  climbing  the  steeps  at  Fall  Hill.  The  bridge  was  erected 
and  used  many  years,  but  the  road  was  not  constructed. 

In  the  year  iSo6  coinmissioncrs  were  appointed  to  lay  out  and 
straighten  the  road  on  the  south  side  of  the  Mohawk  River  from  Sche- 
nectady to  Utica,  wherever  it  seemed  expedient.  The  towns  through 
which  this  highway  passed  were  required  to  work  it  and  keep  it  in 
order. 

The  Great  Western  Turnpike  passed  through  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  town  of  Warren,  a  distance  of  a  few  miles,  but  did  not  touch  the 
Mohawk  valley. 

The  Minden  and  Utica  Turnpike  Company  was  incorporated  in 
1809,  the  line  designated  to  pass  through  the  present  towns  of  Stark, 
Warren,  Columbia,  Litchfield  and  the  southwest  corner  of  Frankfort. 
Parts  of  this  turnpike  were  finished  and  one  or  more  gates  erected  for 
collection  of  tolls,  but  it  was  abandoned  many  years  ago. 

In  1834  Colonel  Jeremiah  Drake  projected  a  railroad  to  connect  with 
the  Utica  and  Schenectady  line  about  two  miles  east  of  Little  Falls,  and 
running  northerly  a  distance  of  about  fifteen  miles  in  this  county.  The 
incorporation  act  was  passed,  surveys  made,  etc.,  the  route  to  pass 
through  Manheim  Center,  Wintonville  and  Salisbury  Center  to  Dever- 
eaux.  Failing  to  interest  capitalists  in  the  project,  Colonel  Drake  was 
forced  to  abandon  it.  (See  account  of  Little  Falls  and  Dolgeville  Rail- 
road.) 

It  was  over  these  early  higliways  that  the  great  stage  business  of  that 
period  was  conducted  ;  and  even  after  the  later  construction  of  the 
canal  and  railroad,  it  was  several  years  before  those  more  modern  and 
rapid  methods  of  travel  could  displace  the  four  horse  coaches  to  which 
the  people  had  become  accustomed.  One  of  the  earliest  as  well  as  most 
successful  of  the  old  stage  managers  was  Jason  Parker,  of  Utica,  with 
his  later  partners.  He  began  running  a  stage  between  Albany  and  old 
Fort  Schuyler  in  August,  1795,  and  thus  announced  his  undertaking: 
"The  mail  leaves  Whitestown  every  Monday  and  Thursday  at  2  o'clock 
p.  m.,  and  proceeds  to  Old  Fort  Schuyler  the  same  evening;  next 
morning  starts  at  4  o'clock  and  arrives  in  Canajoharie  in  the  evening, 
exchanges  passengers  with  the  Albany  and  Cooperstown  stages,  and 
the  next  day  returns  to  Old  Fort  Schuyler.      Fare  for  passengers,  $2.00; 


GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS.  Ol 

way  passengers,  four  cents  a  mile,  fourteen  pounds  of  baggage  gratis. 
Seats  may  be  had  by  applying  at  the  post-office,  Whitestown,  at  the 
house  of  the  subscriber,  Old  Fort  Schuylei,  or  at  Captain  Root's,  Cana- 
joharie  "  Parker's  early  experience  was  not  profitable  and  he  had  to 
apply  to  the  Legislature  in  1797  for  aid.  By  September,  1810,  greater 
expedition  was  attained  on  this  route  and  a  daily  line  of  stages  passed 
over  the  road.  In  1810-11  Joshua  Ostroni  and  his  partners,  also  of 
Utica,  came  into  competition  with  Parker  and  announced  that  a  new 
line  of  steamboat  stages  would  leave  Albany  Monday  and  Friday,  and 
Utica  Monday  and  Thursday.  These  trips  were  made  more  often  a 
little  later  and  the  competition  between  the  lines  became  exceedingly 
active.  Parker  &  Powell  announced  in  1811  :  "  Eight  changes  of  horses. 
The  mail  stage  now  leaves  Bagg's,  Utica,  every  morning  at  4  o'clock. 
Passengers  will  breakfast  at  Maynard's,  Herkimer,  dine  at  Josiah  Shep- 
ard's.  Palatine,  and  sup  (on  oysters)  at  Thomas  Powell's  Tontine  Coffee 
House,  Schenectady.  The  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  will  favor  this 
line  with  their  patronage  may  be  assured  of  having  good  horses,  attent- 
ive drivers,  warm  carriages,  and  that  there  shall  not  be  any  running 
or  racing  of  horses  on  the  line." 

Then  the  rivals,  unencumbered  by  mails,  announced  themselves 
ready  to  "  go  through  in  one  day,  unless  the  extreme  badness  of 
the  traveling  rendered  it  utterly  impossible."  Moreover  passengers 
were  to  "have  the  liberty  of  breakfasting,  dining  and  supping  where, 
when  and  on  what  they  please.  No  more  than  eight  passengers  unless 
by  unanimous  consent." 

The  year  1825  saw  the  establishment  of  the  county  poor-house  in 
Herkimer.  The  board  of  supervisors  met  on  the  5th  of  May  at  Her- 
kimer and  appointed  Abijah  Beckwith,  of  Columbia,  Robert  Shoe- 
maker, of  German  Flats,  and  William  Griswold,  of  Fairfield,  a  com- 
mittee to  examine  into  the  subject.  This  committee  reported  before 
the  end  of  that  month,  and  the  supervisors  thereupon  resolved  to 
purchase  for  the  sum  of  $2,000  a  house  and  land  in  the  German  Flats, 
near  the  line  of  the  canal.  Samuel  Etheridge  and  Gideon  Johnson 
were  appointed  to  negotiate  the  purchase,  and  Rudolph  J.  Shoemaker, 
Alfred  Putnam,  Lauren  P'ord,  John  B.  Dygert,  and  Caleb  Budlong, 
superintendents.     The   clerk   was  notified  that  as   soon   as  the   proper 


92  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTV. 

officers  had  taken  possession  of  the  house,  to  publish  the  fact  in  the 
Herkimer  paper.  On  the  i6th  of  November,  1827,  the  supervisors 
resolved  to  aboh'sh  the  distinction  between  the  town  and  the  county 
poor  Up  to  that  time  each  town  had  supported  its  own  poor  at  the 
county  house;  but  tlie  plan  was  not  a  successful  one.  On  the  i6th  of 
December,  1827,  tlie  supervisors  resolved  to  ask  the  Legislature  for 
authority  to  sell  the  poor-house  property  and  purchase  a  more  suitable 
piece  of  land  and  erect  buildings  thereon  for  the  future  reception  of 
paupers.  The  required  law  was  passed,  but  no  immediate  action  was 
taken  under  it.  Although  a  little  out  of  its  chronological  order,  the 
later  history  of  the  poor-house  may  as  well  be  given  here.  In  1837 
the  matter  of  disposing  of  the  poor-house  was  again  agitated,  although 
at  the  annual  meeting  of  that  year  the  superintendents  were  author- 
ized to  purchase  a  part  of  the  Steele  farm  for  the  use  of  the 
county,  which  was  subsequently  effected.  The  discussion  of  sale  and 
change  of  location  continued  through  1839  and  1840,  and  further  laws 
on  the  subject  were  passed  by  the  Legislature.  In  1842  the  superin- 
tendents authorized  the  supervisors  to  sell  the  house  and  land  adjoining 
for  $500,  and  in  1844  the  Legislature  vested  in  the  board  of  supervisors 
full  power  to  Fell  out  the  old  establishment,  purchase  a  new  site  and 
erect  suitable  buildings.  It  is  clear  that  it  was  high  time  such  action 
was  taken.  Yet  for  nearly  three  years  the  subject  was  actively  dis- 
cussed before  a  majority  of  the  supervisors  made  a  final  disposition  of 
it.  The  difficulty  was  to  reconcile  the  different  factions  in  the  board 
to  a  new  location,  some  wanting  it  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
while  others  wished  it  taken  from  the  vicinity  of  the  canal.  In  January, 
1846,  the  board  fixed  upon  a  new  site  (the  present  one)  by  a  vote  of 
10  to  9;  on  the  17th  of  March  1846,  the  board  sanctioned  the  con- 
tract for  the  new  buildings  made  by  the  commissioners  and  George  W. 
Alton,  George  Rurch  and  Cornelius  E.  T.  Van  Home  superintended 
the  erection  of  the  new  buildings.  They  are  located  in  the  town  of 
Herkimer,  about  two  miles  south  of  Middleville,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
West  Canada  Creek,  and  arc  commodious  and  convenient  for  their 
purpose. 

The  Asiatic  cholera   visited    this  country   in   1832-34  and  in  many 
localities  was   the   cause   of  great    fatality,   anxiety  and  actual    panic. 


(JROWTH  AND  PROGRESS.  93 

Although  the  disease  found  its  way  westward  from  New  York  and 
Albany,  following  to  some  extent  the  line  of  the  Erie  canal,  Herkimer 
county  almost  entirely  escaped  its  ravages.  This  fortunate  circumstance 
is  doubtless  due  to  there  being  no  large  city  in  the  county,  the  general 
healthfulness  of  the  locality  and  the  favorable  sanitary  conditions  then 
existing.  The  disease  gained  a  foothold  in  Utica  and  Syracuse,  as  well 
as  at  other  prominent  centers ;  but  the  smaller  places  and  country 
districts  almost  wholly   escaped. 

During  the  period  between  1830  and  i860,  the  development  of  the 
dairy  industry  in  this  country  was  especially  marked.  Farmers  learned 
the  value  of  choice  stock  and  the  importance  of  giving  their  herds  the 
best  possible  care  Shippers  opened  the  English  market  about  1832, 
and  extended  the  distribution  of  the  product  to  many  of  the  largest 
cities  of  this  country,  laying  the  foundation  of  the  later  important  in- 
dustry. The  progress  of  dairying  in  the  county  is  further  treated  in 
another  chapter. 

The  Herkimer  County  Education  Society  and  Teachers'  Association 
was  organized  at  Little  Falls  March  15,  1837,  with  David  Chassell  as 
president ;  N.  S.  Benton,  John  B.  Dygert,  Thomas  Hawks,  John  Del- 
amater  and  Henry  Ellison,  vice-presidents  ;  James  Henry,  correspond- 
ing secretary  ;  E.  A.  Munson,  recording  secretary.  The  organization 
was  effected  at  a  meeting  of  the  county  convention  of  the  friends  of 
education.  It  was  arranged  that  annual  meetings  should  be  held,  at 
which  addresses  should  be  made  and  plans  laid  for  the  general  advance- 
ment of  education  in  the  county.  The  organization  was  not  very 
long-lived. 

The  State  of  New  York,  with  many  others,  had  its  period  of  what 
may  be  termed  the  plank  road  mania,  beginning  in  1847  and  continu- 
ing several  years.  These  roads,  built  at  a  time  when  most  country 
highways  were  even  much  worse  than  the}'  are  at  the  present  time,  and 
extending  into  localities  where  railroads  were  not  likely  to  go,  were  of 
considerable  benefit,  especially  to  farmers  A  few  of  them  paid  reas- 
onable profits,  but  more  were  losing  projects  and  soon  were  abandoned. 
The  first  plank  road  in  Herkimer  county  extended  from  Mohawk  vil- 
lage through  Herkimer  and  Middleville  to  Newport,  along  the  valley 
of  the  West  Canada  Creek.      Others  were  the  Little  Falls  and    Middle- 


94  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ville  road,  connecting  those  two  places;  the  Manheim  and  Salisbury, 
connecting  Little  Falls  with  Salisbury  Four  Corners, and  afterwards  ex- 
tended to  Graysville  in  the  northern  part  of  Norway;  the  Little  Falls 
and  Salisbury,  connecting  the  former  place  with  Devereaux  ;  the  road 
from  Utica  passing  through  Frankfort,  Litchfield  and  West  Winfield  to 
Unadilla  ;  the  Mohawk  and  Ilion,  connecting  those  villages  ;  the  Frank- 
fort and  Utica,  extending  from  Frankfort  village  to  the  west  line  of  the 
county  along  the  line  of  the  canal ;  the  Ilion  and  Cedarville,  connect- 
ing those  two  points.  And  the  plank  road  trom  Fort  Plain  to  Coopers- 
town  passed  through  Starkville  and  Van  Hornesville,  in  the  town  of 
Stark;  the  North  Gage  and  Russia  road  connected  Russia  with  North 
Gage  in  Oneida  county.  These  once  useful  highways  were,  however, 
short-lived,  and  have  now  all  disappeared. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    CIVIL    WAR    PERIOD. 

THE  long  reign  of  prosperous  peace  in  America  was  rudely  closed 
when  citizens  of  Southern  States  fired  the  first  hostile  gun  upon 
Fort  Sumter  in  1861.  Almost  before  the  sound  of  that  cannonade  had 
died  away  a  tide  of  patriotic  enthusiasm  and  indignation  swept  over 
the  entire  North,  and  the  call  to  arms  found  an  echo  in  every  loyal 
heart,  while  thousands  sprang  forward  to  offer  their  services  and  their 
lives  at  the  altar  of  their  country. 

The  history  of  the  civil  war  has  been  written  and  rewritten,  and  al- 
most every  intelligent  citizen,  young  and  old,  is  familiar  with  the  details 
of  the  great  contest.  '  Were  this  not  a  fact  it  would  still  be  manifestly 
impossible  in  a  work  of  this  character  to  follow  the  course  of  the  various 
campaigns  in  which  Herkimer  county  soldiers  took  part,  or  to  trace  the 
careers  of  those  brave  officers  and  privates  who  fell  on  the  field  of  bat- 
tle. Such  historical  work  must  be  left  to  the  general  historian  who  has 
unlimited  space  at  his  command  for  the  one  topic ;  and  already,  as  we 
have  said,  the  pages  of  history  are  eloquent  with  records  of  the  battles 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  95 

in  which  Herkimer  county  men  honorably  shared,  which  all  may  read  ; 
while  the  thousands  of  volumes  that  have  been  published  by  the  State 
and  placed  in  every  county  clerk's  office  and  elsewhere,  contain  the  ros- 
ters of  all  New  York  State  organizations  that  went  out  to  battle  for  the 
right.  It  therefore  remains  for  us  to  give  such  statistics  and  informa- 
tion in  this  connection  as  bear  a  local  interest,  as  far  as  the  space  at 
command  will  permit. 

Before  the  actual  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  the  president  issued  a 
proclamation  calling  forth  "  the  militia  of  the  several  States  of  the  Union, 
to  the  aggregate  number  of  75,000,  in  order  to  suppress  combinations, 
and  to  cause  the  laws  to  be  duly  executed."  The  principal  villages  of 
Herkimer  county  became  at  once  centers  of  military  activity.  One  of 
the  first  steps  taken  was  to  place  a  guard  upon  the  great  armory  of  the 
Remingtons  at  llion,  which  was  soon  filled  with  a  large  force  of  work- 
men employed  day  and  night. 

On  Monday,  April  15,  1861,  the  State  Legislature  passed  a  bill  ap- 
propriating $3,000,000  and  providing  for  the  enrollment  of  30,000  men 
to  aid  the  government.  The  volunteers  were  to  enlist  into  the  State 
service  for  two  years,  and  to  be  subject  at  any  time  to  transfer  into  the 
Federal  service.  This  measure  caused  intense  excitement  and  the  various 
villages  of  the  county  were  soon  ablaze  with  military  enthusiasm. 

On  the  20th  of  April  a  great  union  meeting  was  held  at  Little  Falls, 
over  which  Major  Z.  C.  Priest  presided.  Patriotic  speeches  were  made 
by  Hon.  A.  Loomis,  Rev.  B.  F.  McLoughlin,  Rev.  J.  D.  Adams,  Hon. 
A.  H.  Laflin,  Hon.  George  A.  Hardin,  and  Arnold  Petrie.  Resolutions 
were  adopted  expressive  of  the  patriotism  of  the  people  and  the  deter- 
mination to  maintain  the  government  against  its  enemies,  and  denounc- 
ing rebellion.  Provision  was  made  to  raise  $5,000  for  the  relief  of 
families  of  those  who  might  enlist  This  meeting  was  followed  by  a 
similar  one  at  Mohawk,  at  which  large  delegations  were  present  from 
Herkimer,  llion  and  elsewhere.  Dean  Burgess,  of  Herkimer,  presided 
and  stirring  speeches  were  made  by  Hon.  J.  H.  Wooster,  of  Newport, 
Judge  Ezra  Graves,  of  Herkimer,  General  Prescott,  of  Mohawk,  and 
others.  An  overflow  meeting  was  held  outside  of  the  church,  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  could  not  gain  admittance,  which  was  addressed 
by   Hon.    George   A.   Hardin,  and   Hon.  A.  H.   Laflin,   of  Herkimer. 


96  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Resolutions  similar  to  those  mentioned  were  adopted  and  $1,500  were 
subscribed  at  once  for  the  relief  fund.  Military  enthusiasm  and  action 
extended,  also,  into  other  parts  of  the  county,  and  while  the  last  named 
meeting  was  being  held,  about  fifty  persons  had  already  enlisted  in  the 
towns  of  Ohio,  Norway  and  Russia;  and  by  the  24th  of  April  seventy 
men  had  enlisted  in  Herkimer  and  more  than  thirty  in  Mohawk. 

On  the  evening  of  IMay  24  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  court-house  to 
formulate  a  plan  for  the  relief  of  the  families  of  those  who  had  enlisted. 
It  was  decided  to  raise  $2,000  on  a  note  payable  in  one  year,  to  receive 
the  signatures  of  those  who  were  disposed  to  secure  it.  A  large  num- 
ber signed  the  note  and  the  money  was  advanced  by  the  Mohawk  Val- 
ley Bank.  Dean  Burgess  was  made  treasurer  of  the  fund,  and  Ezra 
Graves  and  H.  G.  Crouch,  with  the  treasurer,  were  made  an  executive 
committee  to  distribute  the  money.  Similar  action  was  taken  at  other 
points  and  together  afforded  the  necessary  relief 

By  the  8th  day  of  May,  1861,  there  were  six  companies  of  Herkimer 
county  men  in  rendezvous  at  Albany.  These,  with  one  company  from 
Essex  county,  two  from  Steuben,  one  from  Clinton,  and  one  from 
Albany  county,  were  organized  into  the  Thirty-fourth  Regiment  of  in- 
fantry, afterwards  familiarly  known  as  the  "  Herkimer  County  Regi- 
ment." Of  these  companies.  Company  B  was  raised  in  Little  Falls, 
Company  C  at  Graysville,  Companies  F  and  Gat  Herkimer,  and  Company 
K  at  Brockett's  Bridge  (now  Dolgeville).  The  regimental  officers 
were  :  Colonel,  William  Ladue  ;  lieutenant-colonel,  James  Suiter ; 
major,  Byron  Laflin  ;  quartermaster,  Natlian  Easterbrook,  jr. ;  chaplain, 
J.  B.  Van  Petten  ;  paymaster,  W.  H.  Wombaugh.  The  Herkimer 
county  companies  were  officered  as  follows  : 

Company  B. — Captain,  Wells  Sponable  ;  Ist  lieutenant,  John  Fralick;  ensign,  Irving 
Delos  Clark ;  1st  sergeant,  Lewis  M.  Clark ;  sergeants,  William  Orrin  Beach,  Chauncey 
Petrie  and  Wallace  Zaper ;  corporals,  Warren  Van  Allen,  Atielbert  Perry,  Dennis 
Canaan  and  Edward  Redner;  musicians,  John  Apple  and  John  Scheraierhorn. 

Company  C. — Captain,  Thomas  Corcoran;  lieutenant,  Samuel  P.  Butler;  ensign, 
William  S.  Burt;  1st  sergeant,  William  Wallace;  sergeants,  Jacob  Ashley,  S.  S.  Walter 
and  Charles  B.  Barton ;  corporals,  Simon  Loyd,  Richard  Manning,  Hanison  L.  Banks 
and  Joshua  Sherwood  ;  musicians,  William  H.  Corp  and  John  H.  Guy. 

Company  F. — Captain,  Charles  Riley  ;  lieutenant,  Joseph  R.  Shoemaker;  sergeant.<, 
William  R.  Van  Valkenbuig,  Christian  Way  man  and  James  B.  Crist;  corporals, 
Charles  B.  Taylor,  John  T.  Booth,  Thomas  White  anrf  Charles  Pierce;  musicians,  David 
M.  Heath  and  Edward  White. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  97 

Company  G. — Captain,  Charles  L.  Brown  ;  1st  lieutenant,  Warren  Mack,  jr.  ;  ensign, 
Michael  ShafFner ;  1st  sergeant,  Joy  E.  Johnson;  2d  sergeant,  Albert  Arnold;  3d  ser- 
geant, James  H.  Cory  ;  4th  sergeant,  Richard  D.  Mosher ;  1st  corporal,  Jeremiah  Far- 
rell ;  corporals,  A.  S.  Rounds,  William  Manning  and  John  H.  Raynor ;  musicians, 
Ezra  Dockstater  and  Nelson  Meacham. 

Company  K. — Captain,  John  Beverly  ;  lieutenant,  Henry  B.  Chamberlin  ;  ensign, 
Emerson  S.  Northrup;  1st  sergeant,  William  S.  Walton;  sergeants,  Charles  Lasure, 
Benjamin  J.  Loucks  and  Romeyn  Roof;  corporals,  William  Burns,  Henry  Traver,  John 
Johnson  and  John  Williams ;  musicians,  Hiram  Burk  and  Eugene  Kibbie. 

On  account  of  ill  health,  Colonel  Ladue  resigned  March  20,  1862, 
and  Lieutenant-  Colonel  Suiter  was  promoted  to  the  office.  He  resigned 
January  26,  1863,  and  was  honorably  discharged.  Lieutenant- Colonel 
Byron  Laflin  was  his  successor.  The  last  three  companies  of  Herkimer 
county  men  left  for  Albany  on  the  6th  of  May.  A  large  gathering  of 
people  assembled  at  Herkimer  and  listened  to  the  patriotic  and  affect- 
ing words  of  Judge  Graves  to  the  departing  soldiers.  In  the  final  organ- 
ization at  Albany  the  six  Herkimer  companies  were  reduced  to  five, 
which,  with  the  others  named,  made  ten.  On  the  25th  of  May  the  reg- 
iment was  accepted,  and  June  15  it  was  mustered  into  service.  On  the 
25th  of  that  month  a  stand  of  colors  was  presented  to  the  regiment  by 
the  ladies  of  Little  Falls,  through  Horace  Burch.  On  the  2d  of  July 
the  regiment  left  Albany  for  Washington  on  the  steamboat  Western 
World  and  two  barges  ;  they  arrived  at  Washington  on  the  5th,  and 
went  into  camp  on  Kalorama  Heights.  On  the  28th  of  July  the  regiment 
was  assigned  to  picket  duty  at  Seneca  Mills,  Md.,  on  the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio  Canal.  After  doing  duty  at  various  stations  for  short  periods, 
among  them  being  Poolesville,  Harper's  Ferry,  Bolivar  Heights,  Charles- 
town,  Berryville  and  Winchester  (arriving  just  after  the  close  of  the  bat- 
tle), the  regiment  reached  Yorktown  on  the  5th  of  April,  1862.  On  the 
4th  of  May  they  embarked  for  West  Point  and  on  the  6th  were  engaged 
in  the  battle  at  that  place,  with  slight  loss.  Continuing  up  the  penin- 
sula they  went  into  camp  on  the  Tyler  farm  and  were  detailed  to  bridge 
the  Chickahominy.  In  the  succeeding  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  the  regiment 
acted  nobly  and  lost  thirty- four  killed  and  sixty-four  wounded.  On 
the  30th  of  June  they  were  engaged  at  Glendale  in  a  part  of  the  "Seven 
Days  Fight"  and  lost  thirteen  killed  and  wounded.  On  the  1st  of 
July  the  regiment  reached  Malvern  Hill  and  in  the  battle  fought  there 
lost  thirty-four  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  among  the  killed  being 

13 


98  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Major  Charles  L.  Brown.  After  other  operations  in  that  vicinity  the 
regiment  found  itself  in  its  old  camp  at  Harrison's  Landing,  where  tliey 
remained  until  August  15,  removing  thence  to  Newport  News,  where 
they  arrived  on  the  21st.  The  movements  of  the  regiment  from  that 
time  until  the  battle  at  Antietam  were  to  Alexandria;  thence  to  a  point 
near  Fort  Ethan  Allen  ;  thence  to  Frederick  City,  South  Mountain  and 
Antietam.  In  that  memorable  battle  the  regiment  was  forced  to  the 
front,  where  it  narrowly  escaped  destruction,  and  lost  thirty- two  killed, 
109  wounded,  and  nine  missing.  From  Antietam  the  regiment  went 
to  Harper's  Ferry,  and  on  the  I  ith  of  November  was  reviewed  by  Gen- 
eral McClellan  for  the  last  time.  Next  they  marched  to  Falmouth, 
and  on  December  1 1  reached  a  point  opposite  Fredericksburg.  Here 
in  the  engagement  that  followed  they  lost  thirty- three  killed  and 
wounded.  The  regiment  went  into  winter  quarters  near  Falmouth 
January  26,  1863.  Its  term  of  service  expired  on  the  8th  of  June  and 
on  that  day  they  left  for  home.  They  were  tendered  a  reception  at 
Herkimer  before  being  mustered  out  and  were  given  a  royal  welcome 
on  the  27th  of  June.  The  men  were  mustered  out  on  the  30th  of  June, 
numbering  only  400,  as  against  786  when  the  organization  left  for  the 
front. 

Passing  by  several  organizations  in  which  Herkimer  county  men  en- 
listed, as  noted  further  on,  we  come  to  the  Ninty-seventh  Regiment  of 
infantry,  in  which  a  large  part  of  five  companies  were  from  this  county, 
the  remainder  being  largely  Oneida  county  men.  The  formation  of 
this  regiment  was  begun  on  the  i6th  of  October,  1861,  and  was  of- 
ficered as  follows:  Colonel,  Charles  Wheelock  ;  lieutenant-colonel,  J. 
P.  Spofiford,  of  Brockett's  Bridge,  Herkimer  county,  promoted  to  colonel 
in  February,  1865;  major,  Charles  Northrup ;  adjutant,  Charles  Buck; 
quartermaster,  Joel  T.  Comstock  ;  surgeon,  N.  D.  Ferguson;  assistant 
surgeon,  Aaron  Cornish;  chaplain,  James  V.  Ferguson.  Colonel  Whee- 
lock was  one  of  the  bravest  and  most  efficient  officers  that  left  the  State. 
He  was  captured  by  the  enemy  in  one  of  the  early  engagements  of  the 
regiment,  but  made  a  daring  escape.  The  hardships  of  army  life  were 
too  severe  for  his  physical  frame,  and  he  died  at  Washington  January 
2 1 .  1 865.  His  remains  were  brought  home  to  his  native  town  of  Boon- 
villc  where  they  received  burial  with  military  honors. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  99 

The  Ninety-seventh  was  mustered  into  service  at  Boonville  on  the 
19th  of  P'ebruary,  1862,  and  on  the  I  2th  day  of  March  left  for  Wash- 
ington with  a  strength  of  928  men.  Companies  C,  D,  E,  F,  and  I  were 
each  about  half  made  up  of  Herkimer  county  men,  and  officered  as  fol- 
lows by  Herkimer  county  : 

Company  C  — First  lieutenant,  Francis  Murphy  ;  second  lieutenant,  John  T.  Norton  ; 
first  sergeant,  John  G.  C.  Sproule  ;  sergeants,  James  McGurren,  Henry  P.  Fitzpatrick; 
corporal,  Charles  McGurren,  all  of  Herkimer  village ;  musician,  Dennis  T.  Hall,  Graves- 
ville;  wagoner,  Horace  Rice,  Herkimer. 

Company  D.— Captain,  Rouse  P.  Egleston.  Brockett's  Bridge  ;  first  lieutenant,  Dwight 
S.  Faville,  Brockett's  Bridge  ;  first  sergeant,  James  H.  Stiles,  Salisbury  ;  second  sergeant, 
Frank  Reed,  Brockett's  Bridge;  fourth  sergeant,  William  Dresher,  Salisbury  ;  fifth  ser- 
geant, David  Beverly,  jr.,  Brockett's  Bridge  ;  corporals,  H.  Alonzo  Cool  and  Charles 
Doxtater,  Brockett's  Bridge ;  Abner  K.  Huntly,  Frederick  Munson,  and  Conrad  Metz, 
Salisbury  Center,  and  Morgan  Hughs,  Manheim ;  fifer,  Ezra  M.  Huntly,  Salisbury; 
wagoner,  John  Kirchen,  Salisbury  Center. 

Campany  E. — Corporal,  John  Williams,  Russia;  musician,  Jolin  F.  Moreliouse,  Graves- 
ville. 

Company  F. —  Captain,  Stephen  G.  Hutchinson;  first  lieutenant,  E.  Gary  Spencer, 
Brockett's  Bridge;  first  sergeant,  William  Ransom;  second  sergeant,  DelosD.  Hall;  third 
sergeant,  Hiram  Hildreth,  and  fourth  sergeant,  John  Darling,  Salisbury ;  corporals, 
Augustus  Johnson,  William  B.  Judd,  Brockett's  Bridge,  and  George  Terry,  Salisbury. 

Company  H,  commanded  by  Captain  Anton  Brendle,  included  musicians  Addy  and 
William  Thompson,  and  three  privates,  from  Herkimer  village. 

Company  I. — Captain,  James  P.  Leslie;  first  lieutenant,  Romeyn  Roof;  second  lieu- 
tenant, Lewis  H.  Carpenter  ;  first  sergeant,  George  Chase,  and  sergeant,  Henry  A.  Way, 
all  of  Little  Falls;  sergeant,  Joseph  W.  Harrison,  Tan  Hornesville ;  sergeant,  Hartley 
Youker,  Little  Falls  ;  corporals,  John  Campbell,  George  J.  Keller,  Ansel  L.  Snow,  Will- 
iam H.  Gray,  and  Michael  Tighe,  Little  Falls;  Clinton  Ackerman,  Newville  ;  James 
Kenna,  and  Roswell  Clark,  jr..  Little  Falls  ;  musicians,  Charles  A.  Barrett  and  Fred- 
erick V.  Laurent,  Little  Falls. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  battles  in  which  this  regiment  bore  a  con- 
spicuous part:  Cedar  Mountain,  Rappahannock  Station,  Thoroughfare 
Gap,  Second  Bull  Run,  Chantilly,  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  Freder- 
icksburg (two  engagements),  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Mine  Run, 
Raccoon  Ford,  Wilderness,  Laurel  Hill,  Spottsylvania  Court  House, 
North  Anna,  Tolopotomoy,  Bethesda  Church,  White  Oak  Swamp, 
Petersburg,  Weldon  Railroad,  Hicks  Ford,  Hatcher's  Run,  Quaker 
Road,  White  Oak  Road,  Five  Forks,  Appomattox.  It  is  no  more  than 
L.oFC. 


100  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

justice  to  this  splendid  organization  to  give  it  credit  for  being  one  of  the 
bravest  and  hardest  fought  regiments  in  the  army,  as  the  following  sta- 
tistics will  show : 

Of  the  color  bearers  two  were  killed  and  three  wounded,  as  follows:  Sergeant  James 
Brown,  killed  July  1,  1863,  at  Gettysburg;  Sergeant  Sylvester  Riley,  killed  May  5, 
18G4,  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness.  Sergeant  John  King,  wounded  severely  May 
18,  near  Spottsylvania  Court-house;  John  D.  Conlon,  wounded  May  5,  18G4,  near 
Spottsylvania  Court-house;  Joseph  Curtis,  wounded  February  G,  1862. 

Of  the  original  officers  only  three  returned  with  the  regiment,  viz.,  Colonel  J.  P. 
SpofTord,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Rouse  P.  Egleston,  and  Captain  Isaac  Hall. 

The  commissioned  officers  who  were  killed,  or  died  of  wounds  received  in  action, 
were:  Captain  Richard  Jones,  August  30,  1862 ;  First  Lieutenant  Dwight  S.  Faville, 
August  30,  1862;  Second  Lieutenant  Louis  Dallarini,  September"  17,  1862;  First  Lieu- 
tenant Rush  P.  Cady,  July  1,  1863  ;  Second  Lieutenant  James  H.  Stiles,  July  1,  1863 ; 
Second  Lieutenant  William  J.  Morrin,  July  1.  1863;  Fu'st  Lieutenant  Frank  T.  Bren- 
iian.  May  6,  18G-1  ;  Second  Lieutenant  William  (i.  Dresher,  May  6,  1864;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant John  Kocli,  June  3,  1863  ;  Second  Lieutenant  Henry  P.  Fitzpatnck,  August  4, 
1864;  Captain  WilHam  B.  Judd,  February  6,  1864.  Thiity-two  commissioned  officers 
and  836  enlisted  men  were  wounded.  The  total  number  of  commis.sioned  officers  ever 
belonging  to  the  regiment  was  ninety-four. 

Of  the  enlisted  men  in  the  regiment  there  were  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  203;  died 
of  disease,  122;  discharged,  690;  transferred,  534;  mustered  out — present — 322;  mus- 
tered out — absent — 205;  total,  2,081.  There  were  twenly-two  hundred  names  on  the 
muster  roll  of  the  regiment  during  its  service;  when  mustered  out  there  were  just  25 
officers  and  322  men  left.     Company  D  mustered  out  but  twenty-six  men. 

The  regiment  wasm  Duryea's  Brigade  and  Rickett's  Division  of  the  First  Corps  at 
the  battle  of  Antietam,  where  it  sufiered  more  severely  than  in  any  other  battle.  Here 
more  than  one-half  of  the  regiment  was  killed  and  woundod  in  less  than  an  hour  after 
the  engagement  commenced  ;  yet  it  is  said  men  never  displayed  more  coolness  and  de- 
termination. Not  a  man  was  captured,  and  when  relieved,  though  under  a  galling  fire, 
they  retired  in  good  order. 

At  Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg,  and  all  sulisequent  battles — more  than  twenty  in 
number — the  Ninety- seventh  sustained  the  reputation  it  had  gloriously  acquired  at 
liard-fought  Antietara.  At  Gettysburg  the  loss  of  the  regiment  was  great,  particularly 
in  officers — eleven  of  whom  (out  of  twenty-four)  were  killed  or  wounded.  The  regi- 
ment went  into  this  battle  with  only  236  rifles ;  and  after  being  engaged  several  hours 
and  losing  heavily  it  made  a  successful  charge  upon  the  Twentieth  North  Carolina 
regiment,  capturing  382  men  and  their  colors.  Colonel  Spoffbrd  (then  lieutenant- 
coloneH  led  this  charge,  and  in  it  nearly  one-half  of  his  hat  was  carried  away  by  apiece 
of  shell.  His  horse  was  shot  in  the  head,  and  Colonel  Spofford  subsequentlj  taken 
prisoner,  and  he  was  afterwards  nearly  a  year  and  a  half  in  Southern  prisons. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1864,  the  Eiglity-third  New  York  volunteers  (Ninth  militia) 
were  consolidated  with  the  Ninety-seventh.     Prior  to  this  consolidation  the  Twenty- 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  101 

sixth  New  York  had  been  joined  to  tlie  Eighty-third,   and  the  Ninety-seventh   there- 
fore received  the  remnants  of  two  regiments  when  the  consohdation  took  place. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Tzuenty -first  Regiment. — This  was  the  next 
organization  which  contained  a  large  proportion  of  Herkimtr  county 
men,  most  of  the  remainder  being  from  Otsego  county,  and  was  raised 
in  response  to  the  president's  call  for  300,000  volunteers  in  August, 
1862.  The  camp  of  the  regiment  was  situated  on  the  grounds  of  H.  J, 
Schuyler,  in  the  town  of  German  Flats,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from 
Herkimer,  and  was  called  Camp  Schuyler.  A  list  of  the  Herkimer 
county  men  in  the  regiment  was  published  in  the  Herkimer  Democrat 
of  August  27,  1862,  and  shows  that  coinpanies  A,  B,  C,  D,  and  H 
were  almost  wholly  from  this  county,  the  figures  being  respectively  in 
the  order  named,  98,  102,  10 1,  102,  and  66.  These  companies  were 
officered  as  follows  : 

Company  A. — Captain,  H.  M.  Galpin,  Little  Falls;  hrst  lieutenant,  J.  Biirrill,  Salis- 
bury; second  lieutenant,  George  W.  Davis,  Little  Falls;  sergeants — Joseph  H.  Heath, 
Little  Falls;  Lester  Baum,  Danube;  David  T.  King,  Salisbury;  George  Hewittson, 
Danube  ;  and  Frank  Burt,  Little  Falls;  corporals — George  H.  Snell,  Little  Falls;  John 
Wormouth,  Danube  ;  Albert  H.  Clark,  Little  Falls;  Henry  Timmerman,  Little  Falls; 
Isaac  Darling,  Salisbury;  Hallet  Mattison,  Salisbury;  James  Hendrix,  Danube;  and 
Peter  Fletcher,  Little  Falls;  musician,  Murton  Timmerman,  Little  Falls. 

Company  B. — Captain,  Irving  Holcomb,  Litchfield  ;  first  lieutenant,  H.  C.  Keith, 
German  Flats ;  second  lieutenant,  George  A.May,  German  Flats;  sergeants — ^Levi  S. 
Jones,  Winfield;  Dennis  A.  Dewey,  Plainfield;  Samuel  Miller,  Litchfield;  Gilbert  T. 
Broadway,  German  Flats ;  Reuben  C.  Holmes,  Little  Falls;  corporals— F.  McCarron, 
Litchfield ;  A.  C.  Potter,  Winfield ;  G.  W.  Warren,  Litchfield ;  William  H.  Widrick, 
German  Flats;  Joseph  B.  Rounds,  Winfield  ;  Dewitt  Beckwith,  Geiman  Flats;  Asahel 
Davis,  Winfield  ;  William  Thornton,  Columbia ;  musicians,  J.  M.  Underwood,  Litch- 
field ;  Resell  Jackson,  Columbia. 

Company  C. —  Captain,  Clinton  A.  Moon,  Herkimer;  first  lieutenant,  Thomas  S. 
Arnold,  Herkimer;  second  lieutenant,  Angus  Cameron,  Fairfield;  sergeants — E.  P. 
Joiinson,  Russia;  D.  W.  Greene,  A.  Clark  Rice  and  F.  B.  Ford,  Fairfield  ;  G.  W.  Col- 
lins, Russia;  corporals — W.  Ward  Rice,  Fairfield;  Joshua  W.  Storr,  Russia;  Calvin 
G.  Carpenter,  Fairfield;  Crosby  J.  Graves,  I.  N.  Bassett  and  Julius  A.  Jones,  Russia; 
Wilbur  F.  Lamberson  and  Leander  Swartout,  Fairfield. 

Company  D.  — Captain,  John  D.  Fish,  Frankfort ;  first  lieutenant.  Deles  M.  Kenyon, 
Frankfort;  second  lieutenant,  Charles  E.  Staring,  Schuyler;  sergeants— James  W. 
Bascom,  Willard  H.  Howard,  James  Johnson,  MellviUe  D.  Merry,  Frankfort;  Roselle 
Warren,  Warren;  corporals — Darius  Brown,  James  H.  Smith,  Frankfort;  Nathan  B. 
Faville,  Manheim;  Nathaniel  Warren,  Amos  Lepper,  Frankfort;  Aaron  D.  Miller, 
Schuyler  ;  Francis  N.  Piper,  Ralph  T.  Pierson,  Frankfort. 


102  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Company  H.— Captain,  John  Ramsay,  Little  Falls;  first  lieutenant,  Double- 
day,  Otsego  county  ;  second  lieutenant.  M.  R.  Casler,  Little  Falls;  sergeants — W.  D. 
Turner,  Little  Falls;  S.  Wolverton,  Thomas  M.  Kenna,  Little  Falls;  R.  C.  Firman, 
Otsego  county  ;  Levi  Sherry,  Little  Falls;  corporals,  M.  I.  Gage,  Little  Falls;  James 
Reddy,  Little  Falls;  J.  A.  Burgess,  Otsego  county  ;  William  H.  Hayes,  Little  Falls;  H. 
C.  Winslow,  Little  Falls. 

The  regimental  officers  were  as  follows:  Colonel,  Richaid  Franchot  ;  litutenant-col- 
onel,  C.  H.  Clark;  Major,  Egbert  Olcott;  adjutant,  Alonzo  Ferguson;  surgeon,  D.  W. 
Bassett;  assistant  surgeons,  S.  B  Valentine,  D.  M.Holt;  quartermaster,  Albert  Story  ; 
chaplain,  J.  R.  Sage. 

This  regiment  left  its  camp  on  the  31st  of  August,  marciied  to  the 
Herkimer  station,  where  a  large  crowd  witnessed  the  aflecting  depait- 
ure.  After  a  short  stay  in  camp  at  Wasliington,  the  regiment  went  on 
picl<et  duty  beyond  Georgetown,  Sickness  and  death  became  prevalent 
in  the  various  companies  and  by  October  26,  1862,  more  than  one 
hundred  were  sick  and  six  had  died,  one  of  them  a  commissioned 
officer.  After  various  minor  movements,  the  regiment  participated 
honorably  in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  though  its  loss  was  small — 
four  killed  and  twelve  wounded.  The  winter  was  spent  in  camp,  and 
the  regiment  suffered  much  from  desertions.  At  the  second  battle 
of  Fredericksburg,  on  the  3d  of  May,  1S63,  the  organization  lost  forty- 
one  killed,  and  235  wounded  and  missing.  In  the  three  days  of 
fighting  at  Gettysburg  the  regiment  participated,  but  its  duty  was  such 
that  it  did  not  suffer  material  loss.  November  7,  1863,  the  regiment 
participated  in  the  engagement  at  Rappahannock  Station,  where  it  won 
brilliant  laurels,  aiding  in  capturing  many  prisoners  and  battle  flags, 
and  receiving  honorable  mention  from  General  Meade.  The  loss  was 
four  killed  and  twenty-one  wounded. 

During  the  winter  of  1863-4  the  regiment  was  in  camp  at  Brandy 
Station.  In  the  spring  campaign  of  1864  the  One  Hundred  Twenty- 
First  performed  the  most  arduous  service.  A  member  writing  home 
said  :  "  We  have  been  fighting  like  fury  for  fourteen  days,  watching 
nights  and  fighting  daytitnes,  and  are  now  nearly  worn  out,  as  you 
may  well  imagine.  We  have  captured  many  prisoners  and  stands 
of  colors  and  many  pieces  of  artillery.  Out  of  fifteen  officers  only 
four  are  left.  We  have  144  men  fit  for  duty.  We  started  out  with 
four  hundred  men  and  twenty  officers.      Six  officers  were  killed,  nine 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  103 

wounded  and  one  missing.  Twenty-five  enlisted  men  were  killed,  144 
wounded,  and  sixty-six  missing."     This  letter  was  dated  May  20. 

In  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor  the  regiment  did  its  share  of  fighting 
and  had  a  number  of  men  wounded.  The  other  engagements. in  which 
it  shared  were  Opequan,  Fisher's  Hill,  and  Peteisburg,  and  finally  Cedar 
Creek.  In  the  last  battle  it  lost  nine  killed  and  forty  wounded.  The 
regiment  was  mustered  out  on  June  25,  1865,  and  on  the  succeeding 
4tli  of  July  was  given  a  hearty  reception  at  Little  Falls,  when 
twelve  thousand  people  were  present.  Of  1,076  men  who  left  Herki- 
mer in  the  One  Hundred  Twenty- First,  only  445  returned.  The  loss 
in   the  field  was  250  and  in  wounded  between  600  and  700. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Second  Regiment. — This  regiment  was 
formed  in  Herkimer  and  Otsego  counties,  about  360  men  being  drawn 
from  Herkimer  besides  the  following  company  officers  : 

Company  A. — Captain,  Timothy  O'Brien,  Mohawk  ;  first  lieutenant,  Peleg  G.  Thomas ; 
second  lieutenant,  John  M.  Smith,  Mohawk  ;  fir.st  sergeant,  Frederick  A.  Gray,  Herki- 
mer; sergeant.s — Alonzo  C.  Holmes,  Litte  Falls  ;  Thomas  MeGlone,  Manheim  ;  Welford 
E.  Casler,  Little  Falls ;  and  Simon  Lepper,  Herkimer  ;  corporals — William  H.  Cornell, 
Little  Falls;  Charles  H.  Dygert  and  Moses  C.  Holden,  Herkimer;  James  P.  Burns, 
Manheim;  Thomas  Ellis,  Little  Falls;  Frederick  Harter,  Herkimer ;  Moses  C.  Roof, 
Little  Falls  ;  and  William  W.  Wilson,  Herkimer;  musicians,  Jeremiah  Carroll,  jr..  Lit- 
tle Falls,  and  John  Smart,  Herkimer;   wagoner,  William  P.  Casler,  Little  Falls. 

Company  B. — Captain,  William  S.  Burt;  first  lieutenant,  Silas  T.  Bebee,  and  second 
lieutenant,  H.  Dwight  Smith,  Mohawk;  first  sergeant,  Henry  A.  Hydorn,  Little  Falls- 
sergeants — John  Mcintosh,  Wilmurt ;  Dennis  T.  Hurtly,  Warren;  Albert  Hall  and 
Truman  F.  Phelps,  Ohio ;  corporals— Francis  Bennett,  Ohio;  D.  Mcintosh,  Russia- 
William  B.  CoflBn,  Ohio  ;  Herman  Delong,  Stark;  John  Paul,  Wilmurt;  Hurlburt 
Norton,  Newport ;  musicians,  Granville  Palmer,  Newport,  and  Paul  Crego,  Norway  ; 
wagoner,  George  Bennett,  Ohio. 

Company  C. — Captain,  James  E.  Curtiss;  first  lieutenant,  Francis  E.  Leonard,  and 
second  lieutenant,  Lansing  Swift,  Mohawk;  sergeants — John  Thrall  and  Daniel  Steele, 
Mohawk;  corporals  —  John  Freeman,  Hiatt  Coe,  Elijah  Colbnrn,  Jonathan  Joyce, 
George  W.  Manchester  and  Edward  F.  Passen,  Mohawk;  musician,  Frank  Doxtater 
Mohawk;  wagoner,  Peter  Doxtater,  Mohawk. 

Company  D. — Captain,  William  R.  Wall,  first  lieutenant,  Elias  Young,  and  second 
lieutenant,  John  Land  jr.,  Mohawk. 

Company  E. — Captain,  Simeon  L.  Coe,  first  lieutenant,  Washington  W.  Hul.ser,  and 
second  lieutenant,  Delancy  Stafford,  Mohawk;  sergeants — Horatio  Nichols,  Litchfield - 
William  Porter,  Winfield  ;  Daniel  Van  Allen,  Danube,  and  James  McGowan,  Litchfield  ; 
corporals — William  Luckey,  jr.,  Bridgewater ;    Jacob  Nell,  Litchfield;   William  Z.  Ball 


104  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Alonzo  P.  Miller  and  Isaac  McLoughlin,  Winfield  ;  James  Barnes,  Litchfield;  John  A. 
Carrier,  Winfield,  an<l  Charles  Brown,  Schuyler ;  musicians,  Tliomas  Fox,  Danube,  and 
William  S.  Babcock,  Litchfield  ;  Wagoner,  Peter  W.  Tallman,  Schuyler. 

Company  F. — Captain,  Daniel  A.  West,  Mohawk  :  first  lieutenant,  David  Hill,  Mo- 
hawk;  second  lieutenant,  James  B.  Eysaman,  Mohawk;  first  sergeant,  John  W.  Quim- 
by,  Fairfield  ;  second,  O.  M.  Cronkhite,  Little  Falls;  third,  Seymour  A.  Smith,  Fair- 
field; fourth,  William  II.  Lewis,  Little  Falls;  fifth,  Edward  C.  Townsend,  Fairfield; 
first  corporal,  Alfred  R.  Quaiffe,  Little  Falls;  second,  Matthew  McCann,  Fairfield; 
third,  Julius  L.  Townsend,  Newport;  fourth,  Delevan  Hewitt,  Manheim  ;  fifth,  Thomas 
R.  Petrie,  Fairfield;  sixth,  John  W.  Allen,  Manheim ;  musicians,  Lyman  Snell,  Man- 
heim, and  James  D.  Wiswell,  Little  Falls;  wagoner,  David  Flint,  Little  Falls. 

Company  K. — Captain,  Lambert  Hensler,  Mohawk  ;  first  lieutenant,  Lewis  A.  Camp- 
bell, Mohawk;  second  lieutenant,  Jacob  G.  Bellinger,  Mohawk;  first  sergeant,  Peter 
B.  Dykenian,  Little  Falls;  sergeants,  Englehart  Diefenbocker,  Adrian  Lee,  Sanford  A. 
Hager  and  David  Small.  Frankfort ;  first  corporal,  Andrew  Bridenbecker,  second,  Ed- 
ward Haver,  third,  Michael  Conlon,  fourth,  Lewis  H.  Gray,  and  fifth,  Winfield  S.  Forel- 
man,  Frankfort ;  sixth,  Cornelius  W.  Hardendorf,  Cherry  Valley ;  seventh,  William 
J.  Gray,  Warren;  eighth,  Seth  B.  Holdridge,  Schuyler;  musicians,  Eugene  Casey, 
German  Flats,  and  Garrett  Vischer,  Frankfort;  wagoner,  George  Sterling,  Frankfort. 

Company  G. — Captain,  Edmund  C.  Gilbert,  Mohawk;  first  lieutenant,  Josiah  Hinds, 
Mohawk. 

Company  H. — Captain,  Uriah  B.  Kendall;  first  lieutenant,  William  R.  Patrick;  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  William  L.  Hopkins,  all  of  Mohawk. 

Company  I. — Captain,  Alonzo  A.  Bingham;  first  lieutenant,  Charles  Hamilton;  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  Edward  W.  Butler,  all  of  Mohawk. 

Following  are  the  field  and  staff  ofiicers :  Colonel,  Leonard  Boyer ;  lieutenant 
colonel.  Alonzo  Ferguson;  major,  George  R  Spalding;  adjutant,  Cleveland  J.  Camp- 
bell ;  quartermaster,  George  W.  Ernst,  jr. ;  surgeon,  Silas  A.  Ingham  ;  assistant  sur- 
geons, Eli  Small,  Harmon  M.  Blood. 

The  One  Hundred  Fifty- second  Regiment  was  formed  in  the  fall  of 
1862,  and  reached  Washington  on  the  23d  of  October,  where  it  re- 
mained in  Camp  Marcy  until  February,  1863,  when  it  was  stationed  in 
the  city  for  guard  and  provost  duty.  After  three  weeks  at  Suffolk,  in 
Eastern  Virginia,  the  regiment  again  returned  to  Washington, and  on  the 
14th  of  July  was  ordered  to  New  York.  This  movement  was  occasioned 
b}'  the  fear  of  riots  caused  by  the  draft.  After  about  a  month  in  New 
York  the  regiment  proceeded  to  Schenectady,  for  guard  duty  during  the 
draft;  their  services  were  not  needed.  Returning  to  New  York  the 
regiment  remained  there  until  the  middle  of  October,  1863,  when  it  re- 
joined the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  was  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade, 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  105 

Second  Division,  Second  Corps,  reporting  at  headquarters  near  Center- 
villa.  After  sharing  in  Meade's  eight  days'  campaign  across  the  Rapi- 
dan,  the  regiment  went  into  winter  quarters  near  Brandy  Station. 

In  the  terrible  battles  of  the  Wilderness  in  the  spring  of  1864,  the 
One  Hundred  Fitty- Second  performed  an  honorable  part  and  suffered 
severely.      A  letter  written  on  May  13  thus  speaks  of  that  battle: 

I  am  still  sound  after  eight  days'  hard  fighting.  We  have  lost  heavily.  Our  gallant 
old  leader,  General  John  Sedgwick,  of  the  "  bloody  Sixth  Corps,"  is  killed,  and  our  noble 
Colonel  Olcott  is  also  no  more.  Major  Galpin  is  wounded  in  the  eye,  and  is  at  Freder- 
icksburg hospital.  We  went  into  the  fight  with  446  men  and  fifteen  officers,  and  came 
out  to-day  with  four  olEcers  and  not  a  hundred  men.  I  have  just  taken  the  "  census," 
and  find  we  have  just  ninety-four  men  to-day,  May  13.  Out  of  fifty-six  men  in  Com- 
pany A  there  are  just  seven  left.  When  we  charged  we  took  3,000  prisoners,  and  the 
next  day  the  Second  Corps  took  Johnson's  whole  division,  9,000  strong,  seventeen 
pieces  of  artillery,  and  some  twenty  stands  of  colors.  The  report  has  just  come  in  that 
the  rebels  have  left  the  front.  The  loss  to  our  army  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing 
must  be  at  the  least  calculation  from  18,000  to  25,000.  This  has  been  the  greatest  bat- 
tle ever  fought  on  this  continent.     Captain  Fish  is  killed. 

It  was  in  the  Wilderness  battle  that  the  famous  charge  was  made  in 
which  this  regiment  participated,  and  which  has  gone  upon  the  records 
of  history.  It  was  just  before  daybreak,  and  in  its  front  were  three 
lines  of  rifle  pits,  and  in  the  rear  of  them  two  formidable  lines  of  log 
ramparts  ;  these  were  about  five  feet  thick  at  the  base  and  six  feet  high, 
each  at  the  rear  commanding  the  one  in  front.  As  soon  as  it  was  light 
enough  to  see,  the  signal  was  given  and  the  entire  corps  pressed  forward. 
As  the  attacking  force  dashed  over  the  first  and  second  lines  of  rifle 
pits  and  captured  the  swarms  of  soldiers  in  them,  a  wild  yell  burst  forth 
from  the  Union  lines,  which  was  responded  to  by  a  withering  fire  of 
cannon  and  musketry.  Still  undaunted  they  pushed  on,  Sergeant  Hul- 
burt  Norton  a  little  in  advance  with  the  colors.  His  right  hand  was 
shot  away  at  the  staff,  but  he  quickly  raised  the  colors  with  his  left 
hand  and  pushed  on.  The  next  instant  a  bullet  pierced  his  brain. 
The  color  guard  being  now  wholly  wiped  out  and  the  staff  of  the  State 
flag  cut  in  two,  the  men  hesitated  at  the  third  line.  Captain  David 
Hill  caught  up  the  flag  and  with  a  shout  jumped  into  a  section  of  the 
pit  in  front  and  alone  sent  thirty  bewildered  rebels  to  the  rear.  Another 
moment  and  we  were  pouring  over  the  works,  the  colors  still  carried  by 
Captain  Hill,  but  he  was  soon   forced   to  drop   them,  as   he  received  a 

14 


lOG  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

painful  wound.  The  State  flag  was  then  caught  up  by  Sergeant  Fitch 
and  turned  over  to  another  who  carried  it  through  the  remainder  of  tlie 
engagement.  The  works  were  carried  and  about  6,000  prisoners  cap- 
tured, with  forty-two  guns,  and  many  horses,  etc.  The  One  Hundred 
Fifty-Second  alone  took  three  stands  of  colors,  and  covered  itself  with 
glory.  Nor  did  it  suffer  its  well  earned  honors  to  decline  during  the 
remainder  of  its  term.  In  the  battles  of  North  Anna,  Cold  Harbor, 
Petersburg,  Strawberry  Plains,  Reams  Station  and  on  the  Boydton 
Road,  it  bore  an  honorable  part,  and  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of 
the  war  July  13,  1865. 

Other  organizations  in  which  Herkimer  county  soldiers  served  were, 
first,  the  Fourteenth  Regiment  of  infantry,  commonly  known  as  the 
First  Oneida  Regiment,  which  was  organized  at  Utica  in  April,  1861, 
with  James  McQuade  as  colonel.  It  was  mustered  into  the  service  at 
Albany  on  the  17th  of  May  and  left  for  Washington  on  the  14th  of 
June,  where  it  arrived  and  went  into  camp  on  Meridian  Hill.  The  regi- 
ment bore  an  honorable  part  in  a  minor  engagement  at  Ball's  Cross 
Roads  on  the  14th  of  September;  was  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  the 
battle  of  Hanover  Court  House,  at  Gaines  Mill  (June  27,  1862),  at  Mal- 
vern Hill  July  I,  losing  9  killed,  79  wounded,  and  29  missing;  entered 
the  Seven  Days  fight  with  500  men  and  lost  34  killed,  177  wounded 
and  15  missing;  took  part  in  the  succeeding  Maryland  campaign,  and 
left  the  field  at  Falmoth  November  12,  1863.  It  was  mustered  out  at 
Utica  on  the  20th  of  that  month. 

Second,  the  Twenty-sixth  Regiment  of  infantry,  commonly  known  as 
the  Third  Oneida,  which  was  mustered  in  at  Elmira  May  21,  1861,  for 
three  months;  but  most  of  its  number  re-enlisted  at  the  expiration  of 
the  term,  under  special  order.  The  regiment  participated  in  the  battle 
of  Cedar  Mountain,  in  the  four  days'  skirmishing  at  Rappahannock  Sta- 
tion; in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  where  Captains  Casselmen  and 
G.  S.  Jennings  were  killed;  at  Chantilly  September  1,  1861  ;  at  South 
Mountain,  and  at  Antietam.  It  went  into  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg 
with  about  300  officers  and  men,  and  suffered  severely,  losing  some  15 
officers  killed  and  wounded,  with  a  total  loss  of  30  killed,  and  120 
wounded.  It  also  participated  in  the  action  at  Chancellorsville.  The 
organization  was  mustered  out  May,  1863. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  107 

Battery  A  of  the  First  Light  Artillery  was  raised  in  Herkimer  county, 
and  was  accepted  for  the  service  October  9,  1861.  It  went  into  camp 
for  artillery  instruction  at  Camp  Barry,  Washington.  On  the  22d  of 
March,  1862,  the  battery  was  attached  to  General  Casey's  Division, 
Fourth  Corps,  which  embarked  at  Alexandria  April  i,  1862,  and  landed 
at  Newport  News.  The  battery  was  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown, 
and  on  the  31st  of  May  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  in  which 
it  had  100  horses  killed  and  the  entire  battery  was  captured  by  the 
enemy.  The  company  was  greatly  reduced,  and  in  June,  1862,  Captain 
Bates  was  authorized  to  recruit  a  new  company  under  the  old  organiza- 
tion, while  the  remaining  members  of  the  old  company  were  attached 
to  Battery  H,  Fifth  New  York  Artillery,  and  to  the  Seventh  and  Eighth 
New  York  batteries.  The  new  battery  was  stationed  at  Camp  Barry 
until  July,  1863,  after  which  until  it  was  mustered  out  it  was  employed 
in  Pennsylvania  and  on  the  border  to  prevent  raids  into  that  State. 

Company  K  of  the  Second  New  York  Artillery  was  chiefly  raised  in 
Herkimer  county,  mostly  in  and  near  Frankfort.  Pliny  L.  Joslin,  of 
Frankfort,  was  the  first  captain ;  Charles  Howell,  first  lieutenant,  and 
Joseph  C.  Tillinghast,  second  lieutenant;  James  Hares,  first  sergeant; 
Theodore  S.  Crosby,  second  sergeant ;  Charles  Horton,  Eliakim  F. 
Howell,  Loren  True  and  James  H.  Parks,  sergeants ;  Peter  W.  Gloo, 
Vernam  W.  Harvey,  James  Dodge,  Harvey  Rogers,  Charles  Rathbun, 
Andrew  M.  Lee,  Francis  A.  Lewis,  and  Myron  K.  Ellsworth,  cor- 
porals; David  Smalts,  bugler  ;  Benjamin  J.  Ford,  and  Jacob  J.  Wright, 
blacksmiths  ;  John  S.  Lewis,  wagoner,  all  of  Frankfort.  While  forming 
this  battery  was  stationed  at  Staten  Island  and^  in  the  winter  of  1861 
went  to  Forth  Worth,  Va.,  where  it  remained  until  the  summer  of  1862. 
It  then  joined  General  Pope's  command  and  participated  in  the  second 
fight  at  Bull  Run.  After  that  it  remained  stationed  at  Fort  Corcoran, 
Va.,  until  May,  1864.  The  battery  participated  in  the  entire  campaign 
of  1864,  suffering  loss  at  Spottsylvania,  and  sharing  in  many  later  en- 
gagements Its  loss  at  Strawberry  Plain  was  very  severe  and  included 
seven  commissioned  officers  in  killed  and  wounded.  On  the  Weldon 
Road  and  at  Hatcher's  Run  the  regiment  was  honorably  engaged  and 
duringthe  winter  of  1864-5  was  in  camp  in  front  of  Petersburg.  During 
the  campaign  which  closed  the  war  the  regiment  saw   the   most  active 


108  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

service,  after  which  it  returned  to  Washington  and  in  the  fall  was  mus- 
tered out. 

The  Sixteenth  Artillery  was  raised  in  this  State  and  mustered  into 
the  service  between  September  28,  1863,  and  January  28,  1864.  Her- 
kimer county  contributed  over  one  hundred  men  to  its  ranks,  more 
than  one  half  of  whom  were  in  Company  F.  The  most  severe  work  of 
this  organization  was  in  the  trenches  in  front  of  Petersburg  after  Au- 
gust, 1864.  It  remained  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war  and 
was  mustered  out  August  21,  1865. 

In  Capt.  John  H.  Fralick's  company  (M)  of  the  Second  Regiment  of 
Rifles,  were  between  thirty  and  forty  Herkimer  county  men,  with  the 
following  officers: 

Captain,  John  H.  Fralick,  Little  Falls;  first  lieutenant,  Eli  Morse,  Little  Falls;  ser- 
geant, John  A.  Fralick,  Danube;  sergeant,  Thomas  Manion,  Manheim  ;  corporals,  Paul 
J.  Perry,  William  Hamilton,  Edward  A.  Tryon,  Patrick  Marion,  James  Costello  and 
Andrew  Bang,  Little  Falls  ;  musician,  William  Fleming,  Little  Falls ;  teamsters,  Jesse 
Cx.  Clute  and  William  A.  Wheeler,  Little  Falls;  farriers,  Phillip  Perry,  Danube,  and 
George  F.  Adams,  Little  Falls. 

The  regiment  was  organized  at  Buffalo  for  three  years'  service  and 
was  recruited  between  July,  1863,  and  February,  1864.  The  regiment 
left  Fort  Porter  in  March,  1864,  for  a  camp  near  Washington.  It  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Spottsylvania,  North  Anna,  Bethesda  Church, 
Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg,  Weldon  Road,  Hatcher's  Run,  and  shared  in 
the  pursuit  of  Lee  to  Appomattox.  At  Five  Forks  and  Jetersville  the 
regiment  was  engaged,  but  without  severe  loss.  After  the  surrender 
the  regiment  returned  to  Petersburg  and  pending  the  negotiations  be- 
tween Jolinston  and  Sherman  was  ordered  to  North  Carolina  to  rein- 
force Sherman.  With  Johnston's  surrender  the  regiment  returned  to 
Petersburg  and  from  there  to  Buckingham,  Va.,  where  it  performed 
provost  duty  until  August,  1865.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Buffalo  on 
the  loth  of  that  month.  The  regiment  left  home  with  1,500  men  and 
during  its  term  was  recruited  with  more  than  300.  It  returned  with 
between  700  and  800  men.  In  the  service  a  little  more  than  a  year, 
the  regiment  took  part  in  nineteen  engagements. 

The  Eighteenth  New  York  Cavalry,  mustered  into  the  service  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1864,  contained  about  twenty-five  men  from  Herkimer  county. 
Its  term  of  service  was  comparatively  short  and  hence  it  did  not  suffer 


The  civil  war  period.  io9 

very  heavy  losses.  The  Fourteenth  Cavalry  was  consolidated  with  this 
regiment  in  June,  1864,  and  the  force  as  thus  constituted  was  in  the 
service  until  May  31,  1865. 

In  this  very  brief  sketch  of  the  uprising  in  Herkimer  county  and  its 
generous  and  noble  support  of  the  government  in  the  great  Civil  War, 
we  have  not  space  for  mention  of  the  hundreds  of  heroic  deeds  done  by 
her  volunteers.  Tn  the  great  total  of  sacrifice  in  that  struggle  a  single 
death,  a  single  deed  of  heroism,  the  suffering  of  any  individual,  count 
for  but  little  ;  together  they  constitute  the  history  of  the  greatest  of 
modern  wars. 

The  records  show  that  this  county  was  in  the  fore  front  of  those  com- 
prising the  Empire  State  in  its  sacrifices  for  the  good  of  the  country. 

A  draft  was  anticipated  in  this  county  in  the  fall  of  1862,  but  the  offer 
of  liberal  bounties  and  the  energy  displayed  in  promoting  enlistments 
avoided  that  alternative.  Again  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1863,  it 
seemed  as  though  no  effort  could  raise  the  troops  called  for  by  the  pres- 
ident ;  and  although  the  country  was  electrified  by  the  splendid  victories 
of  the  Union  armies  at  Gettysburg,  Vicksburg  and  elsewhere,  it  finally 
became  apparent  that  a  draft  could  not  be  avoided.  The  Twentieth 
district  was  composed  of  Jefferson,  Lewis  and  Herkimer  counties  and 
the  draft  began  in  Jefferson  county  on  the  25th  of  August,  the  proceed- 
ings taking  place  in  VVatertown.  Drafting  Herkimer  county  men  began 
on  the  27th,  and  the  following  table  shows  the  enrollment  and  the  num- 
ber drawn  in  each  town  : 

Columbia Enrollment,  225         Drawn,     64 

Danube 

Fairfield 

Frankfort ' 

German  Flats ' 

Herkimer 

Litchfield ' 

Little  Falls 

Manheim ' 

Newport ' 

Norway ' 

Ohio 

Russia    ' 

Salisbury ' 

Schuyler ' 

Stark  

Warren 

Wilmurt ' 

WinBeld 


165 

46 

201 

56 

356 

103 

647 

190 

295 

85 

136 

36 

617 

17G 

213 

60 

206 

67 

81 

21 

65 

16 

231 

43 

196 

55 

174 

49 

174 

51 

188 

"    20 

19 

3 

163 

44 

110  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

In  the  fall  elections  the  State  went  Republican  and  the  county  also 
by  about  i,000  majority. 

A  new  enrollment  was  ordered  late  in  1863,  and  with  the  repeated 
calls  for  troops,  bounties  were  increased  and  recruiting  was  pushed  with 
energy.  Under  the  call  for  500,000  men  a  draft  was  ordered  for  March 
10,  leaving  thirty-five  days  after  the  call  in  which  to  fill  the  various 
quotas.  At  that  time  the  county  had  a  credit  of  363  enlistments.  On 
the  14th  of  March  another  call  for  200,000  men  was  issued  and  a  draft 
for  all  deficiencies  ordered  for  April  15,  1864.  The  draft  did  not  take 
place  until  June  8,  by  which  date  the  enlistments  had  progressed  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  deficiency  throughout  the  county  was  very  lis^ht. 
The  following  table  gives  the  details  of  this,  the  last  draft  made  in  the 
county : 

Quota  under  Two  Calls.    Credits.     Deficiency.     Excess. 

Columbia G5  69  4 

Danube 47  47 

Fairfield     54  55  . .               1 

Frankfort 100  100 

German  Flats 188  132  56 

Herkimer 90  92  2 

Litchfield 41  38  3 

Little  Falls 176  176 

Manheim 61  44  17 

Newport 60  53  7 

Norway 25  18  7 

Obio 24  16  8 

Russia 88  44  24 

Salisbury 59  48  11 

Schuyler .11  52  . .              1 

Stark 62  48  4 

Warren 58  57  1 

Wilmurt 6  6 

Winfield 46  53  . .              7 

Another  call  for  500,000  volunteers  was  made  July  18,  1864,  to  be 
followed  by  a  draft  September  5.  Russia  was  the  first  town  in  this 
county  to  fill  her  quota  under  this  call,  and  through  the  payment  of 
enormous  bounties  and  the  utmost  activity  and  perseverance  of  the  loyal 
people,  the  quota  was  filled.  In  spite  of  these  repeated  calls  and  the 
opposition  of  those  who  had  already  declared  the  war  unnecessary  and 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  Ill 

a  failure,  the  fall  elections  went  strongly  for  the  Union,  while  troops 
came  forward  with  alacrity  to  the  succeeding  calls  of  the  president,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1865  the  people  of  the  county  had  the  extreme  satis- 
faction of  joining  in  the  grand  demonstrations  that  were  made  all  over 
the  North  upon  the  surrender  of  the  Southern  armies. 

There  is  little  further  to  add  to  the  general  history  of  the  county  that 
is  not  given  in  detail  in  following  chapters  and  in  the  histories  of  the 
various  towns.  It  is  nearly  thirty  years  since  the  close  of  the  war  and 
almost  the  whole  of  that  period  has  witnessed  a  steady  growth  in  Herki- 
mer county,  in  population  and  general  prosperity.  This  is  particularly 
true  of  the  increase  of  manufactures,  which  are  fully  described  in  the 
histories  of  the  towns.  At  the  same  time  agricultural  interests,  depend- 
ing largely  upon  dairying  interests,  have  been  far  more  prosperous  than 
in  many  other  localities.  The  opening  of  the  West  Shore  Railroad  in 
1883,  though  holding  out  considerable  promise  of  benefit,  can  scarcely 
be  said  to  have  fulfilled  public  expectations;  but  the  same  statement 
applies  to  its  entire  line.  The  building  of  the  Adirondack  and  St  Law- 
rence road  and  the  one  extending  from  Little  Falls  to  Dolgeville,  both 
of  which  have  been  put  in  operation  in  1892,  cannot  fail  to  be  of  im- 
portance to  all  of  the  towns  north  of  the  river.  In  short,  it  may  be  said 
that  there  are  few  of  the  interior  counties  of  the  State,  especially  among 
those  that  do  not  depend  upon  the  progress  of  some  large  city,  that 
has  a  brighter  outlook  than  Herkimer. 

In  the  year  1800  the  population  of  Herkimer  county  was  16,332. 
The  increase  since  that  time  as  shown  by  the  census  reports  is  as  follows : 
1810,  24,742;  1820,  31,017;  1825,  33,040;  1830,  35,870;  1835, 
36,201;  1840,37,477;  1845,37,424;  1850;  38,244;  1855,  38,566; 
i860,  40,561;  1865,39,154;  1870,39,929;  1875,41,586;  1880,42,- 
66-]  ;   1890,   45,608. 

The  fluctuations  of  population  in  the  various  towns  of  the  county 
since  the  census  are  shown  in  the  following  table  : 

1855        1S60         1865        1870         T87S        1880        iSgo 

Columbia  1,831  1,893  1,732  1,637  1,589  1,616  1,380 

Danube 1,791  1,711  1,343  1,324  1,238  1,235  1,116 

Fairfield 1,493  1,712  1,649  1,653  1,567  1,656  1,553 

Frankfort 3,217  3,247  3,087  3,065  3,402  3,025  3,988 

German  Flats 3,855  3,940  5,074  5,718  7,371  6.746  7,255 

Herkimer .2,866  2,804  2,922  2,949  3,322  3,593  4,666 


112  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

1S55       i860       1865       1870       1875        1880       jSgo 

Litchfield l,r)82  1,520  1,397  1.384  1,248  1,218  1,055 

Little  Falls 4,930  5,989  5,588  5,612  5,846  6,913  7,512 

Manheim 1,672  1,868  1,831  2,000  2,173  2,421  3,809 

Newport    2,015  2,113  1.983  1,954  1,790  1,953  1,835 

Norway 1,059  1,105  1,080  1,117  1,0.54  1,045  818 

Ohio 1,087  1,135  928  1,009  980  901  832 

Russia 2,288  2,389  2,030  2,220  2,048  2.177  2,145 

Sahsbury 2,306  2,325  2,123  1,933  1,875  1,884  1,800 

Schuyler 1,690  1,715  1,.589  1,5.58  1,497  1,452  1,259 

.Stark 1.478  1,543  1.522  1,541  1,395  1,476  1,248 

Warren 1,741  1,812  1,611  1,.503  1,461  1,430  1,339 

Wilmurt 2,268  260  148  191  185  271  375 

Winfield 1,397  1,480  1,517  1,501  1,539  1,597  1,665 

State  Senators. — The  first  constitution  divided  the  State  into  four  senate  districts — 
"Southern,"  "  Middle,"  "  Eastern,"  and  "  Western."  Herkimer  county,  on  its  forma- 
tion, became  a  part  of  the  last  named,  but  was  changed  to  the  Eastern  in  1815.  An- 
drew Finck,  jr.,  of  Manheim,  went  from  the  Western  district  in  1784,  and  the  next 
three  years;  Michael  Myers,  of  Herkimer,  from  1796  to  1801,  inclusive;  John  Meyer, 
of  Herkimer,  in  1802;  Matthias  B.  Tallmadge,  of  Herkimer,  in  1803,  1804  and  1805; 
Nathan  Smith,  of  Fairfield,  from  1800  to  1814;  John  I.  Prendergast,  of  Winfield.  in 
1815.  The  gentleman  last  named  was  a  senator  from  the  Eastern  district  in  1816,  1817 
and  1818,  and  George  Rosecrantz,  of  German  Flats,  in  the  next  four  years.  The 
second  constitution  divided  the  State  into  eight  senate  district.*,  entitled  to  four  sen- 
ators apiece.  Herkimer  county  belonged  to  the  fifth  until  May  23,  1836,  when  it  was 
transferred  to  the  fourth.  Under  the  present  constitution  this  county,  with  Mont- 
gomery, Fulton  and  Hamilton,  at  first  formed  the  sixteenth  district.  In  1857  Herki- 
mer and  Otsego  were  made  the  twentieth,  to  which,  in  1879,  Madison  was  added  ; 
and  in  1892  changed  to  Herkimer,  Saratoga,  Schenectady  and  Montgomery.  The  repre- 
sentatives of  the  district  from  Herkimer  county  under  the  second  and  third 
constitutions  have  been  as  follows:  Sherman  Wooster,  of  Newport,  1823-27  ;  Nathaniel 
S.  Benton.  1828-31;  Edmund  Varney,  of  Russia,  1842-45;  Thomas  Burch,  Little 
Fall-s  1848,  1849;  George  H.  Fox.  Mohawk,  1850,  1851;  Frederick  P.  Bellinger, 
Herkimer.  1856,  18.57;  Addison  H.  Laflin,  Herkimer,  1858,  1859;  George  A.  Hardin, 
Little  Falls,  1862,  1863;  John  B.  Van  Petten,  Fairfield,  1868,  1SG9  ;  Archibald  C. 
McGowan,  Frankfort.  1872-75;  David  P.  Looniis,  1876,  1877;  Samuel  S.  Edick, 
1878,  1879.  Albert  M.  Mills  received  majority  of  votes  in  1879;  Titus  Sheard, 
received  majority  of  votes  in  1889. 

Members  of  Congress. — Herkimer  county,  when  formed,  became  part  of  a  congres- 
sional district  containing,  besides,  Montgomery,  Otsego,  Tioga,  Ontario,  and  part 
of  Albany.  In  1792  the  part  of  Albany  was  taken  ofl"  and  Onondaga  was  added  upon 
its  formation.  In  1797  Herkimer  was  put  into  the  ninth  district,  with  Montgomery, 
Oneida  and  Chenango.  In  1802  it  vras  joined  with  Oneida  and  St.  Lawrence  to  form 
the  fifteenth,  to  which,  in  1804.  Jefferson  and  Lewis  were  added.  Oneida  was  taken 
off  in  1808,  and  in  1812  the  seventeenth  district  was  formed   from  Herkimer  and 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  113 

Madison.  Ten  years  later,  Herkimer  alone  became  the  fifteenth  district.  In  1832 
Herkimer  and  Lewis  became  the  sixteenth,  and  in  1842  Herkimer  and  Montgomery 
were  made  the  seventeenth.  In  1851  St.  Lawrence  took  the  place  of  Montgomery  in 
this  district.  In  J8G2  Herkimer  county,  Jefferson  and  Lewis  were  constituted  the 
twentieth  district.  In  1873  the  same  district  was  numbered  the  twenty-second,  in 
1883  changed  to  Herkimer,  Otsego  and  Schoharie  ;  and  in  1892  changed  to  Herkimer 
and  Oneida,  and  now  called  the  twenty-fifth.  The  members  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives from  Herkimer  county  in  the  several  Congresses  have  been  as  follows: 

Vlllth  Congress  (1803-5),  Gaylord  Griswold,  Herkimer;  Xlth  (1809-11),  John 
Nicholson,  Herkimer;  XlVth  (1815-17),  Westel  Willoughby,  jr.,  Newport;  XVth 
and  XVIth  (1817-21),  Aaron  Hackley,  jr.,  Herkimer;  XVIIIth  (1823-25),  John  Her- 
kimer ;  XlXth-XXIId  (1825-33),  Michael  Hoffman,  Herkimer ;  XXIIId  and  XXIVth 
(1833-37),  Abijah  Mann,  jr.,  Fairfield;  XXVth  (1837-39),  Arphaxed  Loomis,  Little 
Falls;  XXVIIIth  and  XXIXth  (1843-47),  Charles  S.  Benton,  Mohawk;  XXXth 
(1847-49),  George  Petrie.  Little  Falls;  XXXIst  (1848-51),  Henry  P.  Alexander, 
Little  Falls;  XXXIId  (1851-53),  Alexander  H.  Buel,  Fairfield;  XXXIVth- 
XXXVIth  (1855-61),  Francis  E.  Spinner,  Mohawk;  XXXIXth-XLIst  (1865-71), 
Addison  H.  Laflin,  Herkimer:  Warner  Miller,  of  Herkimer,  received  majority  of 
votes  in  1878,  1880. 

Comity  Clerks. — Jonas  Piatt,  February  17th,  1791  ;  Joab  Griswold,  March  19th 
1798;  Blihu  Griswold.  April  6th,  1804,  and  March  4th,  1811  ;  Peter  M.  Myers,  Februl 
ary  28th,  1810,  and  February  23d,  1813;  Aaron  Hackley,  jr.,  February  12th,  1812 
and  February  16th,  1815;  Walter  Fish,  April  16th,  1817;  John  Mahon,  February' 
13th,  1821;  Jabez  Fox,  1823;  Abijah  BecKwith,  1826;  Julius  C.  Nelson,  1832; 
John  Dygert,  1835;  Edwin  A.  Munson,  1841;  Standish  Barry,  1847;  Elkenah  T. 
Cleland,  1853 ;  Cornelius  T.  B.  Van  Home,  1856  ;  Zenas  Green,  1861 ;  Douglass  Ben- 
net,  1867;  Edward  Simm.s,  1878;  Palmer  M.  Wood,  1880;  Arthur  T.  Smith,  1886; 
Levi  C.  Smith,  1889  ;  Nelson  E.  Ransom,  1892. 

County  Treasurers. — Robert  Ethridge,  1848  and  1866 ;  Horatio  W.  Johnson,  1851  ' 
C.  C.  Witherstine,  1854;  Allen  W.Eaton,  1857;  Floyd  0.  Shepard,  1863  ;  Alphonzo 
D.Marshall,  1872;  Albert  Story,  1878;  Caleb  P.  Miller,  1885;  Sylvanus  J.  Waters, 
jr.,  1888  ;  Thomas  Bailey,  1891. 

Assemhlym'en. — The  members  of  the  Assembly  from  the  territory  of  Herkimer  county 
while  it  was  part  of  Tryon  were  Michael  Edic  and  Abraham  Van  Home,  elected  in 
1777  and  1778;  George  Henry  Bell  and  Abraham  Van  Home,  elected  in  1776-79; 
William  Retry  elected  in  1781,  and  1782;  and  Andrew  Frinck,  elected  in  1782. 
From  Montgomery  county  Van  Home  was  a  member  in  1786  ;  Henry  Staring 
was  elected  in  1788,  and  Michael  Myers  in  1789-91.  Since  its  organization  Her- 
kimer county  has  been  represented  as  follows:  In  1792,  1793,  Michael  Myers;  1794, 
1795,  Jedediah  Sanger;  1796,  Jonas  Piatt;  1797,  Isaac  Brayton,  Arthur  Breese, 
Matthew  Brown,  jr.,  Lodowick  Campbell,  Gaylord  Griswold,  Joshua  Leeland,  Henry 
McNeil;  1798,  Benjamin  Bowen,  Matthew  Brown,  jr.,  Lodowick  Campbell,  Isaac 
Foot,  Gaylord  Griswold,  Henry  McNeil,  Nathan  Smith;  1799,  Lodowick  Campbell, 
John  Cummins,  jr.,  Phineas  Gates;  1800,  Thomas  Manly,  John  Mills,  John  Meyer; 
15 


114  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

1801,  Nathan  Smith,  Evans  Wharry,  George  Widrig;  1802,  Nathan  Smith,  Samuel 
Merry,  jr.,  George  Widrig;  1803,  Stephen  Miller,  George  Widrig,  Samuel  Wright. 
1804  and  1805,  Evans  Wharry,  George  Widrig,  Samuel  Wright;  180C,  Eldad  Corbet' 
George  Widrig,  Samuel  Wright;  1807,  John  Kennedy,  George  Widrig,  Samuel 
Wright;  1808  and  1809,  Aaron  Budlong,  John  M.  Petrie,  Westel  Willoughby,  jr. ; 
1810,  Christopher  P.  Bellinger,  Rudolph  Devendorff,  Thomas  Manly;  1811,  Christo- 
pher P.  Bellinger,  Robert  Burch,  Hosea  Nelson;  1812,  Robert  Burch.  Rudolph  I. 
Shoemaker,  Samuel  Woodworth;  1813,  John  Graves,  Hosea  Nelson,  Rudolph  I. 
Shoemaker;  1814,  Christopher  P.  Bellinger,  Jonas  Cleland,  Aaron  Eackley,  jr.; 
1815.  Jonas  Cleland,  Aaron  Hackley,  jr.,  John.  McCombs ;  181G,  William  D.  Ford, 
Henry  Hopkin.'!,  John  McCombs;  1817,  Abijah  Beckwith,  William  D.  Ford,  George 
Rosecrantz;  1818,  Nichol  Fosdick,  Aaron  Hackley,  jr.,  George  Rosecrantz;  1819,  Jonas 
Cleland,  Nichol  Fosdick,  Henry  Gros;  1820,  Phdo  M.  Hackley,  Jacob  Markell,  James 
Orton ;  1821,  Simeon  Ford,  Thomas  Manly,  Daniel  Van  Home;  1822,  Stephen 
Todd,  Simeon  Ford,  Robert  Shoemaker;  1823,  Abijah  Beckwith,  John  Dygert, 
Henry  Tillinghast;  1824,  Christopher  P.  Bellinger,  Caleb  Budlong,  John  Graves;  1825, 
Samael  Dexter,  jr.,  Warner  Folts,  Jacob  Wire;  182G,  Jonas  Cleland,  Nicholas  Schuyler, 
Edmund  Varney  ;  1S27,  Frederick  P.  Bellinger,  Daniel  C.  Henderson,  Richard  Smith, 
2d;  1828,  David  R.  Currier,  Abijah  Mann,  jr.,  John  P.  Snell ;  1829,  John  B.  Dygert, 
Abijah  Mann,  jr.,  Cornelius  Sloughter ;  1830,  Frederick  P.  Bellinger,  Russell  Hopkins, 
Abijah  Mann,  jr.;  1831,  Atwater  Cooke,  jr.,  Olmstead  Hough,  Nicholas  Lawyer;  1832, 
William  C.  Grain,  Daniel  Dygert,  David  Thorp;  1833,  Dudley  Burwell,  Joseph  M. 
Prendergast,  Sherman  Wooster ;  1834,  Augustus  Beardslee,  Timothy  J.  Campbell, 
Charles  Dyer  ;  1835,  Charles  Gray,  Peter  P.  Murphy,  Henry  Tillinghast ;  1836,  Stephen 
Ayers,  Frederick  Bellinger,  Thomas  Hawks;  1837,  Henry  L.  Easton,  Aaron  Hackley; 
1838,  Abijah  Mann,  jr.,  Volney  Owen  ;  1839,  Benjamin  Carver,  Atwater  Cook,  jr.  ; 
1840.  Daniel  Bellinger,  George  Burch;  1841  and  1842,  Michael  Hoffman,  Arphaxed 
Loomis;  1843,  Walter  Booth,  John  T.  Hall ;  1844,  Michael  Hoffman,  Peter  H.  Warren  ; 
1845,  Alexander  H.  Buell,  William  C.  Grain;  1846,  William  C.  Grain,  Henry  Eysaman  ; 
1847,  Abijah  Beckwith,  Jefferson  Tillinghast.  (Herkimer  county  had  now  become  two' 
districts,  the  first  embracing  all  the  towns  wholly  or  partly  north  of  the  river,  except 
Schuyler.  The  members  from  the  first  district  will  be  mentioned  first.)  1848,  James 
Feeter,  Little  Falls ;  Lawrence  L.  Merry,  Mohawk ;  1849,  Frederick  P.  Bellinger, 
Herkimer;  Asa  Wilcox,  Newville;  1850,  Asa  Vickery,  Ohio;  Humphrey  G.  Root, 
Mohawk;  1851,  John  H.  Wooster,  Newport;  Daniel  Shall,  Starkville ;  1852,  John 
Hoover,  Clermont;  Charles  Delong.  Richfield  Springs;  1853,  Arphaxed  Loomis,  Little 
Falls;  John  W.  Beckwith,  Cedarville;  1854, Gardner  Hiiikley,  Wilmurt ;  Dean  Burgess, 
Winfield;  1855,  Edmund  G.  Chapin,  Little  Falls;  William  Bridenbecker,  Frankfort; 
1856,  Samuel  Greene,  Fairfield ;  Amos  H.  Prescott,  Mohawk ;  1857,  John  H.  Wooster, 
Newport;  Harris  Lewis,  Frankfort;  1858,  William  Coppernoll,  Ohio;  Harris  Lewis, 
Frankfort;  1859,  Solomon  Graves,  Gravesville  ;  Lester  Green,  Danube ;  1860,  Stephen 
R.  Millington,  Norway;  Irving  Holcomb,  Cedarville;  1861,  John  Markell,  Manheim 
Center;  Josiah  Shull.  Mohawk;  18G2,  Orson  Moore,  Russia;  George  Springer,  Stark- 
ville; 1863,  Grillin  Sweet,  Fairfield;  Archibald  C.  McGowan,  Frankfort;   1864,  John 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD.  llo 

H.  Wooster,  Newport;  Ezra  D.  Beckwith,  Cedarville;  1865,  Henry  Tillinghast,  Nor- 
way; E.  Bradley  Lee,  West  Winfield ;  1866,  Steplien  Turtelot,  Herkimer;  Archibald 
C.  MoGowan,  Frankfort;  18G7  (the  county  having  been  made  one  district  in  1866), 
Seth  M.  Richmond,  Little  Falls;  1868.  Eli.sha  W.  Stannard,  Springfiehi  Center;  1869. 
Erasmus  W.  Day,  West  Schuyler;  1870  and  1871,  Daniel  A.  Northrup,  Salisbury  Cen- 
ter ;  1872  and  1873,  Eleazer  C.  Rice,  Fairfield  ;  1874  and  1875,  Warner  Miller,  Herki'- 
mer;  1876  and  1877,  Myron  A.  McKee  ;  1878  and  1879,  Titus  Sheard ;  1880  and  1881. 
William  D.  Gorsline;  1882,  Albert  M.  Ross;  1883,  George  W.  Smith;  1885  and  1886, 
John  M.  Budlong;  1887  and  1888,  P.  H.  MoEvoy ;  1889,  Dewitt  J.  Mesiok;  1890, 
John  D.  Henderson;   1891  and  1892,  Henry  H.  Green. 

Herkimer  county  was  represented  in  the  State  convention  of  i8oi, 
which  fixed  the  number  of  senators  and  members  of  the  Assembly,  by 
George  Rosecrantz,  Matthias  P.  TaUmadge  and  Evans  Wharry.  The 
delegates  to  the  constitutional  convention  of  182 1  were  Sanders  Lansing, 
Richard  Van  Home  and  Sherman  Wooster.  Michael  Hoffman  and 
Arphaxed  Loomis  represented  the  county  in  the  constitutional  conven- 
tion of  1846. 

Lorenzo  Caryl,  of  Little  Falls,  was  appointed  State  assessor  January 
28,  1870.  X.  A  Willard,  of  Little  Falls,  was  canal  collector  at  that 
place  from  i860  to  1862.  Michael  Hoffman  was  appointed  canal  com- 
misioner  April  4,  1833,  and  William  L  Skinner,  of  Little  Falls,  was 
elected  to  the  same  office  November  8,  1859. 

Ezra  Graves,  of  Herkimer,  was  elected  inspector  of  State  prisons 
November  5,  1872. 

■  Nathan  Smith,  of  Fairfield,  was  elected  one  of  the  regents  of  the  uni- 
versity January  31,  1809. 

Presidental  electors  have  been  chosen  from  this  county  as  follows: 
In  1796,  Peter  Smith  ;  18 12,  George  Rosecrantz  ;  1816,  Nichol  Fosdick  ; 
1828,  Rufus  Grain;  1836,  Henry  Ellison  ;  184O,  Thomas  Burch  ;  1848, 
Asa  Chatfield;  1852,  William  C.  Grain  ;  i860,  Abijah  Beckwith;  1878, 
H.  H.  Morgan. 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
HISTORY    OF    CHEESE    DAIRYING    IN    HERKIMER    COUNTY.l 

BY  referring  to  the  map  of  Herkimer  county,  it  will  be  seen  that  at 
about  halfway  between  its  northern  and  southern  boundaries  a  part 
of  Hamilton  county  breaks  the  regularity  of  the  dividing  line,  advancing 
into  Herkimer,  forming  an  angle.  From  this  angle,  nearly  all  north  (about 
one-half  of  the  county)  is  a  wilderness,  covered  for  the  most  part  with  a 
dense  forest.  The  soil  here  is  light  and  poor,  the  climate  cold,  and 
when  the  land  becomes  divested  of  its  timber,  the  snow,  which  here 
falls  to  a  great  depth  and  remains  long  on  the  ground,  together  with 
the  early  and  late  frosts,  must  render  the  land  of  little  value  compara- 
tively for  agricultural  purposes.  This  part  of  the  county  is  the  great 
lumber  region,  where  parties  are  slowly  making  their  way  northward, 
felling  the  hemlock  for  its  bark,  and  the  spruce  and  cedar  for  flooring- 
plank,  timber,  boards  and  shingles.  It  is  the  southern  part  of  Herkimer 
county  with  which  we  have  to  do  ;  for  here  lie  her  dairy  lands,  dotted 
with  herds,  the  produce  of  which  has  rendered  the  county  noted 
throughout  the  continent  and  in  the  markets  of  Europe. 

The  Mohawk  River  divides  the  southern  portion  of  the  county,  and 
as  we  approach  that  stream  from  the  angle  made  by  Hamilton  county 
the  general  character  of  the  climate  and  soil  improves,  the  latter  increas- 
ing more  and  more  in  its  fertility. 

The  limited  space  allowed  for  this  chapter  will  not  permit  us  to  treat 
of  the  various  soils  in  the  several  towns,  and  we  can  only  speak  of  that 
which  is  supposed  to  be  a  characteristic  feature  in  rendering  the  lands 
of  the  county  superior  for  dairy  purposes. 

The  rock  which  underlies  a  large  share  of  the  lands  in  the  towns 
north  of  the  Mohawk  is  the  Utica  slate.  It  is  of  a  dark  color,  of  a  soft 
or  flaky  nature,  is  found  cropping  out  in  numerous  places,  and  when 
exposed  to  the  atmosphere  and  frosts  readily  falls  in  pieces  and  is 
mingled  with  the  soil.     This  rock  contains  considerable  organic  matter 

'  Knim  a  paper  written  by  the  late  X.  A.  Willard,  in  1878. 


HISTORY  OF  CHEESE  DAIRYING.  lit 

(according  to  Emmons,  more  than  ten  parts  in  one  hundred),  is  charged 
with  sulphur  and  contains  lime,  and  when  near  the  surface  forms  a  soil 
rich  in  fertilizing  elements,  and  not  easily  exhaustible  Instances  can 
be  pointed  out  where  fields  of  this  black  slate  land  have  been  plowed 
and  cultivated  tor  more  than  twenty  years  in  succession  without  the 
application  of  manures,  and  yielding  good  returns  each  year ;  and 
there  are  pastures  and  meadows  that  iiave  lain  in  grass  for  thirty  or 
forty  years,  and  which  are  still  yielding  abundant  crops. 

In  the  towns  south  of  the  Mohawk  River  the  Utica  slate  is  found 
only  to  a  limited  extent,  the  Frankfort  slate,  hmestone  and  Marcellus 
shales  being  the  characteristic  underlying  rocks. 

It  is  the  modifying  influence  which  these  rocks  are  supposed  to  exert 
on  the  grasses,  and  the  comparatively  large  surface  over  which  they  ex- 
tend, together  with  the  abundant  supply  of  never-  failing  streams  and 
springs  of  pure  water,  that  render  Herkimer  county  peculiarly  adapted 
to  grazing,  giving  a  richness  and  flavor  to  her  cheese  product  not  easily 
obtained  in  less  favored  locahties. 

The  fall  of  rain  and  snow  during  the  year  is  considerably  more  here 
than  in  many  other  parts  of  the  State,  and  this  is  supposed  to  act  favor- 
ably on  the  grasses  and  in  the  preservation  of  meadows.  The  grasses 
usually  grown  and  considered  most  productive  are  timothy,  June  or 
Kentucky  blue-grass,  red  top  and  orchard  grass,  with  the  clovers,  red 
and  white.  These  grow  on  the  same  sward  and  are  well  adapted  to  the 
soil  and  climate.  White  clover  and  June  grass  are  indigenous,  and 
are  deemed  of  great  value  for  pasturage.  Gypsum  has  for  a  long  time 
been  in  general  use  throughout  the  county.  It  is  sown  in  early  spring 
on  pastures  and  meadows,  and  adds  greatly  to  the  productiveness  of 
grasses  and  clovers.  No  other  mineral  or  foreign  fertilizer  is  in  general 
use. 

Stock. — Reliance  lias  been  placed  for  the  most  part  on  the  native  or 
common  cow  for  supplying  the  dairies  of  the  county.  At  first,  and  for 
many  years  after  dairying  had  become  established,  farmers  raised  their 
own  stock  by  selecting  calves  from  their  best  cows,  and  in  this  way  the 
milking  stock  was  greatly  improved.  The  early  settlers  along  the  Mo  • 
hawk  came  mostly  from  Germany  and  Holland,  and  they  brought  with 
them  and  reared  here  what  was  known  as  the  "  Dutch  cow."     She  was 


118  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

medium  in  size,  black  and  white,  often  red  and  white,  very  hardy,  a 
good  feeder  and  of  deep  millving  habit.  The  early  dairymen  got  their 
best  cows  from  this  breed,  specimens  of  which  are  now  rarely  seen, 
for  as  the  price  of  cheese  advanced,  the  practice  of  filling  up  the  herds 
with  stock  driven  from  otlier  counties,  often  from  remote  localities,  ob- 
tained ;  and  although  this  means  of  keeping  good  the  herd  was  more 
or  less  deprecated  by  farmers  as  unsatisfactory,  still  the  practice  grew 
and  became  pretty  general. 

About  the  year  1830  Christian  Sharer,  of  the  town  of  Little  Falls, 
introduced  the  pure-blooded  Short-Horn  Durhams,  and  subsequently 
Mr.  Wakeman,  of  Herkimer,  and  others  brought  into  the  county  the 
same  breed.  Mr.  Sharer,  we  believe,  made  a  voyage  to  England,  bring- 
ing back  with  him  some  of  this  breed.  This  st;ck  had  the  reputation 
of  being  good  milkers,  and  they  were  crossed  to  some  extent  through 
the  county  on  the  native  or  common  cow,  the  offspring  proving  to  be 
superior  milkers  Mr.  Sharer,  it  is  believed,  was  the  first  to  introduce 
thoroughbred  milk  stock  into  the  county.  He  owned  at  the  time  a  large 
and  excellent  dairy  farm  about  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  the  village 
of  Little  Falls,  where  he  kept  a  herd  of  forty  cows  or  more,  and  was 
considered  a  thrifty  and  prosperous  farmer. 

As  years  went  on  other  pure-blooded  animals  of  different  breeds  were 
introduced,  namely,  the  Devon,  the  Ayrshire,  and  more  recently  the 
Jersey  and  Dutch  or  Holstein  breeds.  Mr.  A.  L.  Fish,  of  Winfield, 
was  among  the  first  to  try  Ayrshires  ;  General  P.  F.  Bellinger,  of  Her- 
kimer, Jerseys  ;  and  Hon.  W.  I.  Skinner,  of  Little  Falls,  Ayrshires  and 
Holsteins. 

Within  the  last  ten  or  a  dozen  years  the  attention  of  farmers  has  been 
turned  to  the  improvement  of  dairy  stock,  and  many  dairymen  are  now 
crossing  the  thoroughbred  Ayrshire,  the  Jersey  or  the  Holstein  on  the 
common  cows  of  the  country  ;  and  the  result  has  been  quite  satisfactory 
in  obtaining  deep  milking  stock. 

Cheese-dairying — Herkimer  county  may  justly  claim  the  honor  of 
giving  birth  to  cheese-dairying  as  a  specialty  in  America.  It  was  from 
Herkimer  county  that  the  business  began  to  spread  to  the  adjoining 
counties,  and  from  thence  to  the  different  States  and  to  Canada.  In 
many  instances   Herkimer  county  dairymen,   removing  to  distant    lo- 


HISTORY  OF  CHEESE  DAIRYING.  119 

calities,  were  the  first  to  plant  the  business  in  their  new  homes  ;  while 
in  many  sections  cheese- dairying  was  commenced  by  drawing  upon 
Herlvimer  for  cheese  makers  to  manage  the  dairies.  Often,  too,  par- 
ties were  sent  into  the  county  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  cheese- making, 
and  returning  home  carried  the  art  into  new  districts.  Thus  for  many 
years  Herkimer  was  the  great  center  from  which  the  new  districts 
drew  the  necessary  information  and  skill  for  prosecuting  the  business  of 
cheese  dairying  with  profit  and  success. 

Cheese  was  made  in  small  quantities  in  the  county  as  early  as  1800. 
In  1785  a  number  of  persons  emigrating  from  New  England  settled  in 
the  town  of  Fairfield  ;  among  them  may  be  named  Cornelius  Chatfield, 
Benjamin  Bowen,  Nathan  Arnold,  John  Bucklin,  Daniel  Fenner,  Nathan 
Smith,  the  Eatons  and  Neelys,  Peter  and  Bela  Ward,  Nathaniel  and 
William  Brown  and  others.  Some  of  these  families,  coming  from 
Cheshire,  Mass.,  brought  with  them  a  practical  knowledge  of  the 
method  by  which  cheese  was  made  in  a  small  way  in  Cheshire. 
But  notable  among  these  families  were  Nathan  Arnold,  Daniel  Fen- 
ner and  the  Browns,  who  settled  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town  of 
Fairfield  and  near  each  other.  Arnold's  wife  was  a  cheese- maker,  and 
he  is  the  first,  it  is  believed,  who  began  cheese  dairying  in  the  county. 
He  came  into  the  county  poor,  but  he  was  rich  in- health  and  strength. 

Except  along  the  Mohawk  nearly  the  whole  county  was  then  a  dense 
forest.  Brant,  the  famous  Mohawk  chief,  and  his  bloody  warriors  had 
been  gone  several  years,  but  traces  of  their  pillage  and  murders  were 
fresh  among  the  early  settlers  in  the  valley  and  along  the  river.  The 
old  Dutch  heroine,  Mrs.  Shell,  whose  part  in  the  defense  of  the  family 
fort  has  been  related,  was  then  living  a  few  miles  east  of  Fort  Dayton. 
The  house  stood  on  the  black  slate  hills  rising  near  the  Mohawk  to  the 
north,  overlooking  a  long  line  of  charming  scenery.  Beyond  was  a 
valley  and  a  still  higher  elevation.  Here  the  sturdy  young  New 
Englander  picked  his  land.  His  strong  arms  felled  the  timber  over 
many  acres.  He  built  his  log  house  and  established  his  herd  upon  the 
soil. 

From  such  a  beginning  sprung  the  mighty  giant  that  is  now  stalking 
over  the  continent,  dotting  the  land  with  countless  herds. 

From  1800  to  1826  cheese-dairying  had  become  pretty  general  in 
Herkimer  county,  but  the  herds  were  mostly  small.     As  early  as  181 2— 


120  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

i6,  the  largest  herds,  numbering  about  forty  cows  each,  were  those  be- 
longing to  William  Ferris,  Samuel  Carpenter,  Nathan  Salisbury  and  Isaac 
Smith,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  and  they  were  regarded  as 
extraordinary  for  their  size. 

About  1826  the  business  began  to  be  established  in  the  adjoining 
counties,  in  single  dairies,  here  and  there,  and  generally  by  persons 
emigrating  from  Herkimer  county.  The  implements  and  appurtenances 
of  the  dairy  were  then  very  rude.  The  milking  was  done  in  open  yards, 
and  milking  barns  were  unknown.  The  milk  was  curded  in  wooden 
tubs,  the  curd  cut  with  a  long  wooden  knife  and  broken  with  the  hands  ; 
the  cheeses  were  pressed  in  log  presses  standing  exposed  to  the  weather. 
The  cheeses  were  generally  thin  and  small.  They  were  held  through 
the  season,  and  in  the  fall,  when  ready  for  market,  they  were  packed  in 
rough  casks  made  for  the  purpose  and  shipped  to  dififerent  localities  for 
home  consumption  Prices  in  these  days  were  low,  ranging  from  4  cents 
to  6  cents  per  pound.  The  leading  buyers  previous  to  1826  were  W. 
Ferris  &  Robert  Nesbith,  from  Massachusetts.  Nesbith  was  a  Quaker 
and  is  remembered  as  having  a  sober,  sedate  countenance.  Ferris,  his 
partner,  was  of  a  more  gay  and  festive  turn. 

Their  manner  of  conducting  operations  was  often  shrewd.  Nesbith, 
it  is  said,  generally  went  his  rounds  first,  visiting  every  dairy,  and  we 
are  told  that  he  knew  how  to  impress  dairymen  in  regard  to  the  inferior- 
ity of  their  goods,  and  to  raise  serious  doubts  in  the  minds  of  many  as 
to  whether  cheese  could  be  marketed  at  anything  like  living  rates.  He 
spoke  of  the  difficulties  of  trade  and  the  pressure  of  the  money  market, 
and  was  not  exactly  prepared  to  purchase,  though  sometimes  in  excep- 
tional cases  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  buy  certain  small  lots  at  low  fig- 
ures. By  the  time  he  got  through  his  visitation  the  dairymen  were  feel- 
ing somewhat  discouraged,  and  were  ready  to  make  easy  terms  with  any 
buyer.  Then  Ferris  made  his  appearance,  and  his  off  hand,  generous 
way  of  doing  business  somehow  carried  the  conviction  that  he  was  an 
operator  willing  to  pay  to  the  last  cent  the  value  of  the  goods.  His 
prices  were  considerably  better  than  those  offered  by  his  partner  Nes- 
bith, and  as  this  partnership  was  not  known  to  the  dairymen,  the  latter 
eagerly  closed  their  sales,  with  the  impression  that  good  bargains  had 
been  made. 


HISTORY  OF  CHEESE  DAIRYING.  121 

In  1826  Harry  Burrell,  of  Salisbury,  Herkimer  county,  then  a  young 
man  full  of  enterprise  and  courage,  having  learned  something  of  the 
markets  and  the  sly  methods  of  Ferris  &  Nesbith,  resolved  to  enter  the 
field  as  their  competitor.  He  pushed  his  operations  with  great  vigor, 
and  bought  a  large  share  of  the  cheese  at  a  price  above  that  figured  by 
the  Massachusetts  firm.  He  afterwards  became  the  chief  dealer  in  dairy 
goods  in  Central  New  York,  often  purchasing  the  entire  product  of  cheese 
made  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Burrell  was  the  first  to  open  a  cheese  trade  with  England,  com- 
mencing shipping  as  a  venture  about  the  year  1830  or  1832  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  late  Erastus  Corning,  of  Albany.  The  first  shipment  was 
about  10,000  pounds.  He  was  the  first,  also,  to  send  cheese  to  Phila- 
delphia, shipping  to  B.  &  B.  Cooper  in  1828  and  to  Jonathan  Palmer  in 
1830  and  1832.  Mr.  Burrell  is  still  in  the  trade, 1  though  over  eighty 
years  of  age,  and  has  shipped  cheese  abroad  every  year  during  the  past 
fifty  years,  his  shipments  in  the  summer  of  1878  being  about  a  thousand 
boxes  a  week.  He  is  among  the  few  American  dealers  who  have 
amassed  a  large  fortune  in  the  trade,  and  by  his  strict  integrity  and  hon- 
est dealing  has  ever  retained  the  confidence  of  dairymen.  He  has  in- 
vested his  means  largely  in  real  estate  from  time  to  time,  and  has  many 
excellent  dairy  farms  in  Herkimer  and  in  other  counties  of  the  State. 
He  has  for  the  past  twenty  years  or  more  resided  at  Little  Falls. 

From  1836  to  i860  several  Herkimer  county  merchants  had  entered 
the  field  as  cheese  buyers,  the  most  notable  of  whom  were  Samuel  Perry, 
of  Newport,  V.  S.  Kenyon,  of  Middleville,  A.  H.  Buel,  of  Fairfield,  Perry 
&  Sweezy,  of  Newport,  Benjamin  Silliman,  of  Salisbury,  Lorenzo  Carryl, 
then  of  Salisbury,  Frederick  and  James  H.  Ives,  Roger  Bamber,  of  Stark, 
Simeon  Osborne,  of  Herkimer,  and  several  others.  Cheese,  during  this 
time,  was  usually  bought  on  long  credits,  the  dealers  going  through  the 
country  and  purchasing  the  entire  lot  of  cheese  made  or  to  be  made 
during  the  season,  advancing  a  small  part  of  the  money,  and  agreeing 
to  pay  the  balance  on  the  first  of  January  following.  Failures  would 
occur  from  time  to  time,  and  the  farmers  selling  to  these  unfortunate 
speculators  not  unfrequently  lost  the  bulk  of  their  labor  for  the  season. 

'  Mr.  Burrell  died  several  years  since,  and  his  business  is  still  carried  on  by  his  sons,  D.H.  and  E. 
S.  Burrell. 


122  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Up  to  1840  the  dairymen  of  Herkimer  bad  made  but  little  improve- 
ment in  farm  buildings  or  in  tlie  appliances  for  the  dairy.  Lands  were 
comparatively  cheap,  and  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  men  with  little  or 
no  means  to  buy  farms  and  pay  for  them  by  dairying.  About  this  time 
or  a  little  earlier  the  smaller  farms  of  the  county  began  to  be  absorbed 
by  well-to-do  dairymen,  and  the  plan  of  renting  farms,  on  what  is  known 
as  the  "  two- fifths  system,"  began  to  be  adopted.  We  think  Mr.  Burrell 
was  the  first  to  regulate  this  system  of  leasing  in  all  its  details,  and,  having 
quite  a  number  of  farms  to  rent,  he  established  a  uniform  rate  which 
soon  became  a  standard  all  over  the  county  where  dairy  farms  were  to 
be  rented. 

By  1840  farmers  had  become  so  prosperous  from  dairying  that  they 
began  to  pay  more  attention  to  the  care  and  management  of  stock. 
They  not  only  looked  more  closely  to  the  comfort  of  the  herds,  but 
"  milking  barns  "  for  their  own  convenience  and  comfort  began  to  be 
pretty  generally  substituted  for  the  open  yard  in  milking.  About  this 
time,  also,  the  first  dairy  steamer  for  making  cheese  was  brought  out  by 
Mr.  G.  Farmer,  of  Herkimer.  It  consisted  of  a  boiler  for  the  genera- 
tion of  steam,  attached  to  a  stove  or  furnace,  with  a  pipe  for  conveying 
steam  from  the  boiler  to  the  milk- vat,  which  was  of  tin,  surrounded  by 
a  wooden  vat,  on  the  same  principle  as  the  "  milk- vats"  now  in  use.  A 
branch  of  the  steam  pipe  was  connected  with  a  tub  for  heating  water, 
for  washing  utensils,  etc.,  used  in  the  dairy.  This  apparatus,  of  course, 
was  a  crude  affair  compared  with  the  modern,  highly-improved  cheese 
vat  and  steam  boiler,  but  it  was  the  first  invention  of  the  kind,  and  led 
to  grand  results  in  labor-saving  appliances  in  the  dairy  In  about  ten 
years  after  Farmer's  invention,  which  was  extensively  introduced  in 
Herkimer  and  other  counties,  William  G.  Young,  of  Cedarville,  brought 
out  the  steel  curd-knife,  which  was  a  great  improvement  over  the  wire 
and  tin  cutters  that  Mr.  Truman  Cole,  of  Fairfield,  had  invented,  and 
had  got  into  general  use.  The  log  presses  were  also  fast  going  out  of 
use — their  places  being  supplied  by  the  Kendal  press.  The  Taylor  and 
Oysten  presses,  both  invented  by  Herkimer  county  men,  were  further 
improvements  brought  out  between  1850  and  i860. 

From  1850  to  i860  dairying  began  to  assume  formidable  proportions. 
Prices  had  gradually  risen   from    5  cents  to  7  cents,  ftom  7   cents  to  9 


HISTORY  OF  CHEESE  DAIRYING.  123 

cents,  and  the  business  was  considered  more  prosperous  than  any  other 
farm  industry.  During  this  period  the  farmers  of  Herkimer  county  had 
generally  acquired  wealth  or  a  substantial  competence,  and  tliis  was 
shown  in  their  improved  buildings  and  premises. 

In  1857  Mr.  Jesse  Williams,  of  Rome,  Oneida  county  (a  dairyman 
who  had  learned  cheese- making  in  Herkimer),  conceived  the  idea  of  the 
factory  sy.stem,  but  it  did  not  begin  to  attract  much  attention  until  i860, 
when  plans  were  inaugurated  for  testing  the  system  in  Herkimer.  The 
first  factories  were  erected  by  Avery  &  Ives,  of  Salisbury,  and  by  Mr. 
Shell,  of  Russia,  and  were  located  in  the  respective  towns  of  the  builders, 
who  were  also  the  proprietors  of  these  establishments.  The  system  did 
not  spread  so  rapidly  at  first  in  Herkimer  as  it  has  in  some  new  sections, 
because  cheese-making  was  better  understood  by  the  mass  of  farmers 
here  than  elsewhere;  and  the  cheese  of  Herkimer  having  a  high  repu- 
tation in  many  of  the  large  dairies,  the  dairymen  were  at  first  a  little 
doubtful  as  to  the  success  of  the  factories.  They,  however,  soon  wheeled 
into  line,  and  now  the  last  State  census  gives  the  number  of  factories  in 
the  county  in  1874  at  eighty-eight,  aggregating  a  capital  of  $235,070, 
and  paying  out  annually  in  wages  the  sum  of  $48,181. 

The  number  of  cows  in  the  county  whose  milk  was  sent  to  the  facto- 
ries that  year  was  32,372,  and  in  1875  34.070-  The  number  of  patrons 
was  1,303. 

In  i860  Samuel  Perry,  of  New  York,  formerly  of  Herkimer  county, 
attempted  to  control  the  entire  export  product  of  American  dairies.  He 
sent  his  agents  early  in  the  season  throughout  the  whole  dairy  sections 
of  New  York  and  Ohio,  then  the  only  two  States  from  which  cheese 
was  exported,  and  they  contracted  for  him  the  bulk  of  the  farm-dairies 
at  an  average  price  of  from  8  cents  to  10  cents  per  pound. 

The  cheese  was  bought  in  the  usual  way,  on  credit,  a  small  sum  being 
paid  during  the  summer,  while  the  final  settlement  and  payment  were  to 
be  made  in  January. 

Mr.  Perry,  by  offering  a  penny  or  so  per  pound  more  than  other  deal- 
ers believed  the  market  would  warrant,  was  enabled  to  secure  almost 
the  entire  make  of  the  season.  A  great  disaster,  as  is  well  known,  fol- 
lowed this  purchase.  Much  of  the  cheese  was  badly  made  and  badly 
cured,  and  it  became  worthless  in  his  hands.      Sales  could  not  be  made 


124  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtlNTt. 

in  England  to  cover  cost.  The  approaching  war  caused  troublous  times, 
and  cut  off  our  Southern  trade.  Financial  difficulties  at  the  opening  of 
i86l  were  frequent  and  pressing,  and  the  great  merchant  in  a  large 
number  of  cases  could  not  meet  his  engagements,  and  many  dairymen 
remained  unpaid.  The  lesson  was  a  severe  one  to  all  concerned,  but  it 
was  useful  in  this — that  ever  afterwards  dairymen  in  Herkimer  have  been 
cautious  in  selling  on  long  credits,  while  no  one  dealer,  single  handed, 
has  since  that  time  attempted  to  control  a  product  which  from  its  mag- 
nitude is  beyond  the  grasp  of  one  man's  means  and  resources. 

It  is  perhaps  justice  to  Mr.  Perry  to  say  that  he  battled  manfidly 
against  the  adverse  turn  in  trade,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war  would  doubtless  have  met  all  his  liabilities,  though  of 
course  at  a  fearful  loss. 

The  Cheese  Market  at  Little  Falls. — The  following  year,  i86l,  dairy- 
men and  dealers  began  to  meet  at  Little  Falls  on  certain  days  of  the 
week  for  the  purpose  of  making  transactions  in  cheese.  There  was  a 
large  number  of  home  dealers,  some  of  them  acting  as  agents  for  New 
York,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  houses,  while  others  were  seeking 
transactions  on  their  own  account.  The  fact,  I  think,  that  so  many 
dairymen  had  lost  money  the  previous  year,  and  the  desire  on  their 
part  to  sell  for  cash  or  on  short  credits,  helped  to  start  "  sales  day,"  or 
a  public  market  at  Little  Falls.  Dairymen  commenced  in  the  spring 
to  bring  small  parcels  of  cheese  into  town  on  Mondays,  offering  it  for 
sale  to  resident  dealers,  and  transactions  were  readily  made.  The  buy- 
ers soon  learned  that  it  was  easier  to  test  samples  from  the  different 
dairies  as  they  were  brought  to  market  than  to  make  a  special  journey 
over  bad  country  roads  to  look  at  cheese  which  they  were  not  certain 
could  be  bought  at  market  rates.  It  is  quite  different,  they  argued, 
whether  the  cheese  is  brought  to  town  or  lies  on  the  shelf.  When  a 
dairyman  brings  his  goods  to  market  he  is  ready  to  sell.  If  the  cheese 
is  on  the  shelf  in  his  curing  room  he  may  not  be  ready  until  he  has  in- 
quired as  to  the  market,  or  seen  some  particular  buyer.  The  seller,  on 
the  other  hand,  found  an  advantage  in  bringing  his  goods  to  town,  be- 
cause he  could  show  them  to  different  buyers,  and  thus  get  a  greater 
number  of  bids  than  he  would  be  likely  to  obtain  if  his  product  remained 
in  his  dairy  house.     So,  by  mutual  consent,  each  party,  seeing  an  ad- 


HISTORY  OF  CHEESE  DAIRYING.  125 

vantage  in  it,  embraced  the  plan,  and  "  market  days"  for  the  sale  of 
dairy  products  at  Little  Falls  were  inaugurated.  At  first  two  days  in 
the  week,  Mondays  and  Wednesdays,  were  agreed  upon,  and  the  plan 
worked  well  and  was  satisfactory  to  all  concerned.  Soon  dealers  from 
New  York  and  other  cities  began  to  visit  the  market,  making  such  se- 
lections as  desired,  while  the  dairymen,  selling  for  cash  and  meeting 
with  buyers  who  were  ready  to  compete  for  their  goods,  were  so  pleased 
with  the  arrangement  that  they  did  not  care  to  dispose  of  their  cheese 
in  any  other  way. 

On  some  market  days  previous  to  1864  hundreds  of  farmers  have 
been  in  the  streets  near  the  railway  depot,  each  with  his  wagon  loaded 
with  cheese  boxed  and  marked  with  his  name  ;  while  some  twenty  or 
more  buyers  were  scattered  among  them  and  passsing  from  wagon  to 
wagon.  Some  from  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  Baltimore  and 
other  cities,  with  an  occasional  shipper  from  England,  could  be  seen  ex- 
amining, boring,  tasting,  smelling  and  making  bids  for  the  loads. 

In  1864  the  first  weekly  reports  of  the  Little  Falls  market,  then  and 
now  the  largest  interior  dairy  market  in  the  world,  began  to  be  made 
by  the  writer  in  the  Utica  Morning  Herald.  Previous  to  1864  farmers 
relied  on  cit)'  quotations,  which  were  sometimes  thought  to  be  in  the 
merchants'  favor.  Indeed  so  sharp  was  tne  competition  at  Little  Falls 
that  the  prices  paid  at  this  market  every  week  were  not  unfrequently 
above  New  York  quotations,  and  dairymen  from  other  sections  sought 
eagerly  for  these  reports  before  selling.  The  factories  also  were  sending 
their  salesmen  on  the  market  not  only  from  Herkimer,  but  from  the 
adjoining  counties,  the  "  sales  day"  now  being  on  Monday  only  of  each 
week.  From  1864  to  1870  the  Little  Falls  cheese  market  had  acquired 
so  high  a  reputation  that  it  was  considered  the  center  of  the  trade  in 
America,  and  its  weekly  transactions  had  a  controlling  influence  in 
establishing  prices  at  the  seaboard.  Reports  of  the  market  at  its  close 
were  telegraphed  not  only  to  parties  engaged  in  the  trade  in  our  lead- 
ing cities,  but  to  the  great  cheese  centers  of  Liverpool  and  London. 
During  this  time,  besides  a  great  number  of  farm-dairymen  attending 
the  market  weekly,  salesmen  from  three  hundred  factories  have  some- 
times been  present,  while  the  regular  list  of  factories  doing  business  in 
the  market  numbered  about  two  hundred.     The  quantity  of  cheese  an- 


126  BISTORT  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

nually  sold  on  the  market  has  been  estimated  at  25,000,000  to  30,000,- 
000  pounds,  but  the  actual  shipment  of  dairy  produce  from  the  county 
was  considerably  less,  as  the  factories,  after  selling  their  goods  by  sam- 
ple, shipped  them  at  the  railroad  depots  nearest  the  factory. 

The  following  table,  made  up  from  records  kept  at  the  railroad  and 
canal  freight  depots  within  the  limits  of  Herkimer  county,  will  siiow 
the  surplus  make  of  butter  and  cheese  in  Herkimer  county  during  the 
time  referred  to.  The  quantity  consumed  in  the  county  is  not  known, 
but  if  added  would  make  the  product  much  larger: 

CHEESE,  PonNDS.  HUTTER,  POUNDS. 

1864 16,767,999  492,673 

1865 16,808,352  313,756 

1866 18,172,913  232,961 

1867   16,772,031  204,385 

1868..    15,734,920  341,632 

1869 15,570,487  204,634 

Up  to  1 87 1  the  cheese  and  butter  market  at  Little  Falls  had  been 
held  for  the  most  part  in  the  open  street,  but  early  in  January  of  that 
year  steps  were  taken  to  organize  a  Dairy  Board  of  Trade  for  the  State, 
with  headquarters  at  Little  Falls, — that  being  then  the  chief  and  only 
interior  dairy  market  in  the  country.  In  pursuance  of  this  resolution  a 
call  for  a  public  meeting  at  Little  Falls  in  February  was  made,  and 
widely  circulated  through  the  newspapers  of  the  State.  The  meeting 
was  largely  attended  by  leading  dairymen  and  others  from  different 
parts  of  the  State,  and  Judge  George  A.  Hardin  was  called  to  the  chair, 
when  an  association  was  formed  under  the  name  of  "The  New  York 
State  Dairymen's  Association  and  Board  of  Trade." 

This  was  the  first  "  Dairymen's  Board  of  Trade  "  organized  on  the 
continent,  and  soon  after  publishing  and  sending  out  circulars  giving 
the  plan  for  organizing  such  boards,  other  parts  of  the  country  started 
similar  associations,  Elgin,  III,  being  first  to  follow,  and  then  Utica, 
N.  Y.  The  plan  spread  rapidly  through  the  dairy  sections  of  this  State 
and  in  other  States,  and  now  many  dairy  centers  in  different  States  and 
Canada  have  their  dairy  boards  of  trade  at  which  merchants  and  sel- 
lers meet  on  regular  market  days  for  the  transaction  of  business  in 
dairy  goods.  The  telegraph  is  here  brought  into  requisition,  and  sellers 
go  upon  the  market  knowing  something  of  the  demand  and   the  price 


HISTORY  OF  CHEESE  DAIRYING.  127 

on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  At  the  interior  markets  competition 
always  runs  high,  and  merchants  sometimes  complain  tiiat  margins  are 
narrow  and  money  not  so  easily  made  as  when  the  goods  were  bought 
at  the  factory  on  city  quotations.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  dairymen 
now  have  a  sort  of  commercial  education.  They  study  the  markets, 
home  and  foreign,  and  they  judge  when  it  is  best  to  realize  on  their 
goods. 

The  first  officers  chosen  by  "The  New  York  State  Dairymen's  Asso- 
ciation and  Board  of  Trade  "  were  :  X.  A.  Willard,  president ;  Watts  T. 
Loomis,  recording  secretary;  Josiah  ShuU,  corresponding  secretary; 
David  H.  Burrell,  treasurer;  with  six  directors,  all  of  whom  the  consti- 
tution provides  shall  be  elected  annually.  The  annual  meetings  of  the 
society  occur  in  February  of  each  year  at  Little  Falls,  though  conven- 
tions are  held  during  the  winter  in  different  parts  of  the  State  ;  they 
have  been  held  at  Little  Falls  ;  Sinclairville,  Chautauqua  county  ;  at 
Binghamton,  Broome  county;  at  Norwich,  Chenango  county;  at 
Elmira,  Chemung  county;  two  or  more  at  Utica,  Oneida  county;  and 
others  elsewhere.  These  conventions  have  been  very  largely  attended, 
and  have  done  an  important  work  in  aiding  the  progress  of  dairy- 
husbandry  in  the  State. 

Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  society,  the  citizens  of  Little  Falls 
with  commendable  liberality  contributed  several  hundred  dollars  for  the 
erection  and  fitting  up  of  a  board  of  trade  room,  and  it  was  completed 
in  good  style  under  the  supervision  of  J.  W.  Cronkhite,-of  Little  Fatts: 

When  we  consider  that  the  annual  product  of  cheese  in  America  now 
amounts  to  350,000,000  pounds,  of  which  130,000,000  pounds  are  an- 
nually exported,  while  the  annual  butter  crop  is  not  far  from  1,000,- 
000,000  pounds,  all  must  admit  that  Herkimer  county  has  a  record  in 
the  history  of  dairying  of  which  her  citizens  may  well  be  proud.  Mr. 
Moulton,  in  his  recent  address  at  the  international  dairy  fair  at  New 
York,  December  7,  1878,  stated  that  within  the  last  twenty  years  the 
export  of  cheese  alone  has  been  1,163,000,000  pounds;  and  the  total 
value  of  exported  butter  and  cheese  during  the  same  time  was  $185,- 
000,000.  During  the  last  ten  years  885,000,000  pounds  of  cheese  have 
been  shipped  abroad.  Nearly  all  the  factory  cheese  made  in  Herkimer 
county  goes  to  England,  and  many  of  our  factories  have  a  deservedly 


128  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

high  reputation  among  Engh'sh  shippers  for  the  style  and  fine  quality 
of  their  goods. 

Many  of  the  factories,  like  Old  Fairfield,  Newville,  Eatonsville,  Man- 
heim,  Middleville,  Grain's  Corners,  the  Newport  factories,  managed  by 
Mr.  Babcock,  some  of  the  Winfield  factories  and  others  in  the  various 
towns  throughout  the  county,  are  so  well  known  abroad  for  the  excel- 
lence of  their  product  that  orders  are  often  sent  from  England  to  agents 
here  to  secure  the  weekly  shipments. 

Butter-making  has  never  been  extensively  practiced  as  a  specialty  in 
Herkimer  county,  although  considerable  quantities  of  butter  are  made 
in  the  spring  and  fall  in  connection  with  cheese  manufacture.  The  usual 
plan,  in  these  seasons,  when  milk  is  delivered  at  the  factories,  is  to  allow 
farmers  to  skim  one  day's  milk,  or  the  night  mess  of  milk,  and  then  de- 
liver the  skimmed  milk.  In  farm  dairies  the  milk  is  set  for  a  longer  or 
shorter  period,  and  the  skimmed  milk  made  into  cheese.  But  this 
practice  obtains  for  tiie  most  part  only  in  spring  and  fall,  while  some 
of  the  factories  will  not  allow  any  skimming,  believing  that  a  high  repu- 
tation can  only  be  maintained  by  manufacturing  at  all  times  nothing 
but  "  full-milk  cheese."  A  few  creameries  have  from  time  to  time  been 
operated  in  the  county.  Among  the  earliest  establishments  of  this 
kind  may  be  named  the  Car  Creamery,  of  Salisbury ;  the  Nichols,  of 
Norway ;  the  Barto  Hill  and  North  Fairfield,  and  the  Whitman  & 
Burrell  factory,  near  Little  Falls. 


Since  the  foregoing  paper  was  written  but  few  changes  have  taken 
place  in  cheese- dairying  in  Herkimer  county.  The  annual  production  of 
dairy  products  shows  slight  fluctuations  from  year  to  year  but  has  neither 
materially  increased  nor  decreased.  The  changes  which  have  occurred 
have  been  mostly  along  the  line  of  advanced  methods  in  manufacture, 
the  introduction  of  improved  machinery  into  cheese  and  butter  factories 
and  of  better  blood  into  dairy  herds.  The  machine  recently  invented 
by  Dr.  Babcock,  of  the  Wisconsin  l^xperiment  Station,  Madison,  Wis., 
for  testing  milk  to  determine  the  amount  of  its  butter  fats,  is  now  in  use 
in  some  creameries  and  factories,  while  the  separator  is  quite  extensively 
employed  in  the  manufacture  of  butter. 


HISTORY  OF  CHEESE  DAIRYING. 


Dairymen  are  giving  more  attention  to  means  for  increasing  the  capac- 
ity of  their  herds,  both  with  regard  to  production  and  quaHty  of  milk. 
The  introduction  of  full-blooded  males  of  the  Holstein  Friesian,  Jersey 
and  Guernsey  breeds,  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  end,  is  conse- 
quently receiving  considerable  attention,  which,  with  better  care  and 
management,  is  gradually  improving  the  average  of  the  dairy  cows  of 
the  county.  The  silo,  too,  is  beginning  to  command  attention  from 
the  most  progressive  dairy  farmers,  a  dozen  or  more  being  in  successful 
operation  in  different  localities  in  the  county.  A  movement  is  also  be- 
ing made  in  the  direction  of  winter  dairying,  which  bids  fair  to  add  new 
impetus  to  this  already  important  and  prosperous  industry. 

With  regard  to  the  cheese  market  at  Little  Falls  :  While  there  has  been 
no  material  increase  or  decrease  in  the  annual  transactions  since  1878, 
yet  very  much  less  cheese  is  being  sold  for  shipment  abroad,  fully  three- 
fifths  of  the  product  manufactured  in  1892  having  been  purchased  for 
home  consumption.  It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  the  demand  from  this 
source  is  steadily  increasing  and  that,  without  doubt,  in  a  few  years  all 
the  cheese  made  in  the  county  will  find  an  outlet  through  home  mar- 
kets. 

The  importance  of  the  dairy  industry  in  Herkimer  county  will  be 
better  appreciated  by  consulting  the  following  table  showing  the  trans- 
actions of  the  Little  Falls  market  for  1892,  and  also  comparative  sta- 
tistics with  other  years : 


April  25 

May  2... 
9__. 
16.... 
23 

June  6.. 
13.-., 

27..., 
July  4- 


TOTAL.        LOW.      RULING.     AVERAGE.     HIGH.      DAIRY 


6,189 
6,657 
7,184 
8,095 

28,12s 


6,175 

1,115 

948 

1.569 

588 

742 

845 

722 
580 

2,898 

8« 
8 

8« 
8>i 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


September  5- 


October  3. 


November  7. 


7,768 
7.700 
6.60s 
6.7og 
7.-78 

35.960 


5«04 

26,888 

5.035 
6,770 
6.9^5 
7.301 
5.987 

32.088 


5.172 


RULING.    AVERAGE. 


603 
.,670 


28 I        6.136 

21.844 
Total I   182,785 


7.086 
7.049 
7.781 


'9.635 

S,8i2 
7.350 
7.278 
7.983 
6.547 

34.970 

5,089 
6.397 
5,522 

23.534 

206,058 


9% 

9H 


Total  number  of  boxes 

Number  of  pounds  per  box. 


Number  of  pounds  sold,. 
Average  price  per  pound. 


Value  of  season's  cheese. _. 
Add  value  of  dairy  cheese. 


()76 
'780 


.0915 


Total  value.- -J _. $1,918,662.88 

Comparing  this  result   with   thai  of  the  two   previous  years,  the  fol- 
lowing differences  will  appear  : 


Number  of  boxes  sold,  including  dairy 345*059 

Highest  price.-- - .-_        loc.^. 

Lowest  price - _ 6c'i. 

Average  high  for  year ___       .0873 

Average  low  for  year -0793 

General  average _ 0836 

Value  of  cheese  in  1890 - - 

Value  of  cheese  in  1891  

Value  of  cheese  in  1892 - -- ._. 

Difference  in  favor  of  1892 __ - ,_. 


1891 

230,249 

7?ic. 
.0914 
•0845 


,181,836.65 
202,738.70 
218,662.88 
■5.924.1? 


THE  COURTS.  131 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE  COURTS,  THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ALTHOUGH  as  a  distinct  county  our  records  are  comparatively  re- 
cent, the  early  history  of  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  Herkimer  county 
takes  us  back  to  judicial  systems  very  different  from  those  with  which  ue 
are  now  familiar  and  very  similar  to  those  of  England.  For  the  British 
governors  after  the  peace  of  Westminster  introduced  such  of  the  courts 
of  the  mother  country  from  time  to  time  as  seemed  adapted  to  the  new 
colonies;  and  although  our  constitution  of  1777  abolished  such  as  were 
hostile  to  the  democratic  sentiments  of  the  new  era,  it  preserved  with 
considerable  entirety  the  legal  fictions  and  the  judicial  systems  of  its 
inheritance.  It  was  thus  that  the  new  county  of  Herkimer  found  in 
existence  such  courts  as  the  Common  Pleas,  Chancery,  Court  of  Pro- 
bate, Court  for  the  Trial  of  Impeachments  and  the  Correction  of  Errors, 
and  others  long  since  abolished  or  merged  in  those  of  the  present  day. 
The  old  Assizes  had  already  passed  away  and  the  Federal  constitution 
had  taken  from  the  State  the  Court  of  Admiralty  ;  but  most  of  those 
mentioned  above  still  attested  our  early  relations  with  the  complex 
system  of  England. 

During  the  exciting  times  succeeding  the  administration  of  the 
tyrannical  Governor  Andros,  and  just  after  the  execution  of  Leisler  and 
the  arrival  of  Governor  Slaughter,  and  while  the  charter  of  liberties 
was  agitating  our  colony,  the  Court  for  the  Correction  of  Errors  and 
hearing  of  appeals  was  established.  It  consisted  of  the  Governor  and 
Council,  its  powers  resembling  those  of  our  present  court  of  final  resort. 
The  Revolution  necessitated  a  change  which  gave  rise  to  the  Court  for 
the  Trial  of  Impeachments  and  the  Correction  of  Errors.  The  consti- 
tution of  1846  which  made  so  many  changes  in  our  judicial  system, 
entirely  remodeled  this  court.  It  divided  it,  in  fact,  creating  the  Court 
of  Appeals  in  place  of  the  Court  for  the  Correction  of  Errors,  and 
leaving   the   Court  for  Trial    of  Impeachments  still  composed  of  the 


132  IIISTOHV  Ob'  HKKKIMER  COUNTY. 

Senate  and  its  president,  togetlier  with  the  judges  of  the  new  court. 
The  convention  of  1867—68  reorganized  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  in 
1869  the  people  ratified  the  change,  which  resulted  in  the  present  court 
of  final  resort. 

On  account  of  the  great  mass  of  accumulated  business,  a  Commission 
of  Appeals  was  created  in  1870,  continuing  until  1875,  possessing  sub- 
stantially the  powers  of  its  sister  court, , and  designed  to  relieve  the 
latter.  In  1888  the  Legislature  passed  a  concurrent  resolution  that 
section  6  of  article  6  of  the  constitution  be  amended  so  that  upon  the 
certificate  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  to  the  governor  of  such  an  accumu- 
lation of  causes  on  the  calendar  ot  the  Court  of  Appeals  that  the  public 
interest  required  a  more  speedy  disposition  thereof,  the  governor  may 
designate  seven  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  to  act  as  associate  judges 
for  the  time  being  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  to  form  a  second 
division  of  that  court,  and  to  be  dissolved  by  the  governor  when  the 
said  causes  are  substantially  disposed  of  This  amendment  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  people  of  the  State  at  the  general  election  of  that  year 
and  was  ratified,  and  in  accordance  therewith  the  governor  selected 
seven  Supreme  Court  justices,  who  were  constituted  the  second  division 
of  the  Court  of  Appeals. 

The  Supreme  Court's  jurisdiction  as  it  now  exists  is  a  combination 
of  very  diverse  elements.  The  powers  and  jurisdictions  of  the  Court 
of  Chancery,  the  Court  of  Exchequer,  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  the 
Court  of  Oyer  and  Terminer,  Probate  Court,  the  Circuit  Court  and  the 
Supreme  Court  proper,  have  all  been  combined  to  make  up  this  im- 
portant branch  of  the  judicial  system.  But  during  our  early  county 
history  several  of  these  courts  existed  independently  of  each  other, 
some  of  the  early  lawyers  of  Herkimer  county  being  among  their  mem- 
bers. The  Court  of  Chancery,  which  had  been  organized  when  the 
Court  of  Assizes  was  abolished,  in  1683,  was  the  beginning  of  the 
equity  branch  of  the  present  Supreme  Court.  It  was  reorganized 
shortly  after  the  Revolution  and,  with  some  slight  modifications  by  the 
constitution  of  1821,  and  by  subsequent  enactments,  it  continued  until 
1846,  when  it  was  merged  into  the  new  Supreme  Court.  Equity 
jurisdiction  and  powers  are  now  exercised  by  the  Supreme  Court,  its 
judges  having  powers  that  were  formerly  possessed  by  the  chancellor. 


THE  COURTS,  1^3 

The  Court  of  Exchequer,  having  been  erected  in  1685,  was  made  a 
branch  of  the  old  Supreme  Court  just  after  the  Revolution,  and  so  con- 
tinued until  finally  abolished  in  1830.  In  our  earliest  colonial  history 
there  had  been  a  Court  of  Oyer  and  Terminer,  but  it  was  discontinued 
during  the  time  of  King  William,  its  name,  however,  surviving  to 
designate  the  criminal  part  held  with  the  circuit.  This  brings  us  to  the 
old  Supreme  and  Circuit  Court,  with  which  the  Court  of  Chancery 
united  under  the  constitution  of  1846,  to  complete  the  principal  branch 
of  our  present  system.  In  the  early  part  of  the  century  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State  consisted  of  five  justices.  It  had  been  the  practice 
to  hold  four  terms  a  year,  two  in  Albany  and  two  in  New  York  ;  but 
previous  to  that  time  and  in  the  closing  years  of  the  last  century,  the 
circuit  system  was  established  somewhat  on  the  plan  of  that  of  Eng- 
land. It  was  enacted  that  the  judges  should,  during  their  vacations, 
hold  courts  in  the  various  counties  of  the  State,  and  return  the  pro- 
ceedings to  the  Supreme  Court  when  it  convened  again,  when  they 
should  be  recorded  and  judgments  rendered.  A  few  years  later  the 
system  was  simplified  by  the  division  of  the  State  into  four  judicial 
districts.  To  each  of  these  districts  was  assigned  a  judge  whose  duty 
it  was  to  hold  circuits  in  each  of  the  counties  therein  at  least  once  in 
each  year.  It  had  already  been  enacted  that  the  Courts  of  Oyer  and 
Terminer  (the  criminal  part,  presided  over  by  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court)  should  be  held  at  the  same  time  and  place  with  the  circuit, 
and  should  consist  of  the  circuit  judge,  assisted  by  two  or  more  of 
the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  the  county.  The  circuit 
system  was  very  similar  to  the  present,  excepting  that  our  Special 
Terms   are  substituted  for  the  Court  of  Chancery. 

After  the  constitution  of  1821,  the  State  was  divided  as  at  present 
into  eight  judicial  districts,  each  being  provided  with  a  circuit  judge, 
in  whom  were  vested  certain  equity  powers,  subject  to  appeal  to  the 
Chancery  Court;  while  the  Supreme  Court  proper  held  much  the  same 
position  as  the  present  General  Term.  In  1846  the  new  constitution 
abolished  the  Court  of  Chancery,  giving  the  powers  theretofore  held  by 
it  to  the  Supreme  Court,  which  it  reorganized  substantially  as  it  exists 
to-day.  Such  is  the  history  in  brief  of  the  higher  courts  of  this  county 
and  State. 


134  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  system  of  local  judicature  was  also  changed  to  correspond  with 
that  of  the  State  at  large.  The  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  organized 
contemporaneously  with  the  colonial  Court  for  the  Correction  of  Errors 
and  Appeals,  has  given  way  to  the  County  Court;  while  the  offices  of 
county  judge  and  surrogate  have  been  combined  where  the  county  pop- 
ulation does  not  exceed  forty  thousand  During  the  eighteenth  century 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  consisted  of  a  first  judge  assisted  by  two  or 
more  associates,  all  of  whom  were  appointed  by  the  governor.  Its 
powers  were  very  similar  to  those  of  the  present  County  Court,  the 
associate  justices  corresponding  to  the  justices  of  sessions  on  the  present 
criminal  bench.  The  constitution  of  1846  abolished  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  and  created  the  County  Court  and  Court  of  Sessions  as  they 
exist  to-day. 

The  Surrogate's  Court  has  undergone  less  changes  than  any  of  those 
we  have  described.  In  early  times  and  before  the  Dutch  supremacy 
was  overcome  by  the  English,  there  had  been  a  short-lived  Orphan's 
Court.  Then  the  English  government  introduced  the  Prerogative  Court, 
which  in  turn  was  superseded  by  the  Court  of  Probates  after  the  Rev- 
olution. Surrogates  were  then  appointed  in  each  county,  having  much 
the  same  powers  as  at  present.  This  was  the  system  down  to  1823, 
when  the  Court  of  Chancery  took  the  place  of  the  Court  of  Probates  in 
hearing  appeals  from  the  decisions  of  surrogates  ;  but  the  office  of  sur- 
rogate remained  as  before. 

Our  Justices'  Courts  and  Courts  of  Special  Sessions  have  remained 
substantially  unchanged  since  the  colonial  period.  The  office  of  dis- 
trict attorney  has  undergone  much  change.  Early  in  the  century  this 
State  was  divided  into  seven  districts  for  each  of  which  there  was  an 
assistant  attorney-general.  The  present  office,  as  distinct  from  the  at- 
torney-generalship, was  created  in  1801.  Since  18  18  each  county  has 
had  its  own  district  attorney. 

Previous  to  the  erection  of  Herkimer  county  in  1 791,  the  judicial 
afifairs  of  the  people  where  conducted  at  Whitestown  in  what  is  now 
Oneida  county,  and  there  the  court-house  and  jail  were  situated.  Upon 
the  division  of  the  county  the  records  were  kept  by  Oneida  county. 
The  proceedings  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  1795  contain  a  record 
of  the  steps  taken  for  the  erection  of  the  public  buildings  at  Whitestown. 


COUNTY  BUILDINGS.  135 

The  committee  having  the  work  in  charge  made  a  report  which   con- 
tained the  following : 

The  committee  proceeded  to  make  the  apportionment,  as  follows,  for  the  respective 
towns  to  pay,  viz.:  Herkimer,  140;  German  Flats,  185;  Norway,  95;  Steuben,  PO; 
Whites  (Whitestown)  150;  Schuyler,  90;  Brookfielil,  23 ;  Oazenovia,  30 ;  Sauferfield, 
20;  Hamilton,  22;  Sherburn,  15;   Westmoreland,  60 ;   Paris,  120. 

The  buildings  at  Whitestown  were  erected  in  1793-4  and  were  used 
until  Oneida  county  was  taken  from  Herkimer  in  1798. 

The  first  court  house  for  the  use  of  the  present  Herkimer  county 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  one  now  located  at  Herkimer  village,  and  was  a 
plain  two-story  wooden  building.  It  stood  until  January  25,  1S34, 
when  it  was  burned  with  other  property  near  it.  It  was  a  fortunate  fire, 
for  the  building  was  a  discredit  to  the  community  and  of  very  little 
actual  value.  The  jail,  which  was  on  the  ground  floor,  would  not  con- 
fine a  prisoner,  unless  he  was  a  paralytic,  and  no  one  mourned  its  loss. 

On  the  31st  of  March,  1834,  the  Legislature  authorized  the  super- 
visors to  borrow  from  the  common  school  fund,  on  the  credit  of  the 
county,  $4,600  with  which  to  build  a  new  court-house,  and  directed 
that  a  tax  of  $500  a  year  be  levied  on  the  county  to  pay  the  loan. 
Francis  E.  Spinner,  Arphaxed  Loomis,  and  Prentice  Yeomans  were 
named  in  the  act  as  commissioners  to  superintend  the  erection  of  the 
building.  The  building  was  of  brick  and  sufficed  for  the  needs  of  the 
county  for  about  forty  years.  When  the  erection  of  this  building  was 
contemplated  an  effort  was  made  by  citizens  of  Little  Falls  and  vicinity 
to  have  the  county  seat  removed  to  that  place;  but  the  effort  was  un- 
availing. 

In  the  year  1873  the  present  court-house  was  built  on  the  site  of  the 
old  one,  which  was  taken  down.  The  new  structure  was  designed  to 
accommodate  the  increasing  business  of  the  county,  and  it  is  admirably 
adapted  for  the  purpose.  It  contains  offices  for  the  judges  and  surro- 
gate, rooms  for  the  supervisors,  etc.,  and  cost  $45,000. 

The  jail,  on  the  opposite  corner  from  the  court-house,  was  erected 
after  the  burning  of  the  old  court-house  and  finished  in  1835,  at  a  cost 
of  $10,300.  It  is  a  substantial  building  and  convenient  for  its  purpose. 
Edmund  Varney,  Cornelius  T.  E.  Van  Horn,  Isaac  S.  Ford,  Jacob  F. 
Christman,  Warner  Folts,  Frederick  P.  Bellinger  and  Charles  Gray  were 
the  building  commissioners.  , 


136  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  county  clerk's  office  stands  in  the  same  grounds  with  the  court- 
house, and  is  a  substantial  fire-proof  structure.  It  was  erected  in  1847 
by  Aaron  Hall. 

Among  the  members  of  the  bar  of  Herkimer  county  have  been  and 
now  are  many  men  of  eminence  in  their  profession.  It  is  peculiarly 
appropriate  that  those  whose  attainments  and  public  life  are  worthy  of 
remembrance  should  receive  recognition  in  a  history  of  this  county. 
Among  the  very  early  judges  in  the  courts  of  the  county  were  some 
who  have  already  been  properly  mentioned  in  these  pages,  notably 
Judge  Henri  Staring,  of  Schuyler.  Another,  who  was  for  many  years 
a  justice  of  the  peace,  was  Sherman  Wooster,  of  Newport.  He  was 
also  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in 
April,  1828,  held  the  office  one  term  and  declined  a  reappointment.  In 
1822  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  made  for  himself  an  ex- 
cellent record  during  a  very  stormy  session.  In  1832  he  was  elected 
to  the  Assembly.  In  these  various  offices  Mr.  Wooster  exhibited  ster- 
ling qualities  and  more  than  average  ability.      He  died    in  Newport  in 

1833- 

Evans  Wharry  filled  a  prominent  place  in  the  early  history  of  the 
county  at  the  close  of  the  war  in  1783.  He  was  a  native  of  Orange 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  Revolution.  He  settled 
in  this  county  in  1785-6,  and  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  which  em- 
braced the  home  where  he  died,  near  Little  Falls.  This  home  is  now 
known  as  the  X.  A.  Willard  farm  and  is  still  occupied  by  his  descendants. 
He  was  a  practical  surveyor  and  was  much  engaged  in  that  occupation. 
He  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
and  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  1798,  and  held  those  offices  until  1805, 
when  he  was  commissioned  first  judge,  on  the  resignation  of  John 
Meyer.  Under  this  appointment  Judge  Wharry  held  the  office  until  he 
was  sixty  years  old,  the  then  constitutional  limit.  He  was  elected  to 
the  Assembly  in  1800,  and  was  one  of  the  delegates  from  this  county 
to  the  convention  called  by  the  Legislature  in  1801.  He  was  again 
elected  to  the  Assembly  in  1803  and  1804.  He  was  an  active  and  suc- 
cessful politician,  and  during  the  Revolution  was  a  personal  acquaintance 
of  Washington,  Hamilton,  Burr,  and  other  distinguished  leaders.  He 
served  his  country  well  and  faithfully,  and  died  in  1831,  at  his  home  in 
the  town  of  Little  Falls. 


£!.^/d 


Cc3_ 


BBN-CH  AND  BAR.  137 

Edmund  Varney  came  to  the  town  of  Russia  in  1809,  when  it  was 
a  wilderness  and  became  a  successful  farmer.  He  was  born  in  Dutchess 
county  in  1778.  In  1812  he  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace,  which 
office  he  held  twenty- five  successive  years  ;  was  clerk  of  the  town  many 
years,  and  five  years  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas, 
after  1823.  He  was  also  supervisor  five  years,  master  in  chancery,  etc. 
In  1825  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  and  in  1841  to  the  State  Sen- 
ate from  the  fourth  district.  Elevated  in  principle,  and  urbane  in 
manner,  he  secured  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  associates  and  of 
the  community.      He  died  in  Russia  December  2,  1847. 

In  our  history  of  Fairfield  may  be  found  some  account  of  Nathan 
Smith,  a  pioneer  of  that  town  in  1790.  He  was  a  merchant,  in  con- 
nection with  his  brothers  William  and  Samuel,  and  became  a  suc- 
cessful and  prominent  politician.  In  1798  he  was  in  the  Legislature, 
and  again  in  1801  and  1802,  He  was  appointed  a  judge  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  and  justice  of  the  peace  in  March,  1805,  and  in  1808 
and  181 1.  He  was  chosen  a  senator  in  1805  and  held  the  office  two 
full  terms,  by  a  re-election.  In  1808  he  was  chosen  as  one  of  the 
council  of  appointment.  During  his  incumbency  in  the  Senate  impor- 
tant legislation  relating  to  the  banks,  as  well  as  other  matters,  was  en- 
acted, and  Judge  Smith  demonstrated  therein  his  fitness  and  ability  as 
a  legislator.  After  the  close  of  his  senatorial  term  he  was  appointed, 
in  1 8 14,  first  judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  resigned  in  1 821. 
He  died  at  Fairfield  October  7,  1836,  aged  sixty- seven  years. 

George  Rosecrantz  was  a  son  of  Rev.  Abraham  Rosecrantz,  the  noted 
early  German  preacher.  He  was  born  on  Fall  Hill  March  15,  1764, 
and  died  December  21,  1838,  at  the  place  of  his  birth.  At  the  age  of 
thirty-five  he  was  chosen  to  the  State  convention  with  Evans  Wharry 
and  Matthias  B.  Tallmadge  (1801)  and  in  1805  was  appointed  judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  which  office  he  held  until  1821.  In  1812 
he  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature  one  of  the  electors,  and  voted  for 
De  Witt  Clinton.  He  was  member  of  Assembly  from  the  county  in 
1817  and  18 1 8,  and  was  chosen  State  senator  in  the  spring  of  181 8. 
He  possessed  sound  sense  and  discriminating  judgment,  and  was  indus- 
trious and  diligent  in  his  official  duties. 

Jacob  Marke!!,  of  Manheim,  born  in  Schenectady  May  8,  1770,  oc- 
cupied a   position   on   the  county  bench.     While   Manheim  was  still  a 


138  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

part  of  Montgomery  county  he  was  made  judge  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  and  was  elected  to  Congress  during  the  war  of  i8l2.  He 
was  elected  to  the  Assembly  from  Herkimer  county  in  1819.  He 
"  was  very  methodical  in  all  his  business  affairs,  and  with  other  qualities 
possessed  a  shrewd  and  intelligent  mind  which,  from  long  practice,  had 
become  considerably  imbued  witii  legal  principles."  He  died  in  Man- 
heim  November  26,  1852. 

Sanders  Lansing  was  born  in  Albany  June  17,  1766,  and  was  the 
youngest  of  four  brothers.  Educated  to  the  legal  profession,  he  re- 
moved to  this  county  with  his  family  in  1820  and  settled  at  Little 
Falls  He  was  chosen  delegate  to  the  convention  of  1821  with  Sher- 
man Wooster  and  Richard  Van  Horn,  and  was  appointed  a  judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  March,  1821  ;  reappointed  in  1823  and 
held  the  office  until  1828.  He  also  was  master  in  chancery  and  a  com- 
missioner to  perform' certain  duties  of  a  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  at 
Chambers.  Judge  Lansing  was  most  scrupulous  in  his  faithful  attend- 
ance upon  his  official  duties,  was  pure  in  character,  and  enjoyed  the  es- 
teem of  his  fellows.  He  died  in  Manheim,  where  he  lived  a  few  years, 
September  19,  1850. 

Michael  Hoffman  was  born  October  11,  1787,  in  Saratoga  county. 
He  began  the  study  of  medicine  early  in  life,  and  obtained  a  diploma 
in  1807  ;  began  studying  law  in  the  following  year  and  was  admitted  an 
attorney  in  1815.  In  1816  he  was  associated  with  Aaron  Hackley  at 
Herkimer,  where  Mr.  Hackley  had  established  himself  in  1807.  Mr. 
Hoffman,  by  assiduous  attention  to  his  profession  and  his  native  qualifi- 
cations, early  placed  himself  in  the  foremost  rank  of  attorneys.  As 
early  as  1 8 19  he  began  active  participation  in  politics  and  about  the 
same  time  removed  to  Seneca  county,  but  returned  in  a  few  years  and 
resumed  practice  in  Herkimer;  was  appointed  district  attorney  in  1823, 
and  again  in  1836,  resigning  in  the  following  September.  In  1S24  he 
was  elected  to  Congress,  in  which  body  he  occupied  a  distinguished 
position  during  four  terms  on  committees  and  in  debate.  On  his  re- 
tirement from  Congress  he  was  appointed  canal  commissioner,  in  1835, 
but  held  the  office  only  a  short  time.  He  was  appointed  first  judge 
of  the  county  in  June,  1830,  and  held  the  office  until  1833  ;  represented 
the   county   in   Assembly  in  1841-42,  and   again  in  1844.      He   was  a 


BENCH  AND  BAR.  139 

member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1846,  and  one  of  the  most 
useful  of  that  body  of  men.  He  had  at  that  time  gone  to  reside  in  New 
York  city,  and  died  there  (or  in  Brooklyn),  September  27,  1848. 

David  Holt  was  a  practical  printer  and  came  into  Herkimer  county 
in  1805,  from  the  city  of  Hudson,  to  begin  the  publication  of  a  news- 
paper. This  he  was  soon  afterwards  forced  to  abandon  for  want  of 
patronage.  About  the  year  181 1  he  was  editor  of  a  paper  in  Herkimer 
and  was  postmaster  at  that  place  many  years,  and  collector  of  internal 
revenue.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  in  February,  18 1 7,  and  first  judge  in  1821  ;  he  held  the 
office  until  1825.  Adhering  to  the  fortunes  of  De  Witt  Clinton  he  lost 
political  preferment  with  the  decline  of  that  statesman,  and  resumed  his 
trade  of  printing.  For  a  brief  period  he  published  the  Repitblicait 
Fanner  s  Free  Press  in  Herkimer,  and  then  removed  to  Little  Falls  and 
conducted  the  Mohawk  Courier,  while  it  was  published  by  Charles  S. 
Benton  &  Company.  Thence  he  went  to  Albany  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade  about  ten  years,  and  removed  to  Wisconsin.  Judge  Holt  en- 
joyed for  years  the  confidence  of  the  community  and  met  his  reverses 
with  fortitude  and  resignation. 

Gaylord  Griswold  was  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  came  westward 
with  Theodore  Gold,  who  became  eminent  in  the  legal  profession  of 
Oneida  county.  Mr.  Griswold  settled  at  Herkimer  and  became  a  con- 
spicuous politician  ;  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  in  1797-98,  and  mem- 
ber of  Congress  in  1803-04,  where  he  was  a  useful  and  able  legislator. 
He  died  at  Herkimer  March  i,  1809,  at  the  age  of  forty- one. 

Simeon  Ford  came  into  Herkimer  count}'  previous  to  1797,  and 
was  afterwards  associated  with  Gaylord  Griswold  in  law  practice,  in 
which  he  became  prominent.  He  was  appointed  district  attorney  early 
in  1 8 19  and  held  the  office  until  1823,  performing  its  duties  with  fideli- 
ty and  ability.  He  was  often  a  candidate  for  office  when  his  chance  of 
election  was  not  good,  but  his  frequent  nominations  evinced  the  strong 
hold  he  possessed  upon  the  party.  At  the  annual  elections  of  1820  and 
1821  he  was  chosen  to  the  Assembly.  In  1825  he  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Clinton  to  an  office  at  the  salt  springs  in  Syracuse.  Previous 
to  this  he  had  become  pecuniarily  embarrassed  through  the  purchase  of 
lands  on  the  Hasenclever  patent.     After  a  few  years  he  resigned  his  post 


140  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

in  Syracuse,  removed  to  Rochester  and  five  years  later  returned  to 
Herkimer  and  resumed  his  profession  in  1832.  Not  securing  a  satis- 
factory chentage,  he  removed  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  about  1836.  There 
he  met  with  success.      He  died  in  Cleveland  in  1839. 

David  W.  Golden,  a  native  of  Dutchess  count)',  settled  in  Columbia 
in  1798,  where  he  was  a  merchant.  He  was  appointed  judge  of  the 
Common  Pleas  in  March,  18 10,  and  commissioned  first  judge  in  181  i. 
He  held  the  office  until  his  death,  in  February,  1814.  He  was  regarded 
for  his  honorable  character  and  was  a  conscientious  and  discriminating 
official. 

John  Frank  was  a  son  of  a  Palatine  emigrant,  Conrad  Frank.  He 
was  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  Montgomery  county  in  March, 
1790,  and  afterwards  commissioned  as  one  of  the  justices  of  Herkimer 
county  (1791)  and  in  March,  1794,  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of 
the  Common  Pleas;  he  held  the  office  until  about  1799.  Judge  Frank 
was  an  activeand  zealous  participant  in  the  Revolution  on  the  patriot  side 
and  was  present  and  took  part  in  repelling  the  attack  of  Brant  and  his 
warriors  in  July,  1778,  in  their  attack  on  Andrustown.  Judge  Frank 
lived  near  the  south  bank  of  the  Mohawk,  in  German  Flats,  nearly  oppo- 
site the  village  of  Herkimer,  and  there  he  closed  his  life. 
'■'  John  A.  Rasbach  was  formerly  a  prominent  attorney  of  Ilion.  He 
was  a  great-grandson  of  a  Palatine  settler,  Johannes  Rasbach,  who 
located  about  a  mile  east  of  Fort  Dayton  in  1726.  John  A.  Rasbach 
was  born  May  9,  1805  ;  worked  on  a  farm,  taught  school,  and  was  a 
merchant  in  Herkimer,  and  was  postmaster  and  justice  of  the  peace 
about  twelve  years.  During  this  time  he  read  law  and  was  admitted  in 
1841.  In  1852  he  bought  a  farm  near  Ilion  and  removed  thither,  where 
he  became  an  active  factor  in  the  progress  of  that  section,  particularly 
in  railroad  operations.      He  died  at  his  home  in  Ilion. 

Aaron  Hackley,  jr.,  was  the  eldest  son  of  Aaron  Hackley,  sr.,  who 
came  with  his  family  and  settled  in  Salisbury  near  the  close  of  the  last 
century.  It  is  believed  that  he  was  a  graduate  of  Union  College  and 
that  he  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Gay  lord  Griswold.  He  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  law  in  Herkimer  in  the  year  1807.  In  person  he  was 
above  the  medium  stature,  erect,  well  formed,  dark  comple.xioned,  with 
irregular  features.      In  temperament  and   manner  he  was  affable,  as  he 


6L^\ 


BENCH  AND  BAR  141 

was  kind  in  feeling,  with  good  address,  and  always  a  gentleman.  He 
attached  himself  to  the  Democratic  party  (then  known  as  the  Republi- 
can as  opposed  to  the  Federal  party).  In  1814  and  again  in  181  5  he 
was  a  member  of  Assembly  from  Herkimer.  In  18 12  and  again  in  1815  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  clerk  of  Herkimer  county.  In  18 19  to  1823 
he  was  representative  in  Congress,  and  afterward  was  appointed  United 
States  collector  of  the  port  of  Ogdensburg,  and  he  took  up  his  residence 
there.  Several  years  later  he  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Herkimer, 
and  in  1828  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  district  attorney  for  this 
county  for  the  term  of  three  years.  In  this,  as  in  every  other  public 
office  which  he  ever  held,  the  duties  were  discharged  with  fidelity  and 
credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  the  public.  As  a  lawyer,  Mr.  Hack- 
ley  was  highly  respectable  in  standing  and  ability,  but  not  remarkable 
for  any  special  or  distinguishing  power  as  an  advocate  or  speaker. 
Later  in  life  he  went  to  New  York  and  lived  until  his  death  with  his  son, 
who  was  a  distinguished  professor  in  Columbia  College 

Ezra  Graves  was  born  in  the  town  of  Russia  in  1803.  He  began  the 
study  of  law  with  S  &  L  Ford  in  1832,  and  three  years  later  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  in  all  the  State  courts.  In  1845  he  was  appointed 
a  judge  of  the  County  Court,  and  in  1847,  after  the  change  in  the  con- 
stitution, was  elected  by  the  people  ;  held  the  office  about  eight  years 
and  was  again  elected  in  1859.  In  1872  he  was  elected  inspector  of 
State  prisons  by  the  Republicans.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Graves,  one 
of  the  enterprising  pioneers  of  the  town  of  Russia.  He  was  a  faithful 
officer  and  highly  respected  for  his  integrity.  He  was  father  of  Gen. 
John  C.  Graves,  of  Buffalo,  and  of  Dr.  George  Graves  and  Margaret  G. 
Mayton,  of  Herkimer. 

Hiram  Nolton  was  educated  at  Fairfield  Academy  and  spent  his  early 
life  in  that  town.  He  studied  law  in  the  office  of  William  D.  Ford, 
and  was  admitted  in  1814,  opening  an  office  in  Little  Falls.  He  shortly 
afterward  removed  to  Fairfield,  where  he  remained  until  1836.  He 
then  returned  to  Little  Falls  and  continued  in  the  profession  until  his 
death,  September  10,  1863.  In  1825  he  was  appointed  first  judge  of 
the  county  and  held  the  office  three  years.  In  1837  he  was  chosen 
district  attorney  and  held  that  office  six  years.  In  Little  Falls  he  was 
a  partner  of  Arphaxed  Loomis  for  about  ten  years.      He  was  a  partner 


142  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

of  Jarvis  N.  Lake,  1847  to  1855,  and  a  partner  of  George  A.  Hardin 
from  1855  to  i860.  Judge  Nolton  is  remembered  as  a  man  who  per- 
haps had  not  an  enemy,  and  merited  and  received  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  his  fellow-citizens  for  both  his  integrity  and  professional  ability. 
He  left  him  surviving  Mrs.  Helen  M.  Ashley,  now  a  resident  of  Mont- 
clair,  N.  J.      He  died  in  October,  1863. 

Sandford  Clark  was  one  of  the  earliest  lawyers  in  this  county,  but 
very  little  is  known  of  his  life.  He  was  in  practice  in  Herkimer  as  early 
as  1792,  and  it  is  believed  that  he  preceded  Gaylord  Griswold  as  a  law- 
yer there.  He  was  certainly  a  contemporary  of  Griswold,  and  was  the 
opposing  attorney  in  the  first  suit  in  which  Griswold  was  retained.  He 
built  the  main  building  of  the  old  Waverly  Hotel  in  Herkimer  before 
1800.  It  has  been  said  that  his  affairs  became  broken  up  through  do- 
mestic difficulties,  and  that  he  disappeared  from  the  field. 

Oran  Gray  Otis  was  graduated  at  Union  College,  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  Simeon  and  Lauren  F"ord,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1819. 
He  opened  an  office  at  Little  Falls.  He  was  fairly  accomplished  in  his 
profession,  was  a  fluent  and  forcible  speaker,  and  commanded  a  pros- 
perous business  Early  in  1825  he  removed  to  Ballston,  where  he 
practiced  until  his  death  in  middle  age.  He  was  elected  to  the  Assem- 
bly in  1831  and  re-elected  the  next  year. 

Dudley  Burwell  was  born  in  Norway,  Herkimer  county,  in  1801. 
(See  history  of  Norway  herein.)  He  attended  Fairfield  Academy  a 
few  terms,  and  about  1824  entered  the  law  office  of  Feeter  &  Benton 
at  Little  P'alls,  and  soon  acquired  a  good  practice  and  high  reputation. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  attorneys  employed  by  the  village  of  Little 
Falls.  In  1834  he  married  a  daughter  of  Col.  Samuel  Young,  of  Ball- 
ston ;  she  died  within  a  year  afterwards  and  he  never  again  married. 
He  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  the  fall  of  1832  and  was  prom- 
inent in  that  body.  In  1836  he  was  appointed  district  attorney  of  this 
county  and  made  an  able  official.  Mr.  Burwell  was  a  man  of  large 
brain  and  sound  judgment,  with  clear  perception  and  application  of  le- 
gal principles  and  a  very  good  lawyer.  He  removed  to  Albany  and 
opened  an  office  about  1838.  In  politics  he  was  a  strong  Democrat, 
and  for  many  years  was  influential  in  his  party.  In  1858  he  returned 
to  his  old  home  in  Little  Falls.    Here  he  purchased  several  adjacent  par- 


BENCH  AND  BAR.  143 

eels  of  land  on  the  hillside  east  of  the  village,  built  a  residence  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  hired  a  housekeeper  and  became  a  farmer  on  a  small 
scale,  still  keeping  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs.  In  his  later  years 
he  was  regarded  by  many  as  a  recluse,  if  not  as  a  misanthrope.  He 
was,  however,  really  kind-hearted  and  charitable,  of  strict  integrity  and 
good  morals.  He  died  April  i8,  1876,  leaving  a  generous  legacy  of 
about  forty- five  acres  of  land  lying  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  village,  to 
be  known  as  Burwell  Park,  to  the  village  of  Little  Falls,  to  become  the 
property  of  the  corporation  at  the  death  of  William  G.  Milligan.  Be- 
fore his  death  he  caused  to  be  excavated  a  tomb  in  the  rock  on  the 
hillside  of  the  land,  in  which  he  was  buried. 

Abijah  Mann,  jr.,  was  born  at  Fairfield  September  24,  1793,  and  re- 
ceived education  only  in  the  common  schools.  He  taught  school  for  a 
short  time  in  Oneida  county,  and  was  married  January  18,  18 14.  The 
same  year  he  settled  in  Seneca  Falls,  where  he  was  postmaster,  mer- 
chant, and  built  a  block  of  buildings.  The  pressure  of  financial  affairs 
in  1815  closed  his  mercantile  career,  and  in  18 19  he  returned  to  Fair- 
field and  entered  the  law  office  of  Hiram  Nolton.  In  1822  he  was  a 
successful  competitor  of  Mr.  Nolton  for  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace.  In  the  fall  of  1827  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  and  re- 
elected the  next  year.  He  here  became  conspicuous  as  a  public  man 
and  politician.  His  career  in  Congress — 1832  to  1836 — was  marked  by 
the  same  aggressive  and  rude  strength  in  debate  that  he  had  exhibited 
in  the  Legislature,  and  secured  for  him  a  large  measure  of  influence. 
He  had  the  confidence  of  the  Democrats,  among  whom  were  Martin 
Van  Buren,  Silas  Wright,  Azariah  C.  Flagg,  Michael  Hoffman  and 
others.  In  1836  Mr.  Mann  took  up  his  residence  in  Frankfort  and  re- 
mained there  until  1842,  when  he  removed  to  Brooklyn  and  opened  an 
office  with  his  son-in-law,  John  H.  Rodman.  He  had  been  appointed 
receiver  of  the  Washington  County  and  other  banks,  from  which  he  re- 
ceived large  fees.  He  subsequently  left  the  Democratic  party,  and  was 
nominated  by  its  opponents  for  attorney  general  in  1855,  but  was  de- 
feated ;  he  ran  again  on  the  same  side  for  senator  and  was  again  de- 
feated. He  then  returned  to  the  party  of  his  old  affections.  His  health 
finally  failed  and  he  was  an  invalid  some  years.  He  died  in  Buffalo, 
while  on  a  visit,  on  the  8th  of  September,  1868,  aged  seventy- five  years. 
He  was  reported  to  be  worth  more  than  a  million  dollars. 


144  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Charles  Gray  was  born  in  the  town  of  Palatine  in  1796.  He  was  ed- 
ucated at  Fairfield  Academy  and  began  his  law  studies  with  Henry 
Markell.  In  18 19  he  went  to  Herkimer  and  entered  the  office  of  Sim- 
eon and  Lauren  Ford.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1S22,  settled  in 
Herkimer,  and  was  for  the  first  year  or  two  of  his  practice  a  partner  of 
James  McAuley.  After  that  he  practiced  alone  until  his  death  in  1871. 
He  was  a  lawyer  of  fair  ability  and  was  better  qualified  for  office  busi- 
ness than  for  trial  cases  before  the  court  or  jury.  His  business  was 
chiefly  conveyancing,  office  counsel,  and  other  unlitigated  matters.  He 
was  a  good  business  man  and  good  citizen,  and  for  a  long  time  was  in- 
fluential and  prominent  in  the  politics  of  the  county.  In  1835  he 
represented  the  county  in  the  Legislature,  and  in  1838  to  1841  was  one 
of  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  for  several  years 
held  the  office  of  master  in  chancery  in  the  county.  At  the  first  elec- 
tion of  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  under  the  new  constitution  of 
1846,  he  was  nominated  by  his  party  and  was  elected.  He  drew  the 
shortest  term,  two  years,  of  which  one  was  in  the  Court  of  Appeals  ; 
the  reports  of  the  latter  court  contain  a  few  of  his  opinions.  Judge 
Gray  was  fond  of  military  duties  and  for  many  years  he  held  the  office 
of  brigadier  general,  commissioned  by  Governor  Marcy. 

Arphaxed  Loomis  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  where  he  was  born 
April  9,  1798.  He  was  a  son  of  Thaddeus  Loomis,  who  settled  in  Salis- 
bury in  1803.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1822  and  first  prac- 
ticed with  Justin  Butterfield,  at  Sackett's  Harbor  until  1824;  in  1825 
he  established  himself  at  Little  Falls;  was  appointed  surrogate  of  Her- 
kimer county  in  1828,  and  held  the  office  about  eight  years;  was  first 
judge  of  Herkimer  county  five  years,  1835-40;  representative  in  Con- 
gress 1837-39;  member  of  Assembly  1841-42  and  1853;  member  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1846,  etc.  Later  in  life  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  his  sons  Watts  T.  and  Sidney  Loomis  in  the  practice  of  law 
in  Little  Falls,  and  died  there,  September  16,  1886.  Mr.  Loomis  occu- 
pied a  foremost  position  at  the  bar  of  the  county,  and  as  a  citizen  of 
Little  Falls  was  always  conspicuous  in  every  movement  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  village.  He  early  became  a  large  real  estate  owner, 
which  property  he  developed  and  improved.  He  held  several  village 
offices  and  in  their  administration  evinced  an   active  public  spirit.      Jn 


BENCH  AND  BAR.  145 

his  judicial  and  legislative  career  he  gained  the  confidence  and  appro- 
bation of  the  public  for  his  ability  and  efficiency. 

Sidney  Loomis,  son  of  Arphaxed,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  December 
19,  1846,  and  died  in  September,  1879  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Al- 
bany Law  School  and  of  Union  College,  and  practiced  with  his  father 
and  brother  until  his  death.  He  was  a  man  of  high  intelligence,  well 
read  in  his  profession,  and  one  who  drew  around  him  a  large  circle  of 
sincere  friends. 

Nathaniel  S.  Benton,  to  whom  the  editors  and  publishers  of  this  vol- 
ume are  so  greatly  indebted  for  valuable  information  preserved  in  a 
local  history  issued  by  him  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  was  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  resided  in  that  State  until  he  came  to  Little  Falls, 
about  1816.  He  was  born  February  19,  1792.  At  the  battle  of  Platts- 
burg,  September,  1814,  Mr.  Benton  served  as  a  warrant  officer  of  vol- 
unteers and  received  a  commission  in  recognition  of  his  good  conduct 
on  that  occasion.  At  Little  Falls  he  studied  law  in  the  office  of  George 
H.  Feeter,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  18 17.  He  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace  at  Little  Falls  several  years,  by  appointment  of  the  gov- 
ernor. About  1820,  or  1 82 1,  he  made  an  extended  tour  through  the 
Western  States  in  quest  of  a  future  home  for  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, but  failed  to  be  suited  and  returned  to  Little  Falls.  After  this 
he  became  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Feeter  &  Benton,  in  which  he 
continued  several  years,  doing  a  respectable  business.  From  1821  to 
1828  he  held  the  office  of  surrogate  of  the  county,  and  from  1833  to 
1835  he  was  first  judge  of  the  county.  In  1836  he  was  nominated  by 
the  Democratic  party  and  elected  State  senator  for  a  term  of  four  years. 
Shortly  before  the  expiration  of  the  term  he  was  appointed  United 
States  district  attorney  for  the  northern  district  of  New  York,  and  took 
part  in  the  memorable  McLeod  trial.  In  1846  he  was  appointed  secre- 
tary of  state,  which  office  he  held  for  two  years.  In  1856  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  office  of  canal  auditor  and  held  the  position  until  1868, 
when  he  retired  from  public  life  with  impaired  health  and  died  June  19, 
1869,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  senior 
warden  of  Emanuel  Episcopal  church.  In  all  the  various  public  stations 
held  by  him  the  duties  were  discharged  with  fidelity  and  with  satisfaction 
to  the  public.     These  duties  were  so  continuous  that  he  was  allowed 


146  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

little  time  to  devote  to  his  profession.  Indeed,  he  was  better  adapted 
to  discharge  the  duties  which  devolved  upon  him  in  his  executive  and 
official  life  than  for  the  successful  practice  of  law.  He  was  not  gifted 
with  the  qualities  of  a  public  speaker  or  of  a  popular  advocate  at  the 
bar.  While  he  was  secretary  of  state  he  availed  himself  of  the  public 
records  on  file  in  the  office  to  collect  some  of  the  materials  for  his  his- 
tory of  Herkimer  county,  which  he  published  in  1856  His  work  is 
still  very  valuable  for  reference.  Mr.  Benton  was  a  man  of  fine  personal 
appearance,  a  good  citizen  and  well  esteemed  wherever  known.  His 
wife  was  a  daughter  of  Eben  Rritton,  an  early  settler  of  Little  Falls. 

George  H.  Feeter  was  born  in  Herkimer  county.  His  father  was 
Col.  William  Feeter  of  revolutionary  memory.  He  was  educated  at 
Fairfield  Academy,  studied  law  with  Simeon  Ford  at  Herkimer  and 
settled  in  Little  Falls  for  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  year  181  i, 
continuing  in  business  there  for  over  forty  years  and  until  his  death, 
February  18,  1852.  He  had  several  successive  law  partners,  among 
whom  was  Nathaniel  S.  Benton.  Mr.  Feeter  was  fairly  versed  in  the 
law,  and  active  in  temperament,  better  adapted  to  the  trial  of  issues 
before  a  jury,  then  to  law  issues  before  the  court.  He  held  the  office 
of  district  attorney  from  1825  to  1828  and  discharged  its  duties  in  a 
creditable  manner.  Mr.  Feeter  was  the  local  land  agent  for  Mr.  Ellice, 
the  chief  proprietor  of  large  tracts  of  lands  in  and  about  Little  Falls, 
and  also  acted  for  John  Delancy,  another  non-resident  proprietor  of 
lands  in  this  county.  These  agencies  gave  him  business  and  influence, 
but  were  not  a  means  of  personal  popularity.  He  was  of  social  dispo- 
sition and  hospitable  in  his  home.  In  his  early  days  he  exercised  a 
large  influence  in  the  municipal  affairs  of  the  village.  Later,  when  the 
laying  out  and  improvement  of  streets  at  the  expense  of  owners  of  lots 
fronting  on  them  became  a  part  of  the  village  policy,  which  had  the 
effect,  if  it  was  not  the  design,  to  induce  the  non  resident  owners  to 
sell  out,  his  agency  interests  became  hostile  to  those  of  the  village 
authorities.  When  Mr.  Feeter  first  settled  in  the  practice  of  law  at 
Little  Falls  the  village  was  small.  He  grew  up  with  the  village,  and 
his  house  with  its  hospitable  associations,  was  a  marked  object  of  at- 
tention by  both  citizens  and  visitors  of  the  place. 

Lauren  Ford  was  a  nephew  of  Simeon  Ford  and  several  years  his 
junior.      He  was  a  graduate  of  Union  College,  studied  law  in    the  office 


BENCH  AND  J3AR.  147 

of  his  uncle  at  Herkimer  and  upon  his  admission  to  the  bar  in  1812, 
became  his  law  partner,  under  the  name  of  S.  &  L.  Ford.  This  firm 
for  quite  a  number  of  years  stood  foremost  in  the  profession  in  this 
county.  Lauren  Ford  was  a  man  of  good  address  and  manner,  cheerful 
and  agreeable  in  conversation  and  social  intercourse.  He  was  well 
grounded  in  the  principles  of  the  common  law  and  the  law  pertaining  to 
real  estate,  and  ready  in  their  application.  He  was  a  fluent  and  ready 
speaker  with  but  little  action,  emotional  in  temperament  to  a  degree  that 
he  was  not  unfrequently  moved  to  tears  in  addressing  ajury.  No  man 
in  the  county  was  better  known  or  more  popular,  and  he  was  himself 
remarkable  for  his  knowledge  of  the  individual  men  of  the  county  and 
of  their  family  descent  and  affinities,  and  also  for  his  acquaintance  with 
the  land  titles  and  the  patents  under  which  they  were  held.  He  moved 
to  Little  Falls  about  1840  and  continued  there  in  practice  with  fair  suc- 
cess for  many  years.  He  was  the  candidate  of  his  party  at  different 
times  for  State  senator  and  representative  in  Congress,  but  was  defeated 
for  the  reason  that  his  political  party  (the  Federal  and  later  the  Whig) 
was  in  the  minority  in  the  district.  At  a  later  period  (1857)  when  his 
party  gained  the  ascendency  he  was  elected  district  attorney,  which 
office  he  held  to  1858,  when  he  resigned,  and  George  A.  Hardin  was 
appointed  by  Governor  King  to  fill  the  vacancy,  Mr.  Ford  removing 
to  Brooklyn,  where  he  died.  Mr  Ford  held  the  office  of  surrogate  by 
appointment  from  1841  to  1845.  He  was  moderate  in  his  charges  for 
professional  services  and  made  no  attempt  to  make  money  by  invest- 
ments for  prospective  rise  in  value. 

William  D.  Ford  was  born  in  Herkimer  county  or  came  here  early. 
He  was  educated  at  Fairfield  Academy,  studied  law  at  Herkimer  with 
Gaylord  Griswold  and  Simeon  Ford,  and  came  to  the  bar  in  1809.  He 
established  himself  at  Fairfield  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  where 
he  remained  until  he  removed  to  Watertown  nine  or  ten  years  later. 
He  was  fairly  well  read  as  a  lawyer  and  of  good  mental  ability,  but 
was  not  distinguished  as  an  advocate  before  either  court  or  jury,  although 
equable  and  respectable.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat  and  was  the 
recipient  of  a  fair  share  of  political  honors  from  his  party.  He  was  a 
member  of  Assembly  in  the  years  1816-17-18  from  Herkimer  county, 
during  the  last  of  which  years  he  moved  to  Jefferson  county  and  was  in 


148  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  next  year  elected  to  Congress.  At  Watertovvn  he  became  law 
partner  of  David  W.  Bucklin  and  the  firm  carried  on  a  successful  prac- 
tice for  some  years,  until  Mr.  Ford's  death. 

Elisha  Powell  Hurlbut  was  born  in  the  town  of  Salisbury  October 
!5,  1807.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  June  3,  1828,  and  had  an 
office  at  Little  Falls  on  the  site  where  the  chambers  of  Judge  Hardin 
are  now  located.  He  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York  in  the  year 
1835  and  practiced  until  1847  when  he  was  elected  a  judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court.  In  1850  he  was  ex  officio]\idge.  of  the  Court  of  Appeals, 
and  several  of  his  opinions  delivered  in  that  court  appear  in  Vols.  3  and 
4  of  the  New  York  Reports  (3  and  4  Comstock),  and  tiiey  were  written 
in  a  clear,  terse  style.  He  resigned  the  office  by  reason  of  impaired 
health  and  took  up  his  residence  in  the  town  of  Newport.  In  i860  he 
removed  to  Bethlehem  near  Albany  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  August,  1890.  He  was  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Hurl- 
but  who  came  from  Scotland  in  1635  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Weth- 
ersfield,  Connecticut.  Gansevoort  Hurlbut,  a  son  of  Judge  Hurlbut,  is 
practicing  law  in  Albany,  and  Catharine  M.  Ingham,  the  wife  of  Schuy- 
ler R.  Ingham,  is  a  niece  of  Judge  Hurlbut,  residing  at  Little  Falls.  He 
was  an  able  lawyer  and  a  useful  judge.  In  1856  he  delivered  several 
addresses  in  Little  Falls  with  great  clearness  in  his  style  and  energy  in 
his  delivery,  at  times  becoming  sarcastic  and  eloquent. 

Alexander  Hamilton  Waterman  was  born  in  the  town  of  Newport, 
November  6,  1825.  After  completing  his  legal  studies  and  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  he  opened  an  office  in  Little  Falls  where  he  continued 
practice  until  his  death,  which  occurred  October  8,  1856.  He  was 
married  to  Janette  Ingham,  the  daughter  of  the  late  William  Ingham, 
and  left  him  surviving  his  son,  George  D.  Waterman,  secretary  of  the 
Henry  Cheney  Hammer  Company  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Irving  E. 
Waters,  now  of  Bufifalo.  He  was  studious  and  energetic  in  his  profes- 
sion, and  in  1855  was  the  attorney  for  the  plaintifif  in  the  memorable 
slander  case  of  Snell  vs.  Snell,  tried  at  the  Herkimer  Circuit,  Hon.  Ros- 
coe  Conkling  being  associated  with  him  as  counsel.  In  this  case  a 
recovery  was  obtained  of  $  1, 000.  The  writer  of  this  paragraph  fre- 
quently measured  swords  with  him  in  legal  contests,  and  thereby  learned 
to  appreciate  his  ability,  skill  and  great  promise  of  a  brilliant  career, 
which  was  cut  off"  by  sickness  and  death. 


BENCH  AND  BAR.  149 

E.  S.  Capron  was  a  native  of  Onondaga  county,  N.  Y.,  and  became 
prominent  in  the  bar  of  Herkimer  county.  From  the  year  1832  to  1847 
he  was  a  partner  of  Jarvis  N.  Lake,  and  the  firm  was  among  the  fore- 
most legal  practitioners  of  Little  Falls.  After  the  dissolution  of  this 
firm  he  was  associated  with  Henry  Link.  In  1854  he  made  a  trip  to 
California  where  he  gathered  materials  for  a  historical  work  on  that 
State.  Returning  east  he  located  and  practiced  in  New  York  city  and 
was  subsequently  appointed  county  judge  by  Gov.  Myron  H.  Clark. 
At  the  expiration  of  the  term  he  resumed  practice  and  died  about  1883 
at  the  home  of  his  son-in-law,  Spencer  S    Coe,  in  Stamford,  Conn. 

Jarvis  N.  Lake  was  a  somewhat  conspicuous  attorney  of  Little  Falls, 
and  an  active  public-spirited  citizen;  he  came  here  from  Ames,  Mont- 
gomery county.  He  was  a  partner  with  E.  S.  Capon  from  1834  to 
1847,  3-nd  later  a  partner  with  his  uncle,  Delos  Lake,  until  the  latter  re- 
moved to  California.  He  then  associated  himself  with  Judge  Hiram 
Nolton  until  1854,  when  he  removed  to  New  York.  Mr.  Lake  was 
prominent  in  politics  as  a  Whig  and  held  the  position  of  clerk  of  the 
Assembly  in  1838;  was  trustee  of  the  village  and  president  in  1854. 
Delos  Lake,  uncle  of  Jarvis  N  ,  practiced  a  few  years  in  Little  Falls,  and 
removed  to  California  in  1848,  where  he  was  elected  judge.  He  died 
in  that  State. 

Clinton  A.  Moon  was  born  in  Russia  in  1827.  Educated  first  at 
Fairfield,  he  graduated  front  Union  College  in  1853.  For  two  years  he 
was  in  the  faculty  of  Fairfield  Seminary  and  then  studied  law  with  John 
H.  Wooster  at  Newport  and  was  admitted  in  1857.  In  i860  he  re- 
moved to  Herkimer  and  in  the  following  year  was  elected  district  attor- 
ney. In  1864  he  removed  to  Ilion  and  formed  a  partnership  with 
Thomas  Richardson.  In  1866  he  returned  to  Russia  and  mingled  legal 
business  with  farming  until  1875.  In  1876  he  removed  to  Newport  and 
practiced  there  until  his  death.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  town  of 
Russia  in  1870-72.  He  was  a  worthy  member  of  the  profession  and 
is  remembered  as  a  man  of  high  principles  and  integrity. 

Charles  A.  Burton  was  born  in  the  town  of  Newport,  his  father  being 
Darius  Burton.  He  acquired  more  than  an  ordinary  academic  educa- 
tion and  pursued  the  profession  of  civil  engineer,  joining  a  corps 
engaged   in   the   construction  of  the   Illinois  Central  Railroad.     After 


loO  HISTOMY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

completing  his  duties  there  he  returned  to  the  county,  read  law 
with  Judge  Graves  of  Herkimer  and  was  admitted  to  practice  on  the 
1 6th  day  of  February,  1845.  He  had  a  bright,  analytic  mind  and 
became  very  proficient  in  the  knowledge  of  principles  and  case  law  ;  ob- 
tained a  good  practice;  was  frequently  chosen  as  a  referee.  He  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  the  late  Col.  Standish  Barry.  He  was  of  a  cheerful, 
companionable,  social  disposition,  readily  making  and  retaining  friends. 
He  continued  to  practice  and  reside  at  Herkimer  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  about  the  year  1858,  while  in  the  North  Woods 
upon  a  fishing  excursion. 

Volney  Owen  practiced  his  profession  at  the  village  of  Mohawk  for 
many  years,  and  in  the  memorable  contest  between  the  late  Amos  H. 
Prescott  and  John  H.  Wooster  for  the  Republican  nomination  for  the 
office  of  county  judge  and  surrogate  he  had  three  delegates  from  the 
town  of  Herkimer.  After  it  was  demonstrated  that  neither  of  the 
prominent  candidates  had  votes  enough  to  nominate,  the  Wooster  dele- 
gates joined  the  three  delegates  of  Herkimer  and  nominated  Mr. 
Owen.  He  was  elected  and  served  for  the  term  of  four  years  as  surro- 
gate and  county  judge,  his  term  commencing  in  1863.  Subsequently 
he  removed  to  one  of  the  Western  States  where  he  died. 

James  B.  Hunt  was  a  practicing  lawyer  in  this  county  from  1824  to 
1836,  and  resided  in  the  village  of  Herkimer.  He  was  a  son  of  Dr. 
Joseph  Hunt  and  born  in  the  West  Indies.  He  came  to  Fairfield  to 
finish  his  education,  and  after  leaving  the  academy  entered  the  office  of 
Simeon  and  Lauren  Ford,  in  due  time  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  at 
once  formed  a  copartnership  with  Michael  HoiTman.  Mr.  Hunt  was 
an  active  and  industrious  lawyer,  was  well  versed  in  the  law  and  was  a 
respectable  advocate,  leaving  a  favorable  impression  as  to  his  ability. 
He  was  in  every  sense  a  pure  and  upright  man,  just  in  his  intercourse 
with  his  fellow  citizens,  generous,  genial  and  friendly.  He  filled  with 
credit  the  office  of  district  attorney  for  this  county  from  1833  to  1836. 
He  subsequently  became  enfeebled  in  health  and,  in  hope  of  improving 
it,  removed  to  Michigan  and  settled  in  Pontiac,  where  he  enjoyed  for 
some  time  a  good  practice.  In  a  few  years  after  his  location  in  Michi- 
gan he  was  elected  to  Congress  and  served  one  term.  He  did  not 
afterwards  return   to  active  practice,   but  held  several   offices,  among 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


151 


them  that  of  land  agent  for  the  government  at  Lake  Superior.  His 
last  days  were  spent  in  Washington  in  some  subordinate  position  in  a 
government  department.  He  was  an  active  Democrat  in  politics.  He 
died  in  Washington  about  i860. 

Henry  Link  was  born  in  the^town  of  Danube  in  tlie'year  181 1.  He 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  jthe  Canajoharie  Academy 
and  read  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Lacia.  After  two  years  of  practice 
in  Fort  Plain  he  removed  to  Little  Falls  in  1840.  In  1848  he  formed 
a  copartnership  with  the  late  Judge  Capron  which  continued  until  1854, 
and  at  a  later  date  he  was  a  partner  with  Judge  R.  H.  Smith  Hon.  P 
H.  McEvoy,  and  others.  He  was  twice  elected  president  of  the  village 
of  Little  Falls,  and  in  1871  ran  on  the  Democratic  ticket  for  county  judc^e 
but  was  defeated  by  Judge  Amos  H.  Prescott.  He  was  familiar  with  the 
German  language  which  fact  drew  to  him  many  German  clients.  He 
was  a  fair  and  honorable  practitioner  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the 
profession  and  the  public.  He  died  at  his  residence  in  Little  Falls  July, 
1 89 1,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  having  remained  in  practice  up  to 
a  few  weeks  of  his  death. 

James  Hart  was  born  in  Johnstown,  Fulton  county  November  7,  1 824. 
He  completed  his  education  at  Fairfield  Academy  and  taught  school  in 
the  towns  of  Salisbury  and  Little  Falls.  In  1851  he  commenced  the 
study  of  the  law  in  the  office  of  Loomis  &  Griswold,  and  in  1854  was 
admitted.  He  was  deputy  collector  of  internal  revenue  under  J.  R. 
Stebbins,  United  States  collector.  He  held  several  minor  offices,  and 
was  a  trusted  and  worthy  citizen.  He  died  suddenly  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1888,  at  his  residence,  leaving  his  sons,  James  B.  Hart  and  Ed- 
ward S.  Hart,  and  his  daughter,  Nellie  Hart,  him  surviving. 

Hamilton  Ward  was  born  in  the  town  of  Salisbury  on  the  3d  day  of 
July,  1829.  He  was  a  son  of  Peter  Hamilton  Ward  and  his  mother's 
maiden  name  was  Eliza  Cleveland,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Cleveland,  a 
wagon  maker  in  Salisbury.  When  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  four 
years  old  his  parents  removed  to  Green  Springs  on  the  James  River  in 
Virginia,  and  when  he  was  eight  years  old  they  removed  to  Chemung 
county  in  this  State,  where  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm,  attending  dis- 
trict school.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Cooperstown  in  July,  185  i, 
and  in  August  of  that  year  he  removed  to  Belmont,  Allegany  county, 


152  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

where  he  still  resides.  He  was  elected  district  attorney  of  Allegany 
county  in  1856;  re-elected  in  1862  and  in  1864  he  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress, and  again  in  1866  and  in  1868.  In  1879  he  was  elected  attorney- 
general  of  the  State;  and  in  May,  1891,  Governor  Hill  appointed  him 
judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of 
Thomas  Corlett.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  was  elected  by  the  people  and 
is  now  discharging  the  duties  of  that  office  ;  being  one  of  the  three  justices 
of  the  Supreme  Court  now  in  service  who  were  born  in  the  county  of 
Herkimer;  to  wit:  Judge  Ward,  born  in  Salisbury;  Judge  Celora  E. 
Martin,  born  in  Newport,  and  Judge  George  A.  Hardin,  born  in  the  town 
of  Winfield. 

Thomas  Dasey  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  where  he  was  born  in  1851,  and 
brought  to  America  in  the  following  year.  He  worked  while  young  in. 
the  factories,  and  later  attended  the  academy  where  he  acquired  a  good 
education.  In  1874  he  entered  the  office  of  Link  &  McEvoy  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1878.  After  about  four  years  of  practice  he  was 
elected  in  1882  police  justice  and  re-elected  in  1886.  He  was  an  active 
Democrat  in  politics  and  exerted  considerable  influence  in  the  party. 
Genial  and  warm-hearted,  and  a  good  debater  and  effective  speaker,  he 
made  himself  popular  with  the  commimity.  In  his  administration  of  the 
office  of  justice  he  left  an  excellent  record  for  his  ability  to  deal  effect- 
ively with  the  criminal  classes.      He  died  February  9,  1 888. 

George  F.  Crumby  was  born  in  the  town  of  Newport  in  September, 
1855.  He  was  graduated  from  Hamilton  College  in  1879,  and  from  the 
law  department  of  the  same  institution  a  few  years  later.  He  com- 
menced practice  in  New  York  city  where,  however,  he  remained  only 
about  a  year.  Removing  to  Little  P"alls  in  1881,  he  formed  a  copart- 
nership with  Hon.  R.  H.  Smith.  In  1882  he  became  associated  with 
Hadley  W.  Jones  under  the  firm  name  of  Crumby  &  Jones,  and  this 
partnership  continued  until  his  death,  which  occurred  July  25,  1887. 
Mr.  Crumby  was  elected  school  commissioner  of  the  first  district  of  this 
county  in  1881  and  in  1887  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  village  of 
Little  Falls. 

John  I.  Prendergast,  long  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Winfield,  died 
March  24,  1869,  in  Brooklyn  where  he  then  lived.  He  was  State.sena- 
tor  in  1814,  member  of  the  Council  of  Appointment  in    1827,   and   for 


'^*^' 


(^^ 


BENCH  AND  BAR.  153 

four  years  was  judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  Herkimer  county. 
He  was  greatly  respected  and  esteemed  for  his  high  attainments,  integ- 
rity, and  uprightness. 

Sewell  S.  Morgan,  of  the  town  of  Winfield,  was  early  a  leading  lawyer 
in  the  county.  He  married  Julia  A.  Fairchild,  of  West  Winfield,  daugh- 
ter of  Anson  P.  Fairchild.  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  town.  He  was 
elected  district  attorney  in  1864. 

Sketches  of  Samuel  Earl,  Robert  Earl,  Geo.  A.  Hardin,  A.  M.  Mill, 
W.  F.  Lansing,  Amos  H.  Prescott,  A.  B.  Steele,  C.  W.  Prescott,  James 
B.  Rafter,  Ezra  Graves  and  others  will  be  found  in  the  biographical  de- 
partment of  this  volume. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  present  members  of  the  bar  of  Herkimer 
county. 

Dolgeville,  Edward  A.  Brown  ;  Danube,  A.  C.  Dingman  ;  Frankfort, 
Jos.  J.  Dudleston,  jr.,  Frank  B.  Parkhurst,  E.  Lagrange  Smith,  Harry 
G.  Folts;  Herkimer,  Robert  Earl,  George  W.  Smith,  Josiah  A.  Steele, 
Abram  B  Steele,  J.  Dryden  Henderson,  William  C.  Prescott,  E.  B.  Mitch- 
ell, I.  R.  Devendorf,  Adam  J.  Smith,  Charles  Bell,  William  Wither- 
stine,  Charles  E.  Snyder,  George  H.  Bunce,  Robert  E.  Steele;  Ilion, 
Thomas  Richardson,  George  O.  Rasbach,  James  Conklin,  Fred  H.  Ben- 
nett, A.  D.  Richardson,  Lincoln  C.  Ackler  ;  Little  Falls,  George  A. 
Hardin,  H.  Clay  Hall,  Albert  M.  Mills,  Charles  J.  Palmer,  Rollin  H. 
Smith,  Watts  T.  Loomis,  E.  E.  Sheldon,  Edward  Simms,  Edward  J. 
Coffin,  P.  H.  McEvoy,  Fred  I.  Small,  William  F.  Lansing,  D.  A.  Cham- 
pion, Myron  G.  Bronner,  John  D.  Beck  with,  Charles  L.  Petree,  Frank 
H.  Willard,  J.  W.  Fitzgerald,  Hadley  Jones,  A.  H.  Bellinger,  H.  A. 
De  Coster,  P.  H.  Murphy,  Richard  Hurley,.Nelson  R.  Gilbert;  Mohawk, 
James  B.  Rafter  ;  Newport,  George  M.  Wirt,  Charles  L.  Fellows  ;  Cul- 
len,  J.  Howard  Green  ;  Poland,  Milton  Howe  ;  West  Winfield,  C.  D. 
Thomas. 

First  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  (appointed  by  the  governor)  —  Henry  y 
Staring,  February  17,  1791;  Jedediah  Sanger,  March  8,  1797;  John  Meyer,  October 
80,  1800;  Evans  Wharry.  March  18,  1805;  DfroTV:  W.  Golding,  March  27,  1810; 
Nathan  Smith,  April  7,  1814;  David  Holt,  January  10,  1821;  Henry  Brown,  Feb- 
3,  1823;  Hiram  Nolton,  March  23,  1825;  Michael  Hoffman,  March  21,  1830;  Na- 
thaniel S.  Benton,  Aprils,  1833;  Arphaxed  Loomis,  March  23,  1835;  Arunah  C.  H. 
Smith,  January  24,  1840  ;  Ezra  Graves,  January  24,  1845. 
20 


154  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

County  Judges. — Ezra  Graves,  June,  1847,  and  November,  1859 ;  Robert  Earl,  1855  ; 
Volney  Owen,  1863  ;  Amos  H.  Prescott,  1867;  Amos  H.  Prescott,  1878-1883;  Rollin 
H.  Smitli,  1884-1889  :   Eugene  E.  Sheldon,  1890. 

Surrogates  (appointed  by  the  governor  under  the  Second  Constitution). — Moses  De 
Witt,  February  17,  1791;  Sanford  Clark,  March  19,  1798;  Dan  Chapman,  March  23, 
1803;  Philo  M.  Hackley,  March  28,  1807  ;  Abijah  Tombliog,  November  6,  1816;  Na- 
thaniel S.  Benton,  March  29,  1821  ;  Arphaxed  Loomis,  January  10,  1828;  Charles  S. 
Benton,  July  10,  1837;  Lauren  Ford,  April  2,  1841;  Ezra  Graves,  April  2,  184:"). 
Under  the  present  constitution  of  the  State  the  office  of  surrogate  in  Herkimer,  and  a 
number  of  other  counties  which  had  each  less  than  40,000  population  when  the  consti- 
tution was  adopted,  has  been  consolidated  with  that  of  county  judge. 

Justices  of  Sessions — 1878,  Orrin  A.  Ford,  John  F.  Rogers;  1879,  C.  P.  Miller,  Har- 
vey R.  Kibbe  ;  1880,  J.  E.  S.  Wilkmson,  William  Helmer ;  1881-1882,  Elon  G.  Bur- 
■  rows,  Henry  Sherman;  1883,  C.  P.  Miller,  Frank  Faville ;  1884,  Frank  L.  Brace, 
Thomas  C.  Murray;  1885,  Elon  G.  Burrows,  James  Sharp;  1880,  E.  H.  Doolittle, 
Alexander  Fox;  1887,  B.  H.  Doolittle,  I.  E.  Jackson;  1888,  V.  S.  Farrington,  I.  E. 
Jackson  ;  1889,  V.  S.  Farrington,  William  S.  Burt ;  1890,  Levi  Sliaul,  E.  T.  Lester ; 
1891,  C.  W.  Prescott,  Munson  Bunnell,';  1892,  C.  W.  Prescott,  Albert  S.  Coe. 

District  Attorneys — Under  the  Second  Constitution,  which  was  adopted  in  1822  and 
in  force  until  the  end  of  1840,  district  attorneys  were  appointed  by  the  Court  of  Gen- 
eral Sessions ;  for  the  last  forty-seven  years  they  have  been  chosen  by  popular  vote  at 
the  November  elections.  The  list  for  Herkimer  county  is  as  follows  :  Thomas  R.  Gold, 
February  26,  1797;  Nathan  Williams,  August  20,  1801;  Joseph  Kirkland,  February 
23,  1813;  Thomas  H.  Hubbard,  February  26,  1816;  Simeon  Ford,  June  11,  1818,  and 
September,  1836;  Michael  Hoffman,  May,  1823,  and  March,  1836;  George  H.  Feeter, 
1825;  Aaron  Hackley,  1828;  James  B.  Hunt,  1833;  Dudley  Burwell,  1836;  Hiram 
Nolton,  1837;  George  B.  Judd,  1847;  Volney  Owen,  1850;  Lauren  Ford,  1856 ; 
George  A.  Hardin,  January  28,  1858,  and  elected  in  the  following  November ;  Clinton 
A.  Moon,  1861;  Sewel  S.  Morgan,  1864;  Charles  G.  Burrows,  1867;  Albert  M.  Mills, 
1870;  .Joseph  J.  Dudle.ston,  jr.,  1876;  Abram  B.  Steele,  1880;  Eugene  E.  Sheldon, 
1886;  Irving  R.  Devendorf,  1889. 

SAen/s.— William  Colbraith,  February  17,  1791,  and  February  9,  1796;  Peter 
Smith,  February  18,  1795;  Chauncey  Woodruff,  March  19,  1798;  William 
H.  Cook,  March  17,  1802,  and  March  5,  1807;  Ephraim  Snow,  March  6,  1806;  John 
Mahon,  February  22,  1808,  March  4,  1811,  and  March  2,  1815;  Philo  M.  Hackley, 
February  28,  1810;  Henry  Hopkins,  February  23,  1813;  Robert  Shoemaker,  February 
13,  1817;  Stephen  Hallett,  February  13,  1821, '"and  November,  1822;  John  Dypert, 
1825;  John  Graves,  1828;  Frederick  P.Bellinger,  1831;  Francis  E.  Spinner,  1834; 
Stephen  W.  Brown,  1837;  William  C.  Grain,  1840  ;  Jeremiah  Corey,  1843;  William  I. 
Skinner,  1846;  Daniel  Hawn,  1849;  Lorenzo  Carryl,  1852;  Peter  Countryman,  1855; 
James  J.  Cook,  1857  ;  Seth  M.  Richmond,  1861  ;  George  M.  Cleland,  1864;  James  H. 
Weatherwax,  1867;  Alexander  Smith,  1870;  Volney  Eaton,  1873;  James  H.  Ives, 
1876;  De  Witt  C.  Paine,  1880;  Valentine  Brown,  1883;  Delevan  L.  CooV,  1886; 
Newell  Morey,  1889 ;  Sylvester  Wilson,  1892. 


COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY.  155 


CHAPTER  IX. 
THE    HERKIMER    COUNTY    MEDICAL   SOCIETY. 

THIS  venerable  society  was  organized  on  the  5th  day  of  August^ 
1806,  at  a  general  meeting  of  the  physicians  of  the  county,  held 
at  the  court  house,  pursuant  to  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State, 
regulating  the  practice  of  physic  and  surgery,  passed  April  4,  1806. 

Dr.  George  Rogers  was  chosen  chairman,  and  Dr.  Westel  Willough- 
by,  jr.,  secretary,  for  the  day.  On  canvassing  the  votes  for  officers  of 
the  society,  Dr.  Westel  Willoughby,  jr.,  was  elected  president ; 
George  Rogers,  vice-president ;  Andrew  Farreil,  secretary  ;  and  Amos 
Haile,  treasurer. 

Drs.  Amos  Haile,  Andrew  Farreil,  Jonathan  Sherwood,  Rufus  Grain 
and  Isaac  Sears,  were  chosen  censors. 

The  names  of  the  physicians  present  at  this  meeting  were :  Westel 
Willoughby,  jr.,  George  Rogers,  Andrew  Farreil,  Amos  Haile,  Abijah 
Tombling,  David  Perry,  Jonathan  Sherwood,  John  Eastman  and 
Samuel  Redfield. 

The  first  Tuesday  in  January  in  each  year  was  assigned  as  the  anni- 
versary of  the  society.  At  the  annual  meeting,  held  at  the  court- 
house in  January,  1807,  the  society  resolved,  that  to  entitle  a  physician 
to  become  a  member  of  tlie  society,  he  must  either  produce  a  diploma 
from  some  medical  society  in  the  United  States,  agreeable  to  the  law 
of  this  State,  or  a  voucher  that  he  is  a  reputable  physician. 

Westel  Willoughby,  jr.,  M.  D.,  was  appointed  a  delegate  from  the 
society  to  meet  the  delegates  from  the  other  counties  in  the  State,  on 
the  first  Tuesday  in  February,  1807,  to  form  a  State  medical  society. 

Drs.  Benjamin  Hazen,  Nathan  Harwood,  James  Hadley,  Isaac  Sears, 
Jacob  Abrams  and  William  Traver  were  admitted  members  of  the 
society.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  form  a  code  of  by-laws,  who 
reported  the  same  at  an  adjourned  meeting,  on  the  5th  of  May  fol- 
lowing, which  was  adopted,  and  ordered  to  be  printed.  Dr.  Wil- 
loughby was   requested  to   deliver  a  dissertation   before  the  society,  at 


156  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  adjourned  meeting  in  May,  1807.  In  1808,  at  the  quarterly  meet- 
ing in  May,  a  seal  was  ordered  to  be  procured  for  the  use  of  the  incor- 
poration ;  and  at  the  anniversary  meeting  in  January,  1809,  the  meet- 
ings of  the  society  were  reduced  from  four  to  two  annually,  and  a  fine 
of  one  dollar  imposed  for  non-attendance. 

Dr.  Willoughby  was  continued  president  of  the  society,  until  January, 
18 16,  when  Rufus  Grain  was  elected,  who  held  one  year,  and  was 
succeeded  by  James  Hadley,  who  also  held  the  office  one  year,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Westel  Willoughby,  M.  D.,  in  18 18.  This  year  the 
society  passed  an  order,  that  the  county  censors  of  any  incorporated 
medical  society  should  not  proceed  to  examine  a  student  for  a  license 
to  practice  physic  and  surgery,  unless  he  produce  a  certificate  of  having 
attended  at  least  one  session  at  one  of  the  medical  colleges  in  the 
United  States  or  in   Europe,  after  the  first  day  of  January,  18 18. 

Dr.  Willoughby  held  the  office  of  president  of  the  society  until 
January,  1837,  when  he  delivered  a  farewell  address,  for  which,  and  for 
his  constant  and  unwearied  exertions  for  the  interest  and  welfare  of  the 
society,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  to  him.  The  society,  also,  by 
resolution,  requested  a  copy  of  the  address,  and  also  a  copy  of  a  com- 
munication that  day  made  by  him,  to  be  deposited  in  the  archives  of 
the  society.  In  18 18,  a  vote  was  taken  to  apply  the  funds  of  the  society 
to  increase  the  library  of  the  medical  college  at  Fairfield,  on  condition 
that  its  members  could  have  the  benefit  of  the  library  during  the  recess  of 
the  lectures  at  the  college.  In  January,  18 19,  a  resolution  was  passed, 
that  every  medical  practitioner  in  the  county  who  was  not  then  a  mem- 
ber, be  notified  by  the  secretary  to  attend  at  the  next  regular  meet- 
ing of  the  society,  and  connect  himself  therewith,  pursuant  to  the  act 
passed  in  181 8. 

In  January,  1823,  an  order  was  passed  to  apply  the  funds  of  the  so- 
ciety, in  the  hands  of  the  treasurer,  to  the  benefit  of  the  college  library, 
in  accordance  with  a  previous  resolution.  The  funds  afterwards  re- 
ceived were  also  appropriated  to  the  same  object.  In  1825  the  society 
asked  the  trustees  of  the  college  to  pass  a  resolution,  that  all  the  books 
purchased  by  its  funds  should  be  delivered  to  the  society,  when  the 
college  should  be  located  in  some  other  place  than  Fairfield.  In  1828 
the  society  adopted  resolutions  of  condolence  with  the  families  of  Drs. 


COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY.  157 

Bryan,  Willard  and  Todd,  who  died  the  preceding  year,  and  requested 
biographical  sketclies  of  their  lives  to  be  deposited  in  the  archives  of 
the  society.  The  society  had  not  met  with  a  more  severe  loss  in  one 
year.  These  gentlemen  were  of  high  professional  repute,  and  of  great 
personal  worth.  The  society  in  1830  had  its  attention  called  to  the 
evils  of  intemperance,  and  resolved  unanimously  to  discountenance  the 
use  of  ardent  spirits  ;  and  the  annual  meetings  were  changed  to  the  first 
Tuesday  in  June,  in  each  year. 

In  183  I  measures  were  taken  to  procure  a  medical  topographical  sur- 
vey of  the  county,  in  accordance  with  a  circular  from  the  State  Medical 
Society.  There  is  no  record  that  the  several  committees,  appointed 
under  the  resolution,  to  procure  the  survey,  ever  made  any  reports. 
Dr.  Calvin  W.  Smith  was  design^ated  as  the  candidate  to  the  State 
Medical  Society,  for  the  honorary  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine. 

The  society  this  year,  1832,  took  measures  to  petition  the  Legislature, 
to  restore  that  part  of  the  revised  statutes,  regulating  the  practice  of 
physic  and  surgery,  repealed  by  the  act  of  1830;  and  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  circulate  memorials  for  that  object. 

In  1837  the  society  adopted  a  regulation  requiring  the  physician  em- 
ployed at  the  county  poor  house  to  make  an  annual  report  of  his  cases 
of  practice  ;  that  the  library  committee  should  make  an  investigation 
into  the  state  of  the  society's  library,  count  the  number  of  books  on 
hand,  and  compare  the  treasurer's  reports,  and  the  augmentation  of  the 
library  for  the  preceding  five  years.  Also,  that  each  member  of  the 
society  be  requested  to  keep  a  record  of  all  the  deaths  which  might  oc- 
cur in  his  practice,  the  age  of  the  patients,  the  diseases  of  which  they 
died,  and  how  far  said  deaths  were  caused  by  intemperate  habits  of  life, 
and  report  thereon  to  the  society. 

Dr.  Harvey  W.  Doolittle  was  chosen  president  of  the  society  in  June, 

1837,  was   succeeded   by  Dr.  Calvin  W.   Smith    for   one  year   in   June, 

1838,  and  was  again  chosen  in  1839,  and  held  the  office  by  annual  elec- 
tion until  June,  1842. 

In  January,  1839,  the  society  adopted  the  following  : 
"  Whereas,  by  the  dispensation  of  Divine  Providence,  since  our  last 
meeting,  this  society  has  been  deprived  of  one   of  its   most   valuable 
members,  and  the  community  of  one  of  its  brightest  ornaments,  in  the 
death  of  Dr.  John  Holmes : 


158  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Resolved,  That  the  members  of  this  society  shall  wear  the  usual  badge 
of  mourning  for  thirty  days,  as  a  testimony  of  their  high  respect  for 
their  deceased  friend  ;  and  that  the  secretary  be  a  committee  to  present 
the  condolence  of  this  society  to  the  relations  of  the  deceased." 

At  the  semi-annual  meeting  in  January,  1 840,  the  society  adopted  a 
like  resolution  on  the  announcement  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Calvin  VV. 
Smith,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  write  a  biographical  sketch  of  the 
lives  of  Drs.  Smith  and  Holmes. 

The  professors  of  the  Medical  College  at  Fairfield,  having  resigned, 
and  the  trustees  of  that  institution  having  failed  to  procure  the  appoint- 
ment of  others  to  continue  the  lectures,  the  society,  in  1843,  took  eft'ect- 
ual  measures  to  reclaim,  secure  and  preserve  the  society  library,  which 
had  been  deposited  in  the  college  under  the  care  of  the  trustees  and 
professors  of  that  institution,  as  before  noticed. 

In  June,  1842,  Dr.  Lester  Green  was  elected  president  of  the  society, 
and  a  resolution  was  adopted  pledging  the  influence  of  the  members  to 
forward  any  feasible  plan  for  resuscitating  the  Medical  College  at  Fair- 
field, and  tendering  the  use  of  the  society's  library  to  the  trustees  of  the 
college  when  the  professorships  should  be  filled  and  the  lectures  re- 
sumed. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1843,  ^^-  Green  was  re-elected  president. 
The  whole  number  of  volumes  on  the  catalogue  of  the  society's  library 
was  590,  of  which  475  were  brought  from  Fairfield,  fifty- four  were 
charged  to  members  and  sixty-three  were  lost  or  missing.  The  society 
adopted  a  set  of  by-laws,  regulating  the  safe  keeping  and  the  use  of  the 
library.  Dr.  Alfred  E.  Varney  was  chosen  [)resident  at  the  annual 
meeting  in  1844,  and  the  delegate  to  the  State  society  was  requested  to 
lay  before  that  body  the  opinion  entertained  by  this  society,  "  that  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  medical  faculty  generally,  to  memorialize  the  Legis- 
lature of  this  State  to  procure  the  passage  of  a  law  to  prohibit  the  sale 
or  use  of  any  secret  compound  as  a  medicine,"  and  to  ask  the  State  so- 
ciety to  adopt  measures  to  lay  this  subject  before  the  Legislature  at  the 
next  session.  These  proceedings  were  rescinded  at  a  subsequent  meet- 
ing. Some  doubts  having  been  entertained,  growing  out  of  the  legislation 
of  the  State  in  respect  to  medical  societies,  in  regard  to  the  legal  exist- 
ence of  the  society,  a  resolution  was  adopted  in  January,  1845,  to  con- 


COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY.  159 

tinue  the  association  as  an  organized  body,  and  the  unanimous  opinion 
of  the  society  to  that  effect  was  declared. 

Dr.  Abram  Snyder  was  chosen  president  in  June,  1845.  -^  resolu- 
tion was  passed  to  appoint  a  committee  to  present  the  condolence  of  the 
society  to  the  family  of  Dr.  Westel  Willoughby,  deceased,  and  request 
a  biography  of  his  life,  and  also  that  the  society  should  wear  the  usual 
badge  of  mourning. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1846,  Dr.  Caleb  Budlong  was  elected  pres- 
ident ;  Dr.  Walter  Booth  in  1848,  and  Dr.  Abram  Snyder,  again  in  1849. 
Drs.  J.  R.  Brown,  Wheeler,  Griffith  and  Snyder  were  elected  delegates  to 
the  National  Medical  Association.  Drs.  Brown  and  Wheeler  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  prepare  and  present  to  the  society  a  biographical 
sketch  of  the  life  of  Dr.  Lester  Green.  The  transactions  of  the  society 
at  its  annual  meeting  in  June,  1 847,  do  not  appear  to  have  been  recorded, 
nor  is  the  death  of  Dr.  Lester  Green  noticed  except  as  above  mentioned. 

Dr.  Harvey  W.  Doolittle  was  elected  president  of  the  society  in  1850 
and  185  I.  Drs.  Booth,  Brown,  A.  F.  Doolittle  and  D.  Belknap  were 
appointed  delegates  to  the  National  Medical  Association  in  1850.  In 
June,  1852,  Dr.  A.  Green  was  chosen  president,  and  Drs.  A.  F.  Doo- 
little, C.  A.  Griffith,  A.  Hawn,  and  W.  Booth  were  appointed  delegates 
to  the  National  Medical  Association. 

The  society,  at  its  annual  meeting  in  June,  1853,  elected  Dr.  Walter 
Booth  president,  and  appointed  Drs.  Budlong,  Griffith,  Hawn  and 
Parkhurst  delegates  to  the  National  Medical  Association. 

The  proceedings  of  the  semi-annual  meeting  of  the  society  in  Janu- 
ary, 1852,  are  deeply,  nay  more,  solemnly  interesting.  Dr.  C.  A. 
Griffith  presented  the  following  resolutions,  which  were  unanimously 
adopted : 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  the  allwise  disposer  of  events  to  remove  from  this  life  our 
late  friend  and  brother,  Harvey  W.  Doolittle,  one  of  tlie  oldest,  most  eminent  and 
highly  respected  physicians  of  this  county,  and  vf ho  Vf as  for  many  years  president  of 
this  society  ;  Be  it  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  deplore  the  loss  sustained  by  his  bereaved  family,  by  the 
medical  society,  of  which  he  was  long  an  active  member,  and  by  the  public  al  large,  in 
the  death  of  that  excellent  man  and  physician.  Dr.  Earvey  W.  Doolittle,  whose  profes- 
sional attainments,  not  less  than  his  own  personal  qualities,  contributed  to  render  him 
a  most  useful  and  estimable  member  of  the  community  : 


160  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Tliat  we  know  and  cherish  his  qualities  as  a  man  and  a  citizen  ;  that  we  admire  his 
sound  judgment,  his  scientific  knowledge  and  philanthropic  spirit,  which  gave  him  a 
desirable  eminence  in  his  profession : 

That  we  love  and  lament  him  as  a  friend,  and  we  doubt  not  his  translation  to  a 
higher  and  happier  sphere,  where  the  pains  and  cares  of  this  transient  life  give  place  to 
unbroken  rest  and  unspeakable  felicity. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  successive  presidents  of  the  Medical  Society 
from  its  organization  to  the  present  time : 

Westel  Willoughby,  Jr.,  1806  to  1814,  inclusive;  Rufus  Grain,  1816;  James  Hadley, 
1817;  W.  Willoughby,  1818  to  1836,  inclusive;  H.  W.  Doolittle,  1837;  Calvin  W. 
Smith,  1838;  H.  W.  Doolittle,  1839-40-41;  Lester  Green,  1842-43;  Alfred  B.  Var- 
ney,  1844;  Abram  Snyder,  1845;  Caleb  Budlong,  1846;  W.  Booth,  1847;  Abram 
Snyder,  1849;  H.  W.  DooUttle,  1860-51;  Abel  Green,  1852;  Walter  Booth,  1853;  W. 
11.  Parkhurst,  1854;   Abram  Hawn,  1855;  Griffin  Sweet,  1856;  A.  F.  Doolittle,  1857; 

F.  B.  Etheredge,   1858-59; Hemstreet,    1800-61;  (records  mi.ssing  to   1871); 

A.  G.  Barney,  1871;  James  M.  Rose,  1872;  Griffin  Sweet,  1873;  Benjamin  E.  Bush- 
nell,  1874 ;  George  Graves,  1875;  H.  A.  France,  1876;  Stephen  Ingham,  1877; 
Charles  W.  Hamlin,  1878;  James  B.Casey,  1879;  A.James  Browne,  1880;  Charles 
J.  Hall,  1881 ;  John  P.  Sharer,  1882 ;  James  F.  Huntley,  1883  ;  W.  W.  Budlong,  1884 ; 
D.N.Walker,  1885;  E.  N.  Draper,  1886;  Eli  Fo.x,  1887;  P.  A.  Skiff,  1888;  M.  A. 
Southworth,  1889;  W.  D.  Garlock,  1890:  I.  S.  Edsall,  1891;  K.  A.  Bushnell,  1892. 

The  following  have  been  secretaries  of  the  society  : 

Andrew  Farwell,  1806  to  1809,  inclusive;  Jacob  Abrams,  1810;  W.  H.  Doolittle, 
1811  to  1814,  inclusive;  Jacob  L.Sherwood,  1816  to  1818,  inclusive;  M.L.Bryan, 
1819  to  1822,  inclusive;  H.  W.  Doolittle,  1823;  M.  L.  Bryan,  1824-25;  Muses  John- 
son, 1826  to  1836,  inclusive;  A.  F.  Doolittle,  1838  to  1840,  inclusive;  F.  B  Etheredge, 
1841;  C.  L.  Easton,  1842-43;  Griffin  Sweet,  1844-45;  C.  A.  Griffeth,  1846  to  1851, 
inclusive;  Adam  Miller,  1852-53;  S.  R.  Millington,  1854;'  C.  A.  Griffeth,  1855  ;  J.  E. 
Casey,  1856;  J.  B.  Casey,  1857;  C.  A.  Griffeth,  1858;  H.  H.Green,  1860-61;  C.  W. 
Hamlin,  1871 ;  A.  Walter  Suiter,  1872  to  1892,  inclusive. 

Of  the  proceedings  and  character  of  the  Herkimer  County  Medical 
Society  in  the  later  years  of  its  existence  it  may  be  said  that  it 
has  always  been  found  in  the  front  rank  on  all  matters  of  State  and 
National  polity  as  connected  with  the  practice  of  medicine.  At  a 
meeting  held  in  1882,  a  very  animated  discussion  was  held  on  questions 
of  ethics,  and  a  resolution  was  passed  declaring  the  allegiance  of  the 
society  to  the  Code  of  1847,  and  against  the  one  that  had  been  adopted 
by  the  State  Society  in  1881.  Many  able  papers  have  been  prepared 
and  read  before  the  society  during  its  existence,  showing  that  the  ability 
of  its  membership  as  a  whole  has  been  of  a  high  order. 


REGISTER  OF  PHYSICIANS.  IGI 

On  account  of  its  value  for  reference  by  present  and  future  members 
of  the  profession,  we  give  tlie  following  list  of  all  physicians  who  have 
registered  in  the  clerk's  office  of  this  county  since  I  880,  under  the  law 
governing  that  matter  : 

Vaugn  C.  Potter,  Van  Hornesville,  born  in  Salisbury,  Herkimer  county  ;  Geneva 
College  of  Physic  and  Surgery,  January  24,  18G0.     Registered  July,  1880. 

Augustus  Walter  Suiter,  born  in  Herkimer;  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 
Columbia  College,  March,  1871.     Registered  July,  1880. 

Lyman  C.  Dexter,  born  in  Newport,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Newport ;  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  June  26,  1879.     Registered  July,  1880. 

Delevan  N.  Walker,  residence  at  Ilion,  Herkimer  county,  born  in  Root,  Montgomery 
county ;  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia.  March  9,  1858.  Registered  July  16, 
1880. 

Robert  W.  Warnei,  born  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  residence  Ilion';  Albany  Medical  Col- 
lege, March  5,  1880.     Registered  July  21,  1880. 

Frederick  F.  Comstock,  born  in  Western,  Oneida  county,  residence  Ilion ;  Bellevue 
Hospital  Medical  College,  February  27,  1873.     Registered  July  22,  1880. 

Robert  J.  La  Fonzo,  born  at  Galveston,  Texas,  re.sidence  Brooklyn;  Indiana  Central 
Medical  College  and  Asbury  University,  March  1,  1867.     Registered  July  24,  1880. 

Abram  Guiwits,  born  in  Stark,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Salisbury  Centre;  Cas- 
tleton  Medical  College,  Vt.,  18.^,0.     Registered  July  26,  1880. 

Alfred  A.  Moors,  born  in  Plainfield,  Otsego  county,  residence  West  Winfield.  Her- 
kimer county,  Memphis  Medical  College,  Tenn.,  March  1,  1854.  Registered  July  2G, 
1880. 

James  I.  Rasback,  born  at  Ilion,  residence  Ilion ;  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College, 
February  26,  1876.     Registered  July  6,  1880. 

C.  J.  Hall,  born  in  Queens  county,  residence  Norway,  Herkimer  county ;  University 
of    Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  March  31,  1870.     Registered  July  27,  1880. 

H.  B.  Mabin,  born  in  Halcott,  Greene  county,  N.  Y.,  residence  Ilion;  Albany 
Medical  College,  December  22,  1867.     Registered  July  27,  1880. 

Adam  Miller,  born  in  Columbia,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Jordanville;  Geneva 
Medical  College,  January,  1844.     Registered  August  7,  1880. 

W.  W.  Budlong,  born  at  Frankfort.  Herkimer  county,  residence  Frankfort;  Buffalo 
Medical  College,  June  3,  1848.     Registered  August  10,  1880. 

William  H.  Stebbins,  born  in  Manheira,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Little  Falls; 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  western  district  of  New  York,  February,  1834. 
Registered  August  12,  1880. 

Alfred  Beach,  born  at  New  York  city,  residence  Ilion,  N.  Y. ;  Homeopathic  Medical 
College,  March  1,  1875.     Registered  August  13,  1880. 

Eli  Fox,  born  in  Columbia,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Mohawk;  New  York  Uni- 
versity, March  25,  1855.     Registered  August  16,  1880. 

Wm.  H.  Harter,  born  at  Herkimer,  re.sidence  Herkimer ;  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  New  York,  March  4,  1852.     Registered  August  17,  1880. 


162  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Silas  Ingham,  born  in  Nassau,  Rensselaer  county,  residence  Little  Falls  ;  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Fairfield,  February,  1839.     Registered  August  17,  1880. 

Stephen  A.  Ingham,  born  at  Ingham's  Mills,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Little  Falls  ; 
Albany  Medical  College,  December  26,  1871.     Registered  September  9,  1880. 

Albert  J.  Browne,  born  in  Warren,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Newport,  Herkimer 
county ;  Berkshire  Medical  College,  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  1865.  Registered  August  20, 
1880. 

Charles  W.  Hamlin,  born  at  Holland  Patent,  residence  Middleville;  Bellevue  Hos- 
pital Medical  College,  March,  1866.     Registered  August  26,  1880. 

Benjamin  E.  Bushnell,  born  in  Fairfield,  residence  Little  Falls;  Albany  Medical  Col- 
lege, January,  1844.     Registered  August  2C,  1880. 

Kenyon  A.  Bushnell,  born  at  Albany,  residence  Little  Falls;  Albany  Medical  College, 
January  29.  1878.     Registered  August  26,  1880. 

Harvey  J.  Christman,  born  at  Herkimer,  residence  Columbia;  Albany  Medical  Col- 
lege, December  27,  1864.     Registered  August  28,  1880. 

Peter  Pryne,  born  at  Frankfort,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Herkimer;  Geneva 
Medical  College,  January  27,  1846.     Registered  August  31,  1880. 

Isaac  N.  Willard.  born  in  Fairfield,  residence  Fairfield ;  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical 
College,  February  23,  1875.     Registered  August  28,  1880. 

Adelbert  J.  Douglass,  born  in  Leyden,  Lewis  county,  residence  Ilion  ;  Long  Island 
College  Hospital,  June  26,  1873.     Registered  August  31,  1880. 

George  Graves,  born  at  Herkimer,  residence  Herkimer  ;  Buftalo  Medical  College,  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1870.     Registered  September  1,  1880. 

Lucius  L.  Brainard,  born  in  Exeter,  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  residence.  Little  Falls; 
New  York  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  March  5,  1874.  Registered  September  1, 
1880. 

John  D.  Young,  born  at  Springfield,  Otsego  county,  residence  Starkville  ;  ''  Academiaj 
Medioinje  Kentuckiensis,''  1865      Registered  September  2,  1880. 

John  P.  Sharer,  born  in  Little  Falls,  residence  Little  Falls;  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  New  York,  March  1,  1848.     Registered  September  1,  1885. 

Cyrus  Kay,  jr.,  born  at  Frankfort,  residence  Herkimer ;  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  New  York,  March  12,  1880.     Registered  September  1,  1880. 

William  H.  H.  Parkhurst,  born  in  Winfield,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Frankfort ; 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Fairfield,  January  23,  1840.  Registered  Septem- 
ber 7,  1880. 

James  Hemstreet,  born  in  Ohio.  Herkimer  county,  residence  Poland  ;  Oneida  County 
Medical  Society,  Utica,  October  14,  1874.     Registered  September  8,  1880. 

AlmanzoG.  Barney,  born  in  Newport,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Brockelt's  Bridge  ; 
Albany  Medical  College,  December  24,  1860.     Registered  September  7,  1880. 

Henry  A.  France,  born  in  Herkimer,  residence  Poland ;  Albany  Medical  College, 
December  25,  1864.     Registered  September  10,  1880. 

Nelson  Isham,  born  in  Connecticut,  re.sidence  Little  Falls ;  Yale  Medical  College, 
March  4,  1828.     Registered  September  11,  1880. 

G.  T.  Hyland,  born  in  Madison  county,  residence  Little  Falls;  Bellevue  Medical  Col- 
lege, March  1,  1879.     Registered  September  11,  1880. 


REGISTER  OF  PHYSICIANS.  163 

William  Landt,  born  in  Danube,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Mohawk ;  New  York 
Medical  College,  March  2,  1858.     Registered  September  11,  1880. 

P.  A.  Skiff,  born  in  Schuyler,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Frankfort;  Albany  Medi- 
cal College,  January  21,  1851.     Registered  September  13,  1880. 

George  P.  Rasbach,  born  in  Herkimer,  residence  Mohawk;  Bellevue  Hospital  Med- 
ical College,  February  26,  1876.     Registered  September  14,  1880. 

Moritz  R.  Richter,  born  in  Germany,  residence  Middleville;  University  of  Leipsic, 
Saxony,  October,  1860.     Registered  September  14,  1880. 

E.  M.  Draper,  born  in  Broome  county,  residence  Ilion  ;  Albany  Medical  College,  Jan- 
uary 20,  1874.     Registered  September  14,  1880. 

William  H.  Brown,  born  in  Litchfield,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Cedarville;  Al- 
bany Medical  College,  December  26,  1866.     Registered  September  16,  1880. 

William  Tibbetts,  born  at  Ballston,  Saratoga  county,  residence  Newville ;  Bellevue 
Hospital  Medical  College,  March,  1867.     Registered  September  16,  1880. 

Charles  Isham,  born  at  Mohawk,  residence  Little  Falls ;  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical 
College,  March  1,  1866.     Registered  September  16,  1880. 

Malek  A.  Southworth,  born  m  New  York  State,  residence  Little  Falls;  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  New  York,  February  5,  1846.  Registered  September  17, 
1880. 

Peter  F.  Bellinger,  born  in  Herkimer,  residence  Herkimer;  Bellevue  Hospital  Med- 
ical College,  March  1,  1879.     Registered  September  17,  1880. 

Peter  Yost,  born  in  Johnstown,  residence  Little  Falls  ;  Medical  College  of  Castleton, 
Tt.,  1847.     Registered  September  18,  1880. 

Leslie  R.  Quackenbush,  born  in  Herkimer,  residence  Brockett's  Bridge;  University 
Medical  College,  New  York,  March  13.  1880.     Registered  September  17,  1880. 

Theodore  J.  Ashley,  born  in  Whitestown,  Oneida  county,  residence  Ohio;  State 
Eclectic  Medical  Society,  Pennsylvania,  1863.     Registered  August  10,  1880. 

Z.  R.  May,  born  in  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  residence  Schuyler;  Eclectic  Medical  College, 
Philadelphia,  1861.     Registered  September  21,  1880. 

A.  D.  Coffin,  born  in  Deerfleld,  Oneida  county,  residence  Frankfort;  University  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  March  1 ,  1880.     Registered  September  21,  1880. 

J.  B.  Ellis,  born  in  Whitestown,  Oneida  county,  residence  Little  Falls ;  Bellevue 
Medical  College,  March  1,  1871.     Registered  September  21,  1880. 

Daniel  Lord,  born  in  New  York  city,  residence  Warren,  Herkimer  county  ;  the  med- 
ical department  of  ihe  Northwestern  University,  Chicago,  March  13,  1873.  Registered 
September  23,  1880. 

James  E.  Casey,  born  in  Schenectady  county,  residence  Mohawk;  Albany  Medical 
College,  1852.     Registered  September  24,  1880. 

James  M.  Rose,  born  in  Herkimer  county,  residence  West  Winfield ;  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Fairfield,  January,  1837.     Registered  September  24,  1880. 

James  F.  Huntley,  jr.,  born  in  Williamstown,  Oswego  county,  residence  West  Win- 
field  ;  Medical  Department  University  of  City  of  New  York,  February  20,  1877.  Reg- 
istered September  24,  1880. 

Henry  H.  Green,  born  in  Paine's  Hollow,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Paine's  Hol- 
low ;  Geneva  Medical  College,  1859.     Registered  September  22,  1880. 


164  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

David  M.  Diefendorf,  born  in  German  Flats,  residence  Herkimer ;  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons,  New  York,  March,  1861.     Registered  Septeff.ber  27,  1880. 

J.  B.  Holcomb,  born  in  Yermont,  residence  Newport;  Albany  Medical  College,  De- 
cember 24,  1855.     Registered  September  28,  1880. 

Sydney  S.  Carter,  born  in  Madison,  Conn.,  residence  Newport;  Eclectic  Medical  So- 
ciety, October  18,  1876,  and  National  Ecleotical  Society  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  June  19, 
1878.     Registered  September  28,  1880. 

Henry  Lewis,  jr.,  born  in  Little  Falls,  residence  Little  Falls  ;  Albany  Medical  College, 
January  29,  1879.     Registered  September  29,  1880. 

J.  Dayton  Munn,  born  in  Litchfield,  Herkimer  county,  residence  Stark  ;  Albany  Med- 
ical College,  June  17,  1844.     Registered  September  27,  1880. 

H.  J.  Spencer,  born  in  West  Winfield,  residence  West  Winfield  ;  Homeopathic  Med- 
ical College.  New  York,  February,  1870.     Registered  September  29,  1880. 

Allison  0.  Douglass,  born  in  Ava,  N.  Y.,  residence  Little  Falls;  Long  Island  College 
Hospital  June  26,  1876.     Registered  September  30,  1880. 

William  H.  Craig,  born  at  Ottawa,  Canada,  residence  West  Schuyler;  University  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  July  14,  1874.     Registered  September  30,  1880. 

Loomis  Warner,  residence  West  Winfield ;  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 
Fairfield,  January  26,  1826.     Registered  October  29,  1880. 

Miles  Longshore,  born  at  Depeyster,  St.  Lawrence  county,  residence  Cold  Brook ; 
University  of  Vermont,  June  26,  1879.     Registered  October  1,  1880. 

Lemuel  Fitch  Pattengill,  born  in  Otsego  county,  residence  West  Winfield ;  Medical 
Department  University  of  City  of  New  York,  February  17,  1880.  Registered  April  1 
1881. 

Frank  D.  Crim,  born  at  Mohawk,  residence  Mohawk  ;  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  New  York,  November  9,  1880.     Registered  June  9.  1881. 

Charles  Harvey  Glidden,  born  in  Clarendon,  New  York,  residence  Little  Falls ;  Col- 
lege of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  New  York,  May  13,  1881.  Registered  August  25, 
1881. 

William  D.  Garlock,  born  in  Manheim,  residence  Little  Falls;  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,   New  York,  October  11,  1881.     Registered  October  28,  1881. 

John  M.  Mangan,  born  in  County  Kerry,  Ireland,  residence  Little  Falls;  Medical 
Department  University  of  Pennsylvania,  March  14,  1857.  Registered  December  23, 
1881. 

Edgar  C.  Swift,  born  at  Paine's  Hollow,  residence  Jordanville ;  Syracuse  University 
College  of  Medicine,  June  9,   1881.     Registered  January  25,  1882. 

Elmer  G.  Kern,  born  in  Madison  county,  N.  Y.,  residence  Herkimer;  Hahnemann 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  March  10,  1881.     Registered  February  21,  1882. 

David  F.  Blanchard,  born  at  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.,  residence  Boston  ;  Royal  College 
of  Surgeons,  London,  Eng.,  March  22,  1852,  and  Medical  Department  of  Vermont 
University,  November  10,  1849.     Registered  February  22,  1882. 

Charles  P.  Beaman,  born  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  residence  Stamford,  Conn. ;  New  York 
Homeopatiiic  College,  March  16,  1882.     Registered  March  30,  1882. 

William  H.  Dewing,  born  in  Litchfield,  residence  Utica  ;  Hahnemann  Homeopathic 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  March  14,  1882.     Registered  April  6,  1882. 


REGISTER  OF  PHYSICIANS.  165 

Willard  Gillett,  born  in  Cherry  Valley,  residence  Starl<ville;  Albany  Medical  Col- 
lege, March  1,  1882.     Registered  April  17,1882. 

Charles  A.  Ward,  born  in  Candor,  Tioga  county,  N.  Y.,  residence  Troy,  N.  Y.  ; 
United  States  Medical  College,  New  York,   March  8,  1882.     Registered  June  7,  1882. 

Daniel  P.  Van  Court,  born  in  Otsego  county,  residence  Mohawk  ;  Albanv  Medical 
College,  December  23,  1875.     Registered  April  14,  1884. 

Willard  Holt,  born  at  Newport,  N.  Y.,  residence  Dolgeville;  University  of  Michigan, 
June  26,  1879.     Registered  March  30,  1883. 

Seymour  S.  Richards,  born  in  Newport,  N.  Y.,  residence  East  Schuyler  ;  University 
of  the  City  of  New  York,  March  13,  1883.     Registered  April  10,  1883. 

John  H.  Stephens,  born  at  Frankfort,  N.  Y.,  residence  Cedarville ;  Albany  Medical 
College,  March  7,  1883.     Registered  May  3,  1883. 

Edward  S.  Willard,  born  in  Fairfield,  residence  Watertown  ;  Albany  Medical  College, 
March  3,  1880.     Registered  June  5,  1883. 

Irving  O.  Nellis,  born  in  Herkimer,  residence  Herkimer;  Medical  Department  of 
University  of  Vermont,  June  22,  1882.     Registered  June  5,   1883. 

Clark  Getman,  born  in  Columbia,  N.  Y.,  residence  Dolgeville ;  Medical  University 
at  Buffalo,  February  22,  1883.     Registered  June  19,  1883. 

Emory  A.  Eakin,  born  at  Gallipolis,  Ohio,  residence  Buffalo  ;  Miami  Medical  Col- 
lege, Cincinnati,  March  2,  1869.     Registered  April  18,  1884. 

Charles  O.  Zimmerman,  born  in  Hermon,  N.  Y.,  residence  Frankfort;  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Maryland  University,  March  1,  1882.     Registered  June  3,  1884. 

Walter  B.  Miller,  born  in  Delaware  county,  N.  Y.,  residence  Salisbury  Centre  ; 
Albany  Medical  College,  March  2,  1882.     Registered  June  3,  1884. 

Peter  Walter  Emmons,  born  in  Romulus,  Seneca  county,  N.  Y.,  residence  Syracuse, 
N.  Y. ;  Physio  Eclectic  Medical  College  of  Ohio,  January  22,  1876.  Registered 
August  17,  1884. 

Henry  J.  Vrooman,  born  at  Trenton,  Oneida  county,  residence  Norway  ;  Bellevue 
Hospital  Medical  College,  March  13,  1882.     Registered  September  3,  1884. 

John  V.  Hennesey,  born  at  New  York  city,  residence  Little  Falls  ,  Albany  Medical 
College,  March  4,  1884.     Registered  October  4,  1884. 

George  C.  Morey,  born  at  Lebanon,  N.  Y.,  residence  Grant ;  University  of  Ver- 
mont, June  6,  1865.     Registered  October  25,  1884. 

James  A.  Moors,  born  in  Salisbury,  residence  West  Winfield;  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  City  of  New  York,  May  13,  1881.     Registered  December  15,  1884. 

James  B.  Kershaw,  born  in  Litchfield,  residence  Van  Hornesville;  Albany  Medical 
College,  December  23,  1875.     Registered  January  6,  1885. 

Franklin  B.  Smith,  born  atHdlsdale,  Mich.,  residence  Buffalo;  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  February  24,  or  26,  1879.      Registered  January  9,  1885. 

E.  S.  B.  Spencer,  born  ia  Winfield,  residence  West  Winfield;  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  February  20,  1881.     Registered  January  21,  1885. 

Irving  S.  Edsall,  born  in  Roxbury,  Delaware  county,  N.  Y.,  residence  Middleville ; 
Albany  Medical  College,  March  4,  1885.     Registered  April  13,  1885. 


166  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

James  A.  Barringer,  born  in  Schodack,  Rensselaer  county,  residence  Genesee  county; 
Medical  Department  University  of  Buffalo,  February  25,  1873.  Registered  June  lii, 
1885. 

Albert  D.  Chattaway,  born  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  residence  Ilion  ;  New  York  Homeo- 
pathic Medical  College,  April  17,  1885.     Registered  August  2G,  1885. 

William  B.  Woodhull,  born  at  Painesville,  Ohio,  residence  Poland  ;  Unirersily  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  March  9,  1882      Registered  October  30,  1885. 

E.  E.  Kelley,  born  in  Salisbury,  residence  Salisbury  ;  Hahnemann  Medical  College, 
Chicago,  February  25,  1S86.     Registered  March  29,  1886. 

George  H.  Greeley,  born  at  Syracuse,  residence  Ilion;  Homeopathic  Medical  Col- 
lege, New  York,  March  3,  1864.     Registered  January  11,  1887. 

Thomas  F.  Lynott,  born  al  Pittstown,  Pa.,  residence  Frankfort;  University  Medical 
College,  New  York,  March  8,  1886.     Registered  January  17,  1887. 

John  W.  Sheflield,  born  at  St.  Johnsville,  residence  Van  Hornesville ;  Albany  Medi- 
cal College,  March  3,  1886.     Registered  January  18,  1887. 

Delevan  E.  Walker,  born  at  Dolgeville,  residence  Ilion  ;  Medical  Department  Uni- 
versity of  Buffalo,  February  22,  1882.     Registered  April  25,  1887. 

E.  Townsend  Jones,  born  al  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  residence  Kingston  ;  certificate  of 
license  from  Censors  of  Eclectic  Medical  Society,  April  8,  1878.  Registered  May  24. 
1886. 

H.  A.  Ward,  born  in  Hartland,  N.  Y.,  residence  Ilion  ;  Pulte  Medical  College  of 
Cincinnati,  March  3,  1887.     Registered  October  14,  1887. 

William  Dougan,  born  at  St.  Catharines,  Canada,  residence  Buffalo;  Niagara  Univer- 
sity of  Buffalo,  May  3,  1807.     Registered  December  12,  1887. 

Fred  E.  Easton,  born  in  Cedarville,  residence  Richfield  Springs ;  Long  Island  College 
Hospital,  May  22,  1884.     Registered  July  7,  1885. 

William  H.  Dudley,  born  in  Madison,  Conn.,  residence  Newport ;  University  of  the 
City  of  New  York,  March  9,  1882.     Registered  December  4,  1888. 

J.  M.  Showerman,  born  at  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  residence  Batavia ;  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons  of  Buffalo,  February  22,  1882.     Registered  April  29,  1889. 

Charles  G.  Strobel,  born  in  Ohio,  N.  Y.,  residence  Dolgeville;  Long  Island  College 
Hospital,  March  9,  1888.     Registered  May  16,  1889. 

Fred  M.  Barney,  born  at  Brocketl's  Bridge,  residence  Dolgeville  ;  Union  University 
of  Albany,  March  15,  1888.     Registered  May  20,  1889. 

George  W.  Mangus,  born  in  Herkimer,  residence  Little  Falls  ;  Columbus  Medical 
College,  Ohio,  February  29,  1888.     Registered  August  7,  1889. 

Benjamin  F.  French,  born  in  Ohio,  residence  Little  Falls ;  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  Philadelphia,  March  6,  1880.     Registered  September  26,  1889. 

Edgar  H.  Douglas,  born  in  Massachusetts,  residence  Little  Falls;  Dartmouth  Medi- 
cal College,  Hanover,' N.  H.,  November  26,  1889.     Registered  December  2,  1889. 

Charles  W.  Nichols,  born  in  Fairfield,  residence  Fairfield  ;  Albany  Medical  College, 
March  21,  1889.     Registered  February  27,  1890. 

De  Witt  P.  Bailey,  born  at  Richfield  Springs,  residence  Van  Hornesville ;  New  York 
University  Medical  College,  March  4,  1889.     Registered  May  22,  1890. 


PERSONAL  SKETCHES.  167 

George  A.  Armstrong,  born  in  Plain  field,  Otsego  county,  residence  West  WinBeld  ; 
University  of  State  of  New  Yorlc,  l\rarch  5,  1884.     Registered  June  3.  1890. 

Brounislaus  Onufrowics,  born  in  Siberia,  residence  Dolgeville;  Swiss  Confederation 
of  Berne,  Switzerland,  November  27,  1884.     Registered  October  4,  18S0. 

Oliver  T.  Lines,  born  m  Connecticut,  residence  Brooklyn,  New  York ;  Hygeo 
Therapeutic  College,  March  29,  1859.     Registered  November  3,  1890. 

Le  Grand  H.  Hollon,  born  at  Albion,  N.  Y.,  residence  Herkimer;  University  of 
Michigan,  June  30,  1869.     Registered  December  16,  1890. 

Jasper  D.  Fitch,  born  at  Burlington.  N.  Y.,  residence  Mohawk  ;  Medical  Department 
University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  February  18,  1872.  Registered  January  IG, 
1891. 

William  P.  Smith,  born  at  Glens  Falls,  residence  Albany  ;  University  of  Vermont, 
June  29,  1885.     Registered  February  26,  1891. 

J.  T.  Hard,  born  at  East  Worcester,  N.  Y.,  residence  Little  Falls ;  Albany  Medical 
College,  March  18, 1877.     Registered  April  11,  1891. 

John  D.  Hilton,  born  at  Kingston,  N.  C,  residence  Stratford,  Fulton  county ;  Uni- 
versity of  City  of  New  York,  March  24,  1891.     Registered  May  7,  1891. 

Merton  W.  Brown,  born  in  Litchfield,  N.  Y.,  residence  Cedarville  ;  Albany  Medical 
College,  April  1,  1891.     Registered  June  2,  1891. 

B.  Rush  Jackson,  born  in  Berwick,  Pa.,  residence  Amsterdam ;  Electro-Therapeutic 
Institute,  Philadelphia,  October  23,  188G.     Registered  July  28,  1891. 

John  Logan,  born  in  Ireland,  residence  Little  Falls;  Bellevue  Ho.«pital  Medical 
College.  March  14,  1883.     Registered  October  29,   1891. 

L.  B.  Palmiter,  born  in  Hamilton,  N.  Y..  residence  Ilion ;  University  of  Vermont, 
July  13, 1891.     Registered  November  10,  1891. 

William  Edwin  Hayes,  born  at  Frankfort,  residence  Frankfort;  Medical  Department 
University  of  City  of  New  York,  March  24,  1891.     Registered  February  1.  18i)2. 

Henry  Francis  Kilbourn,  born  at  Elizabethtown,  Canada,  residence  Croghan,  N.  Y. ; 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Buffalo,  February  2o,  1881.  Registered  March  31, 
1892. 

J.  H.  Shaper,  born  at  Canajoharie,  residence  Herkimer;  University  of  Michigan, 
July  3,  1891.     Registered  September  27, 1892. 

Channing  A.  Holt,  born  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  residence  Albany  ;  Medical  University 
of  City  of  New  York,  January  16,  1892.     Registered  September  26,  1892. 

PERSONAL   SKETCHES. 

Dr.  Westel  Willoughby  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  one  of  the 
most  eminent  of  the  early  physicians  of  Herkimer  county.  While  still 
a  young  man  he  settled  in  Norway,  where  he  began  his  practice  at 
about  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  of  the  Royal  Grant.  He  subse- 
quently removed  to  the  valley  of  the  West  Canada  Creek,  where  he 
made  for  himself  a  beautiful  home  near  the  village  of  Newport;  this  he 


168  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

continued  to  own  and  beautify  throughout  his  life.  He  was  for  about 
twenty  years  professor  of  midwifery  and  of  the  diseases  of  women  and 
children  in  the  Fairfield  Medical  College,  and  for  a  portion  of  that  time 
was  president  of  the  institution.  Outside  of  his  profession  he  was  pub- 
lic-spirited, benevolent,  and  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  county.  He 
was  twice  chosen  member  of  Assembly,  1807-08.  He  was  appointed 
one  of  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  March,  1805,  and 
so  continued  until  1821.  He  belonged  to  the  medical  staff  of  the  mili- 
tia during  the  war  of  181 2,  and  spent  some  time  on  the  frontier.  He 
was  elected  to  Congress  from  his  district  in  18 14.  Dr.  Willoughby 
died  at  Newport  in  1844,  aged  seventy- five  years. 

Dr.  Rufus  Crain  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  County 
Medical  Society  and  a  native  of  Worcester  county,  Mass.  He  settled 
in  the  town  of  Warren  in  1790,  having  already  studied  for  his  pro 
fession.  His  zeal  and  success  was  such  that  in  a  few  years  he  found 
himself  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  extensive  practice.  He  was  one  of  the 
early  and  earnest  patrons  of  the  Fairfield  Medical  College  Dr.  Crain 
was  not  an  active  politician,  but  his  personal  qualifications  were  such 
that  his  fellow- citizens  called  him  to  several  positions  of  trust.  He  was 
appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1817,  and  continued  such  until  1820;  was  reappointed  in  1821, 
1823,  and  1828,  and  held  the  office  until  1833.  He  was  chosen  presi- 
dential elector  in  1828.  He  was  a  sociable  and  hospitable  man,  and 
his  character  and  life  were  worthy  of  esteem.  He  died  in  Warren  Sep- 
tember 18,  1846,  leaving  a  son  and  a  daughter  and  a  large  estate. 

Dr.  William  Mather  was  born  in  Fairfield  April  28,  1802,  and  was  a 
son  of  the  pioneer  Moses  Mather.  Dr.  Mather  was  graduated  from 
Fairfield  College  in  1826,  andbecame  a  member  of  the  County  Medical 
Society  in  1831.  Early  in  his  professional  career  he  became  deeply  in- 
terested in  chemistry,  and  from  1828  to  1868  was  a  very  popular  lect- 
urer upon  that  subject.  In  1838  he  was  appointed  instructor  of  chem- 
istry in  Hamilton  Literary  and  Theological  Seminary,  and  in  1841  was 
chosen  professor  of  chemistry  and  pharmacy  in  Castleton  Medical  Col- 
lege, Vt.  From  1852  to  1868  he  was  professor  of  chemistry,  geology 
and  mineralogy  in  Madison  University.  Dr.  Mather's  residence  was  in 
Fairfield,  where  he  was  one  of  the  most  honored  citizens.  He  died 
June  26,  1890. 


Wi^/M    \'!^^^^y^^^X^k 


PERSONAL  SKETCHES.  169 

Dr.  Stephen  Todd  was  born  in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  December  23, 
1773  His  father  removed  to  Sah'sbury  in  1792,  and  there  the  young 
man  aided  his  father  in  clearing  a  home.  Having  studied  his  profession, 
he  began  practice  in  Sah'sbury  in  1800,  and  became  a  member  of  the 
County  Medical  Society  in  18 19.  He  was  captain  of  a  company  of 
militia  in  the  war  of  1812  and  served  on  the  frontier.  In  1821  he  was 
nominated  for  the  Assembly  and  received  a  majority  of  the  popular 
vote,  but  failed  to  obtain  his  certificate  of  election  from  the  county 
clerk.  Dr.  Todd  attained  a  fair  degree  of  eminence  in  his  profession 
and  was  justly  esteemed  by  the  community.  He  died  in  Salisbury  in 
the  same  month  and  on  the  same  day  of  the  month  of  his  birth,  in  1827, 
aged  fifty- four. 

Dr.  Abijah  Tombling  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  County 
Medical  Society  and  a  coteniporary  of  Dr.  Willoughby.  He  settled  in 
the  town  of  Norway  near  the  close  of  the  last  century.  Later  in  life 
he  removed  to  Herkimer  village.  He  was  appointed  surrogate  of  the 
county  in  18 16  and  held  the  office  until  1821.  From  that  time  he  par- 
tially or  wholly  gave  up  his  profession.  He  died  in  Herkimer,  leaving 
a  family. 

Dr.  William  Petry  was  the  earliest  physician  of  prominence  in  Her- 
kimer county.  He  was  born  near  Oppenheim,  in  Germany,  December 
7'  1733.  ^'■'d  came  to  this  country  in  1763  ;  he  married  Salome  Wolf, 
daughter  of  John  Wolf,  of  Cosby's  Manor,  in  1766.  He  had  served 
as  surgeon  in  the  Prussian  army  before  coming  to  America.  Previous 
to  the  Revolution  he  was  interested  in  a  store  at  the  site  of  Herkimer 
village.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Tryon  County  Committee  of  Safety 
in  1775,  and  acted  as  justice  of  the  peace  during  the  Revolution. 
From  1776  to  1779  he  was  employed  as  surgeon  at  Fort  Dayton  and 
was  General  Herkimer's  medical  adviser ;  was  appointed  surgeon  of 
Colonel  Willett's  regiment  in  April,  1781.  He  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Oriskany  and  was  wounded  in  the  leg ;  was  with  Colonel 
Willett  in  the  pursuit  after  Ross  and  Butler;  also  accompanied  his  reg- 
iment in  February,  1783,  in  the  expedition  to  capture  the  Oswego 
fortress. 

After  the  Revolution  Dr.  Petry  was  actively  engaged  in  his  profession 
throughout  the  Mohawk  valley  for  many  years  and  to  near  the  close  of 
22 


170  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

his  life.  He  was  also  iaterested  in  mercantile  business  at  Herkimer 
after  the  war  and  continued  in  it  until  near  his  death.  Dr.  Petry  died 
at  Herkimer  August  6,  1806,  leaving  several  sons  and  daughters.  One 
of  tiie  latter  was  the  mother  of  Samuel   Earl  and  Judge  Robert  Earl. 

Dr.  H.  VV.  Doolittle,  died  in  the  year  1853.  We  have  no  data  from 
which  to  write  a  sketch  of  his  life,  but  a  resolution  adopted  by  the  Med- 
ical Society  speaks  of  his  high  professional  attainments  as  well  as  his 
personal  qualities,  which  rendered  him  a  most  useful  and  estimable  mem- 
ber of  the  community.      He  died  December  7,  1853. 

Dr.  Nathan  S.  Willard  (father  of  X.  A.  Willard),  an  early  physician 
of  Herkimer  county,  was  born  at  Saybrook,  Conn.,  March  29,  1788. 
He  was  graduated  from  Fairfield  Medical  College  July  14,  1810,  and  at 
once  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Eatonville.  At  that  period 
there  were  but  few  physicians  in  the  county,  and  Dr.  Willard's  practice 
extended  over  a  wide  territory,  embracing  in  part  the  towns  of  Fairfield, 
Newport,  Herkimer  and  Little  Falls.  He  was  skilled  in  his  profession, 
liberal  and  progressive  in  mind  and  energetic  and  conscientious  in  the 
performance  of  his  duty  as  a  physician  and  citizen.  In  1813  he  married 
Mary  Wharry,  eldest  daughter  of  Judge  Evans  Wharry ;  a  sketch  of 
Judge  Wharry's  life  appears  in  this  work  under  the  Bench  and  Bar. 
Dr.  Willard  died  September  29,  1827. 

Dr.  Daniel  Belknap  came  to  Herkimer  county  in  1823,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Dr.  N.  S.  Willard,  then  a  prominent  physican  at  Eatonville. 
He  was  graduated  in  1 828  at  Fairfield  and  took  up  Dr.  Willard's  practice. 
In  1832  he  settled  in  Little  Falls  and  practiced  here  until  his  death. 
It  was  written  of  him  that  his  close  observation,  keen  perception,  and 
clear  discrimination  rendered  his  judgment  almost  infallible.  He  was 
fearless  in  defense  of  the  right  and  possessed  many  good  qualities  as  a 
man  and  a  citizen. 

Dr.  Lester  Green  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Luther 
Giteau  of  Trenton,  Oneida  county,  in  1803.  In  1821  he  was  gradu- 
ated from  Fairfield  Medical  College,  and  began  practice  at  Little 
Falls,  where  he  was  actively  engaged  in  his  profession  for  thirty  years. 
He  was  elected  a  permanent  member  of  the  New  York  State  Medical 
Society  in  1843,  and  for  two  terms  was  president  of  that  society.  In 
1849  he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  United   States  Medical   Society. 


FAIRFIELD  MEDICAL  COLLEGE.  171 

Dr.  Green  was  for  many  years  a  leading  physician  of  the  county,  and 
has  left  a  record  for  being  sound  in  judgment,  skillful,  devoted  to  his 
profession  and  public  spirited  as  a  citizen.  He  died  at  I.ittle  Falls  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1849. 

Dr.  S.  A.  Ingham  was  born  in  Rensselaer  county  April  3,  18  17,  and 
in  the  following  year  removed  with  his  father  to  what  is  now  Ingham's 
Mills.  He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Nolton  and  was  graduated  from 
the  Medical  College  in  January,  1840.  From  that  time  until  1844  he 
was  associated  with  Dr.  Booth,  of  Russia,  after  which  he  located  in  Ing- 
ham's Mills.  In  1849  he  removed  to  Little  Falls  where  he  was  in 
practice  more  than  thirty  years.  He  served  over  two  years  as  surgeon 
of  the  I52d  New  York  Regiment  in  the  Civil  War. 

Dr.  P.  Pryne,  was  an  early  physician  in  Frankfort  where  he  was 
born  in  1820.  He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  H.  W.  Doolittle  and  be- 
gan practice  in  Herkimer  in  1844.  His  grandfather,  Peter  Pryne,  served 
at  the  battle  of  Oriskany,  where  he  was  wounded,  and  his  father,  Francis 
Pryne,  served  in  the  war  of  181 2. 

Griffin  Sweet,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  March,  1814,  in  Norway,  Herkimer 
county.  He  was  graduated  at  Fairfield  Medical  College  and  located  in 
Fairfield  where  he  practiced  his  profession  until  near  his  death.  He 
held  the  office  of  supervisor,  was  superintendent  of  the  schools,  and  a 
member  of  Assembly  from  his  district  in  1863.  He  was  an  able  man 
intellectually  and  stood  high  in  his  profession. 

Dr.  Hamblin  B.  Maben  was  born  in  Greene  county,  N.  Y.,  March  27, 
1 833.  After  receiving  a  classical  education  he  studied  medicine  and  was 
graduated  at  the  Albany  Medical  College  at  the  age  of  twenty  four. 
Locating  in  Ilion  in  i860  he  soon  gained  a  large  practice  and  long  oc- 
cupied a  foremost  place  in  the  profession.  He  was  honored  with 
many  positions  of  trust  in  local  offices  and  was  twice  the  Democratic 
nominee  for  the  Assembly.  He  also  became  largely  interested  in  build- 
ing and  other  real  estate  operations  in  Ilion. 

James  Hemstreet  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ohio,  Herkimer  county,  in 
1826.  He  studied  medicine  with  his  father,  Richard  I.  Hemstreet, 
practiced  in  Trenton,  Gray  and  Newport,  finally  settling  in  Poland  vil- 
lage in  1865. 

Fairfield  Medical  College. — The  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
of  the  western  district   of  New  York,   located  at  Fairfield,    Herkimer 


ir-i  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtlNTY. 

county,  had  its  origin  in  the  medical  school  established  by  the  trustees 
of  Fairfield  Academy,  in  1809.  This  school  had  acquired  some  reputa- 
tion while  attached  to  the  academy.  It  was  such  even  in  the  second 
year  of  its  existence  as  to  induce  the  Legislature  of  the  State  to  endow 
it  with  $5,000,  and  when  it  received  the  rank  of  college,  they  generous- 
ly added  to  its  funds  the  further  sum  of  $10,000 

The  charter  of  the  college  bears  date  June  12,  1812,  to  which  is  ap- 
pended the  seal  of  the  University  of  the  State,  and  signed  by  Daniel  D. 
Tompkins,  Chancellor  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York  ;  H. 
Bloodgood,  secretary. 

In  the  charter  the  following  persons  are  named  as  constituting  the  fir.st 
board  of  trustees,  viz.  : 

Westel  Willoughby,  Jun.,  Jonathan  Sherwood,  Luther  Giteaii,  Solomon  Wolcot, 
Isaac  Sears,  Abijah  Tombling,  Amos  Hale,  Simeon  Ford,  Clark  Smith,  Joseph  White, 
Alexander  G.  Fonda,  Oliver  C.  Comstock,  John  Miller,  Isaac  Sargeaut,  Reuben  Hart, 
Amasa  Trowbridge,  Francis  A.  Bloodgood,  William  D.  Ford,  James^Kennedy,  Oliver 
Ellis,  Andrew  A.  Bartow,  William  Smith,  John  Stearns  and  James  Hale;  they  and  their 
successors  were  to  have  perpetual  succession. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  trustees,  held  December  i,  181 2,  the 
following  individuals  were  appointed  officers  of  the  college,  viz.  : 

Lyman  Spalding,  professor  of  anatomy  and  surgery  ;  Westel  Will- 
oughby, jr. ,  professor  of  obstetrics  ;  James  Hadley,  professor  of  chem- 
istry ;  John  Stearns,  professor  of  the  theory  and  practice  of  physic. 

The  class  of  1812-13,  ^^  appears  by  the  records,  consisted  of  eight- 
een medical  students.  During  the  session  of  1813-14  it  numbered 
twenty- four. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board,  March  23,  1815,  T.  Romeyn  Beck  was 
recommended  to  the  honorable  regents  to  fill  the  office  of  professor  of 
the  institutes  of  medicine. 

January  30,  1816,  the  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine  was  conferred  on 
two  individuals,  viz.:  Horatio  Orvis  and  Sylvester  Miller.  Dr.  Beck 
gave  his  first  course  on  medical  jurisprudence.  Number  of  students, 
28  ;  4  graduates. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board,  May  20,  1817,  Dr.  Joseph  White,  of 
Cherry  Valley,  was  appointed  president  and  professor  of  anatomy  and 
surgery  in  the  college  in  place  of  Dr.  Spalding.      At  the  same  meeting 


FAIRFIELD  MEDICAL  COLLEGE.  173 

it  was  resolved  that  President  White  have  leave  to  substitute  his  son, 
Deles  White,  M.  D.,  to  deliver  lectures  on  anatomy  in  his  stead. 

January  20,  1818,  the  class  consisted  of  41  students,  of  whom  7  were 
considered  worthy  of  the  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine. 

January  19,  1819,  a  resolution  was  passed  by  the  board  of  trustees 
dismissing  any  student  who  should  be  concerned,  directly  or  indirectly, 
in  digging  up  any  dead  human  body  for  the  purpose  of  dissection  in 
the  college. 

January  20,  1820,  the  Legislature  was  petitioned  for  a  law  for  giving 
the  dead  bodies  of  unclaimed  convicts  of  the  State  prison  at  Auburn 
to  the  college,  for  the  purposes  of  dissection. 

January  23,  1821,  Dr.  Delos  White  resigned  his  professorship  of  an- 
atomy, in  conseqence  of  the  difficulty  of  procuring  subjects  for  dissec- 
tion. The  same  year  it  was  resolved  to  extend  the  course  of  lectures 
from  twelve  to  sixteen  weeks. 

January  22,  1822,  James  McNaughton,  M.  D.,  was  made  professor  of 
anatomy  and  physiology.     Sixty-two  students  ;    14  graduates. 

For  several  years  subsequent  to  this  period  the  affairs  of  the  college 
continued  to  prosper  and  the  number  of  students  to  increase.  At  the 
close  of  the  session  ending  in  January,  1827,  Joseph  White,  M.  D.,  in 
consequence  of  age  and  infirmities,  resigned  his  professorship,  and  was 
succeeded  in  the  chair  of  surgery  by  John  Delamater,  M.  D.  Number 
of  students  in  attendance  this  session,  144;  graduates,  25.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  increase  of  students  an  additional  college  edifice  was 
erected  containing  thirty- two  lodging  rooms,  and  the  lecture  rooms 
of  the  old  college  edifice  were  enlarged  and  rendered  more  commodious. 

In  1828  the  number  of  students  was  171  ;   graduates,  33. 

In  1832  the  number  of  students  had  increased  to  205  ;   graduates,  39. 

The  largest  class  ever  assembled  at  the  college  was  during  the 
session  ending  in  January,  1834,  when  the  number  reached  217,  of 
whom  55  received  the  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine.  The  following 
year  the  number  was  198. 

The  organization  of  the  medical  department  of  Geneva  College,  and 
subsequently  the  incorporation  of  a  medical  college  in  the  city  of  Al- 
bany, together  with  other  causes,  had  the  effect  to  diminish  the  number 
of  students  in  attendance  at  the  Fairfield  college  from  the  year  1834 


174  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

until  the  final  suspension  of  lectures  in  the  latter  institution  by  the 
faculty;  yet  the  numbers  continued  to  be  respectable,  and  probably 
would  have  been  until  the  present  time  had  the  proper  efforts  been  con- 
tinued to  sustain  it.  During  the  year  1836  the  regents  confirmed  the 
following  alterations,  by  which  the  professorships  stood  as  follows: 

Westel  Willoiigliliy,  M.  D.,  emeritus  professor  of  midwifery. 
James  Hadley,  M.  D.,  professor  of  chemistry  and  pharmacy. 
T.  Romeyn  Beck,  M.  D.,  professor  of  materia  iriedica  and  medical  jurisprudence. 
James  MoNaugliton,  M.  D.,  professor  of  anatomy  and  physiology. 
John  Delamater,  M.  D.,  professor  of  practice  of  physic  and  diseases  of  women  and 
children. 

Reuben  D.  Mussey,  M.  D.,  profe.'ssor  of  surgery  and  mid%vifery. 

Subsequently,  Frank  H.  Hamilton,  M.  D.,  succeeded  Professor  Mus- 
sey in  the  chair  of  surgery,  and  witii  this  exception  the  faciilt\'  remained 
as  above  during  the  operation  of  the  institution.  The  last  course  of 
lectures  was  given  during  the  winter  of  1839-40.  The  number  of  stu- 
dents in  attendance  was  105,  of  whom  26  received  the  degree  of  doctor 
of  medicine.  After  the  cessation  of  medical  lectures  the  college  build- 
ings were  changed  to  adapt  them  for  the  extension  of  Fairfield  Acad- 
emy. (See  history  of  that  institution.)  Lyman  Spaulding,  M.  D.,  was 
the  first  president  of  the  college,  and  was  succeeded  in  office  by  Joseph 
White,  M.  D.,  in  18 17,  who  resigned  in  1827.  The  venerable  Professor 
Willoughby  succeeded  Dr.  White  and  held  the  office  until  his  decease. 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

TME    TOWN    OF    GERMAN    FLATS,' 

THE  town  of  German  Flats  lies  in  the  southern  central  part  of  Herki- 
mer county,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Mohawk  River; 
on  the  east  by  Little  Falls  ;  southerly  by  the  towns  of  Warren  and  Co- 
himbia,  and  westerly  by  Frankfort.  A  broad  and  fertile  intervale  lies 
along  the  river,  from  which  the  surface  rises  gradually  to  a  height  of  300 
to  400  feet  and  stretches  away  in  a  hilly  upland.  Fulmer's  Creek  di- 
vides the  upland  into  two  nearly  equal  parts.  Steele's  Creek  flows 
through  the  western  part. 

This  town  was  originally  formed  as  the  "  fifth,  or  German  Flats  dis- 
trict "  of  Tryon  county,  March  24,  1772,  and  was  recognized  as  a  town 
on  the  7th  of  March,  1788.  In  1796  the  towns  of  Frankfort,  Litchfield 
and  Warren  were  taken  off,  and  in  1829  a  part  of  Little  Falls.  When 
the  town  was  erected  (1788)  it  comprised  all  that  portion  of  Mont- 
gomery county  south  of  the  Mohawk  River,  bounded  easterly  by  Cana- 
joharie  (the  western  bounds  of  that  town  being  the  Susquehanna  River, 
Otsego  Lake,  and  a  line  from  the  head  waters  of  the  lake  to  the  Little 
Falls) ;  south  by  the  north  line  of  the  town  of  Otsego,  running  from  the 
head  waters  of  Otsego  Lake,  in  the  patent  granted  to  George  Croghan 
and  others,  along  the  northerly  bounds  of  that  patent  to  the  north- 
west corner  of  it  and  extending  westerly  to  the  river,  and  along  the 
northerly  line  of  the  Edminston  patent;  westerly  by  the  west  line  of 
the  town  of  Herkimer  continued  south  to  the  town  of  Otsego,  or  in 
other  words  nearly  by  the  present  eastern  bounds  of  Oneida  county. 
Besides  the  towns  before  mentioned  these  boundaries  included  a  part  of 
Otsego  county.  The  present  area  of  the  town  is  nearly  20,000  acres, 
and  comprises  a  large  portion  of  the  Burnetsfield  patent ;   nearly  all  of 

'  In  arrangement  of  the  following  town  histories  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  take  the  older  and 
more  historically  important  towns  first,  rather  than  to  follow  the  chronological  order  of  their 
formation.  The  reader  should  also  bear  in  mind  that  the  personal  history  of  each  town  is  largely 
augmented  by  the  sketches  in  the  last  department  of  the  volume. 


176  HISTORY  OP  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Staley's  first  tract ;   the  whole  of  Frank's  patent,  and  a  part  of  the  Guy 
Johnson  tract. 

To  this  town  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  "  old  stone  church  "  came 
some  of  the  early  Palatine  settlers.  Near  the  site  of  the  church  the 
first  settlers  built  a  school- house  of  logs  before  the  year  1730,  which  was 
probably  used  by  the  God-fearing  Germans  for  worship  until  their  first 
church  was  erected,  the  predecessor  of  the  stone  church.  The  ground 
on  which  the  school  house  was  built  had  been  assigned  to  Nicholas 
Wollaber,  grandfather  of  the  Nicholas  who  died  at  a  venerable  age  in 
1861.  On  the  little  creek  just  east  of  the  stone  church  the  Germans 
also  built  a  grist-mill  before  the  year  1730  (probably  in  1725),  and  "it 
was  without  doubt  the  first  mill  erected  within  the  present  limits  of  the 
county.  Both  the  school-house  and  the  mill  are  referred  to  in  the  deed 
of  Nicholas  Wollaber  given  for  the  site  of  the  present  stone  church, 
which  is  dated  September  24,  1730.^  In  the  first  church  erected  on 
this  site  were  pews,  or  seats,  to  which  the  people  held  title,  as  seen  by 
the  will  of  Nicholas  Feller,  who  gave  to  his  grandson,  John  Nicholas 
Christman,  son  of  John  Christman,  his  pew  in  the  church  which  he 
called  his  "  seat  or  place  in  our  church." 

Here  those  early  German  settlers,  descendants  of  some  of  whom  are 
still  residents  in  this  county,  and  in  a  few  instances  on  the  same  lands 
on  which  their  remote  ancestors  dwelt,  enjoyed  a  period  of  repose  and 
prosperity  of  thirty  years,  to  be  rudely  disturbed  by  the  incursion  of  the 
French  and  Indians  in  1757,  who  destroyed  crops,  cattle  and  carried 
away  many  of  the  people  as  prisoners.  Among  these  was  John  Jost 
Petri,  probably  the  foremost  man  in  the  settlement  at  that  time.  Saw- 
mills and  grist-mills  were  burned,  the  sites  of  some  of  which  are  known. 
A  grist-mill  on  Steele's  Creek,  where  is  now  the  village  of  Ilion,  was 
destroyed,  as  shown  in  the  following  descriptive  language  in  a  French 
record  of  a  journey  through  the  valley,  from  which  we  have  quoted  in 
an  earlier  chapter  : 

Continuing  along  the  high  road  wliich  is  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Mohawk,  to 
go  to  Fort  Kouari  [Herkimer]  a  creek  is  met  [Steele's]  that  must  be  forded.  Here  was 
a  grist-mill  that  has  been  burnt.  One  league  before  reaching  Fort  Kouari  another 
small  stream  is  encountered  [Fulmer's  CreekJ  over  which  there  is  a  bridge.   This  stream 

'  Samuel  Earl's  papers. 


:.^  j^^^^l^^^ 


I 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  177 

is  fordable  almost  at  all  seasons.     There  was  also  a  saw-mill  on  this  creek  which  had 
lieen  burnt. 

Another  grist-mill  burned  was  on  lands  of  the  late  Frederick  P.  Bel- 
linger, on  the  north  side  of  the  river.      (See  history  of  Herkimer.) 

Among  the  German  families  who  settled  in  German  Flats,  and  mainly 
in  the  eastern  part,  were  those  of  Woolaber,  Stelly.  Wolever,  Erghemar, 
Bellinger,  Fox,  Edich,  Staring,  Shoemaker,  and  others;  many  of  these 
names  have  since  been  changed  in  orthography  to  conform  to  English 
pronunciation. 

The  stone  church  at  Fort  Herkimer  was  erected  in  1751-53,  the  pre- 
cise time  not  being  known,  and  formed  a  part  of  the  stockaded  defense 
built  under  the  administration  of  Sir  William  Johnson  in  1756.  After 
using  the  log  church  at  first  erected  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
the  thrifty  Germans  began  to  feel  the  need  of  more  commodious  quar- 
ters, and  in  pursuance  of  their  object  issued  the  following  petition  : 

To  his  Excellency,  the  Honourable  George  Clinton,  Captain-General  and  GoTernor-in- 
Chief  of  the  province  of  New  York  and  Territories  thereon  depending  in  America, 
Vice-Admiral   of  the  same,  and  Admiral  of  the  White  Squadron  of  his  Majesty's 
Fleet: 
The  humble  petition  of  Johan  Joost  Herchheimer,  of  Burnet's  Field,  in  the  County 
of  Albany,  yeoman,  in   behalf  of  himself  and  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants.  High  Ger- 
mans living  here,  humbly  sheweth  : 

That  your  petitioner  and  sundry  other  High  Germans  to  the  number  of  one  hundred 
families  and  upwards,  at  present  resident  at  Burnet's  Field,  in  this  prOTince,  propose, 
with  your  Excellency's  permission,  to  erect  a  Stone  Church  on  the  South  side  of  the 
River,  upon  a  convenient  spot  of  ground  already  purchased  by  the  Inhabitants,  for  the 
Worship  of  Almighty  God,  according  to  the  discipline  of  the  Reformed  Protestant 
Dutch  Church.  But  finding  themselves  unable  alone  to  finish  and  complete  the  same, 
your  petitioner  therefore,  in  behalf  of  the  said  Inhabitants,  humbly  prays  your  Excel- 
lency will  be  favorably  pleased  to  grant  a  Brief  or  Lycense  to  crave  the  voluntary  as- 
sistance and  contribution  of  all  well  disposed  persons  within  this  province,  for  com- 
pleting the  said  structure  altogether  intended  for  Divine  Worship. 
And  your  petitioner,  as  in  duty  bound,  shall  ever  pray,  etc. 

Johan  Joost  Hercheimer. 
Fort  George, 
in 
New  York, 
October  6,  1751. 
Be  it  so. 

G.  Clinton. 
23 


178  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNT-V. 

George  Clinton  wasted  no  words  in  giving  his  permission,  and  the 
paper  was  circulated  for  subscriptions.  The  building  of  the  church 
was  begun  about  the  date  of  the  petition,  but  it  was  not  finished  when 
the  French  and  Indian  invasion  of  1757  occurred.  After  that  dis- 
astrous event,  which  brought  poverty  upon  the  people,  they  applied  for, 
and  received  from,  Sir  Henry  Moore,  then  governor  of  the  colony,  a 
license  to  solicit  subscriptions  to  complete  the  church.  The  subscrip- 
tion paper  read  as  follows  : 

TO  ALL  Christian  People  to  whom  this  shall  come.  Whereas,  the  Inliabitants  on 
the  South  side  of  the  River  of  Burnet's  Field,  on  the  German  Flatts,  whereas,  we  are 
about  to  erect  a  Church  wherein  the  High  Dutch  Language  in  the  Prodestant  way 
.should  be  preached.  Before  the  late  war,  and  when  the  war  begun,  we  was  obliged  to 
leave  of  building,  and  in  the  war  everything  was  discharged,  and  a.s  we  where  desirous 
to  have  a  place  of  worship,  we  have  begun  to  build  a  Church,  but  we  find  ourselfs  not 
abel  to  finish  the  same,  occasioned  by  the  troubles  we  had  in  the  war,  that  is  to  say,  all 
our  Houses  and  Barns,  with  all  we  had  in  them,  where  burnt,  and  our  Horses  and 
Catties  where  killed  and  takeing  away,  and  a  great  many  of  our  People  takeing  Pris- 
oners by  the  Enemy,  which  has  unabled  us  to  finish  the  Church.  For  them  Reasons 
we  have  desired  two  of  our  members,  that  is  to  say,  Johan  Jost  Herkemer  and  Hen- 
drick  Bell,  to  try  to  collect  some  money  of  all  good  people  to  enable  us  to  have  our 
Church  finished,  and  we  hope  all  good  people  will  take  our  cause  in  consideration,  as 
we  have  no  place  of  Worship  now  but  a  small  Log  House. 

We  are,  in  behalf  of  the  Congregation  and  ourselfs,  Gentlemen, 

Your  Most  Humble  Servants, 

AuGoSTENis  Hess, 
rodolf   schomaker, 
Peter  Vols. 
N.  B. — I,  being  old  and  unable,  I  therefore  send   Peter  Vols  to  do  the  business  of 
collecting  for  me.  Johann  Jost  Hercheimer,  Just. 

This  appeal  secured  the  needed  funds  and  the  church  was  finished 
in  1767.      Its  further  history  will  appear  a  little  later  in  these  pages. 

The  church  as  it  was  finished  at  that  time  was  one  story  high  and 
forty-eight  by  fifty-eight  feet  on  the  ground,  the  walls  being  supported 
by  heavy  abutments  at  the  corners.  The  door  was  on  the  north  side, 
and  on  the  keystone  of  the  arch  over  the  door  were  the  initials, 
J.  H.  E.  s.  q.  1767. 

Fort  Herkimer,  which  constituted  an  important  part  of  the  frontier 
defense,  embraced  a  large  stone  house,  probably  erected  as  early  as 
1740,  and   three  other  stone   buildings,  one  of  which   was  the  church 


TOWN  05-  GERMAN  FLATS.  179 

still  standing  ;  another  situated  about  half  a  mile  east  of  the  church  on 
what  has  been  known  as  the  Steele  farm,  and  the  third  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  farther  east,  on  the  Snell  farm.  The  church  was 
surrounded  by  an  earthwork  by  Sir  William  Johnson  in  1756.  The 
first-named  stone  building  was  described  by  the  late  Mrs.  Margaret 
Cristman,  of  Mohawk,  in  the  following  language : 

The  building  was  of  stone,  forty  feet  wide  and  seventy  feet  long,  two  stories  high  with 
a  basement.  The  roof  was  very  steep  and  covered  with  oak  shingles  three  feet  long. 
The  walls  of  the  building  were  over  two  feet  thick,  pierced  with  six  windows,  six  port 
holes  and  a  door  on  the  front  or  north  side,  besides  the  front  windows  in  the  basement, 
wide  enough  to  drive  a  team  through.  The  basement  was  under  the  east  end  of  the 
building,  and  under  the  west  half  of  the  house  was  the  cellar,  each  about  thirty-five 
feet  square.  The  only  opening  in  the  west  end  was  a  square  window  in  the  upper 
story.  The  main  entrances  to  the  building  were  two  doors,  one  on  the  south  and  the 
other  on  the  north  side.  The  hallway,  running  through  the  middle  of  the  building 
from  north  to  south,  was  about  twelve  feet  wide.  Near  the  north  entrance,  which  was 
then  the  front,  were  two  doors,  one  opening  into  the  east  and  the  other  into  the  west 
room,  the  house  being  divided  into  two  rooms  on  the  main  floor,  and  the  east  room  sub- 
divided into  a  large  kitchen,  a  small  bedroom  and  a  pantry.  A  little  further  on  in  the 
hall  was  the  grand  staircase,  broad  and  easy  of  ascent,  made  of  white  oak,  leading  to  the 
second  story,  which  was  divided  into  three  rooms,  a  bedroom  over  the  hall  at  the  head 
of  the  stairs,  and  a  large  room  in  each  end  of  the  house.  The  broad  old  fireplaces, 
both  in  the  lower  and  the  upper  rooms,  with  "pot  hook  and  trammel,"  and  the  tradi- 
tional back  log  and  forestick  blazing  upon  the  old  andirons  on  a  cold  day,  gave  the 
grand  old  rooms  an  air  of  comfort  and  cheerfulness. 

The  French  record  before  quoted  says  of  this  fortification  : 

It  was  built  as  a  store  and  depot  for  Chouegen  (Oswego).  It  is  surrounded  by  a 
ditch  about  thirty  feet  distant.  This  ditch  was  six  feet  deep  and  seven  feet  wide.  The 
crown  of  the  ditch  inside  is  planted  with  palisades  in  an  oblique  form  ;  they  are  well 
jointed  the  one  to  the  other.  Behind  these  there  is  a  parapet  of  earth,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  fire  over  the  palisade.  The  four  angles  of  this  parapet,  which  is  at  the  back  of  the 
ditch,  form,  as  it  were,  four  little  bastions  that  reciprocally  flank  each  other.  (See 
illustration,  page  59.) 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  was  a  fortification  of  considerable  preten- 
sions, both  as  to  size  and  impregnability  against  the  arms  of  those  days. 
The  other  two  buildings  farther  east  were  probably  similar  in  their  con- 
struction. Into  these  the  inhabitants  fled  and  found  refuge  when  at- 
tacked, or  before  expected  attacks,  by  their  foes.  Such  a  course  was 
followed  in  1757,  and  the  lives  of  many  of  the  inhabitants  were  thereby 
saved,  to   witness   the   burning   of  some   of   their   dwellings  and   their 


l80  HISTORY  OF  HKRKIMER  COUNTY. 

mills,  the  French  commander  showing  discretion  in  not  attacking  the 
fort. 

In  the  War  of  the  Revolution  those  loyal  German  settlers,  who  did 
not  hesitate  to  espouse  the  cause  of  freedom,  suffered  grievously  for 
their  patriotism,  and  in  September,  1778,  Brant,  with  his  tories  and  In- 
dians, fell  upon  the  prosperous  settlement  and  destroyed  it  complete!)', 
as  we  have  related  in  the  early  pages  of  this  volume.  Again  in  17S2 
the  fair  valley  in  this  vicinity  was  swept  over  by  the  enemy,  numbering 
about  six  hundretl  tories  and  Indians.  They  were  first  discovered  by 
Peter  Wolever,  who,  with  Augustinus  Hess,  lived  about  fifty  rods  from 
the  fort.  Both  families  were  aroused,  and  all  reached  the  fort  e.Ncept 
Mr.  Mess,  who  was  killed  just  as  he  was  entering  the  gate.  The  fort 
was  at  that  time  only  feebly  garrisoned,  and  the  few  troops  could  not 
assume  the  offensive.  Valentine  Staring  was  captured  in  a  field  not  far 
from  the  stockade  and  put  to  the  torture  with  the  object  of  drawing  out 
the  garrison  by  his  cries  for  help;  but  this  did  not  produce  the  desired 
result  and  he  was  tomahawked  and  scalped.  Two  of  the  soldiers  and 
these  two  inhabitants  were  killed.  All  the  buildings  in  the  settlement, 
excepting  George  Herkimer's  house,  were  burned  and  the  cattle  driven 
away.  This  incident  was  described  to  the  late  Judge  Benton  by  Nich- 
olas Wolever,  in  the  lifetime  of  the  latter,  then  living  at  HerKimer,  and 
is  undoubtedly  authentic,  although  it  has  received  little  or  no  attention 
from  other  writers.  The  wife  of  Henry  Wetherstone,  who  had  incau- 
tiously gone  into  a  field  on  this  occasion,  was  captured  by  Indians,  tom- 
ahawked and  scalped,  and,  as  they  supposed,  her  body  left  for  dead. 
She  recovered  and  lived  many  years  after  her  long  tress  of  hair  had 
been  carried  away  as  a  trophy. 

Fort  Herkimer,  it  has  been  seen,  was  a  noted  station  in  the  early 
history  of  the  valley,  and  guarded  a  section  that  was  more  frequently 
than  any  other  made  to  feel  the  ruthless  blows  of  the  natives  and  their 
no  less  relentless  white  allies.  In  June,  1785,  the  Tuscaroras  and  the 
Oneidas  met  at  the  fort  and  ceded  to  New  York  all  their  territory  lying 
between  the  Chenango  and  Unadilla  Rivers.  Here,  also,  in  1775,  was 
raised  the  first  liberty  pole  in  the  State  and  the  second  one  in  the  coun- 
try ;  and  Alexander  White,  sheriff  of  Tryon  county,  a  great  stickler 
for  the  honor  of  his  sovereign   master,  heard  of  the  "  daring  outrage," 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  ISi 

as  he  termed  it,  summoned  a  posse,  marched  to  the  fort  and  made  a 
bonfire  of  the  pole  and  banner. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  the  Herkimer  family  again  occupied  their 
mansion  and  the  settlers  took  up  their  peaceful  labors.  Previous  to 
that  the  highway  ran  along  down  under  the  hill  a  mile  west  of  the  fort, 
then  turned  gradually  and  followed  up  the  Shoemaker  road  to  Steele's, 
and  so  on  easterly.  When  the  original  canal  was  built  the  south  bank 
came  within  about  eight  feet  of  the  old  fort,  and  when  the  enlargement 
was  made  its  south  line  took  in  nearly  one  half  of  the  old  Herkimer 
building.  The  property  was  then  owned  by  Bethel  Palmer,  who  sold 
it  to  the  State. 

On  account  of  the  destruction  of  the  records  in  1843,  we  are  able  to 
give  only  the  following  list  of  supervisors  of  the  town  from  its  organi- 
zation to  the  present  time  : 

1791,  Frederick  Fox;  1793,  Peter  Smith;  1794,  William  Clapsaddle  ;  179.5,  Ludwick 
Campbell;  1797,  George  Rosecrantz;  1798,  William  Clapsaddle;  1801,  George  Rose- 
crantz;  1803, '17, '21,  Christopher  P.  Bellinger;  1810, '19.  Rudolph  I.  Shoemaker; 
1811, '14, 'Thomas  Paine;  1815,  Nicholas  Casler;  1824,  Jacob  F.  Christman;  1825, 
Robert  Shoemaker;  1827,  Daniel  Dygert;  1830,  George  Fox;  1832,  G.  I.  Stranahan ; 
1834,  John  Wightman;  1S3G, '48,  John  Shoemaker,  jr. ;  1837,  Elias  Root ;  1840,  Fred- 
erick Bellinger;  1842,  John  Golden  ;  1844,  George  H.  Fox;  1845,  F.  E.  Spinner;  1846, 
John  Strong ;  1850,  Calvin  A.  Griffith;  1853,  Joseph  N.  Wightman;  1855,  Benjamin  ' 
Carver;  1856,  William  Spoonenburgh ;  1857,  Ezekiel  Spencer;  1860,  John  Crist;  1861, 
Liberty  L.  Lowell;  1864,  James  M.  Dygert ;  1865,  James  E  Casey;  1866,  Amos  H. 
Prescott  ;  1868,  Alfred  E.  Brooks;  1870,  J.  B.  Pel  ton  ;  1871,  Sandford  Getman ;  1872, 
Albert  M.  Ross;  1874,  James  Vickerman;  1875,  Charles  W.  Smith;  1876,  Hamlin  B. 
Maben  ;  1877,  James  M.  Clough;  1878,  '81,  Albert  M.  Ross  ;  1882,  '84,  C.  S.  Jepson; 
1885,  Samuel  T.  Russell ;  1S86,  '87,  Addison  Brill ;  1888,  '89,  H.  D.  Jennings ;  1890,  '92, 
James  Conkling. 

Among  the  prominent    families  of  Germans  who  settled  in  this  town 
long   before   the    Revolutionary  War  was  that  of  John  Michael  Edich.     1/ 
He  had  lot  No.  33,  which    remained    in   the   family  many  years.      His 
grandson,  Michael,  was  born   there  in  1734,  and  was  a  captain   in   the 
militia  in  the  Revolution. 

To  Jacob  Folts  was  assigned  lot  No.  3,  which  is  within  the  limits  of 
the  town  of  Frankfort.  Lot  No.  41  was  assigned  to  Joseph  Staring, 
and  remained  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants  until  recent  years. 
To  Frederick   Bellinger   was   assigned    lot   No.  35,  which   has   also  re- 


l82  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

mained  in  tlie  family  more  than  a  century;  and  others  might  be 
mentioned  who  have  kept  the  homes  of  their  ancestors  through  all  the 
changes  that  have  occurred  since  the  first  settlements  in  the  valley. 

As  giving  not  only  a  quaint  description  of  book-keeping  methods 
and  lists  of  articles  purchased  in  a  country  store  in  olden  times,  but 
also  the  names  of  many  of  the  early  settlers,  the  following  will  be  of 
great  interest  ;  it  is  taken  from  an  old  ledger  in  which  were  kept  the 
accounts  of  James  Van  Home,  one  of  the  first  general  merchants  in  the 
town.  The  store  was  near  the  locks  of  the  Inland  Lock  Navigation 
Company,  which  were  directly  north  of  the  present  canal  locks  at 
Fort  Herkimer : 

1776,  Jacob  Weaber;  1789,  Isaiah  Wright;  October  14,  "  to  my  horse  twice  to  Steale's 
mill.s,  2s;  one  quart  Cyder,  Od;  one  schipple  apples,  4s;  one  pound  hog's  fat,  2s;  one 
Nip  grog,  6d  ;  to  the  use  of  my  Blacksmith  tools  from  20th  to  30th  December,  1797, 
wlien  you  run  away  —  " 

Against  Conrad  Frank:  1774 — May  13,  to  2  gallons  rum,  28  6d;  July,  J  pint  rum, 
6d  ;  Oct.  1,  qt  rum,  Is  4d  ;  Dec.  28,  1  quart  old  and  1  quart  n  rum,  3s;  1775 — April 
18,  to  4  bowls  toddy,  4s. ;  June  24,  1  pint  of  wine,  Is  6d  ;  July  13,  to  1  qt  of  W.  I. 
rum,  Is  9d;  Sept  18,  1  gal.  of  rum,  5s;  Dec.  20,  to  IJ  gall'n  rum  pr  David  Schuy- 
ler, 8s.  ;  May  15,  to  "Cash  paid  Dr.  Jacob  Petrie  for  1  Glass  of  Bolsom  Damalta  and 
Bleeding,  5s  ;  "  Aug.  20,  "  to  sch  of  Wheat,  1  Quart  W.  I.  Rum,  4s  Gd  ;"  Nov.,  "  to  Cash 
p'd  John  Smith  for  1  pint  Rum  when  you  was  wounded,  Is  6d." 

Against  Christopher  P.  Yates:  1781 — ''Feb.,  to  flourof  25  Schipples  of  Wheat  which 
you  took  at  Vanslikes  Mill  £C  5s;  to  4  Bbls  which  the  flour  was  in,  a  3s,  12s;  "  1785 
178G — "  to  3  Wolf's  Certificates  del'd  you  when  I  was  Supervisor,  £3." 

Against  Duncan  McDougal :  1775 — Deo.  14,  to  1  otter  skin,  24s;  3  martin  skins,  9s; 
1782— February,  to  2  bowls  grog,  3s;  1786— March  1,  2,  4,  to  12  bowls  toddy,  12s;  2 
slings,  Is;  2  qts  cider,  Is;  3  meals  victuals,  3s;  to  1  bowl  grog  in  June,  1776, — ;  1791 — 
June  10,  to  1  dinner,  Is,  and  horse-keeping,  2s  3d. 

Against  John  N.  Castlear:  177C  to  1786 — Account  for  rum  and  grog,  £1  13s  8d. 

Against  Henery  Ilarkimer,  sen.:  1778 — May,  "to  Liquor  in  Club  at  Election  for 
Governor,  9s  4d ;   1779 — Nov.,  to  6  quarts  Cyder  for  Nicholas,  3s." 

Against  Col.  Henery  K.  Van  Rensselaer:  1779 — From  the  26th  Aug.  to  26tli  Sept., 
"  to  33  Mugs  Cyder,"  ISs  4d;  Oct.  8,  to  24  skipples  winter  apples,  a  Is  6d,  £1  16s:  to 
14  days  1  horse  in  pasture,  38 ;  Nov.  19,  to  yarn  for  mittens,  2s;  "to  21  mugs  Cyder 
dinerent  times  8s  9d ;  "  Dec.  20,  "  to  2  Bbls  Cyder  24s  ;  26th,  7i  Mugs  Cyder,  3s 
lid.' 

Against  Conrad  C.  Folts:   1785 — Accounts  amounting  to  £2  6s  3d. 

Against  "  George  Weaber  (my  brother  in  law) :  "  1784 — Here  follows  a  long  account 
in  which  appear  4  ells  corduroy,  24s;  1  ell  blue  shalloon,  3s  6d  ;  2  nips  grog.  Is;  3 
Knives  &  3  forks  at  Robinsons,  3s;   1  gill  brandy,  etc. 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  183 

Against  Thomas  Folmers :  1775— Account  for  £1  16s  3d,  nearly  all  ''Nips  of 
Grog." 

Against  Jest  Schuyler:  1788 — July  17,  to  judgment  before  Squire  Myers,  17s; 
1789 — Feb.  I,  to  2  nips  grog.  Is;  1  quart  spirits,  2s  Gd ;  1  quart  cider,  6d ;  1791 — Feb. 
1,  to  1  gill  rum,  Gd. 

Then  follow  similar  accounts  of  Philip  Gailoch,  John  Smitli,  John 
Myers,  Gershom  Skinner,  Simeon  Barker,  Henry  Miller,  Conrad  P. 
Folts,  Susanah  Small,  John  S.  Frank.  George  Groundhart,  Jacob 
Christman,  John  Fox,  and  the  following: 

Against  Frederick  Jno.  Shoemaker:  1786— Dec.  18,  "To  2  Gall  N  Rum,  12s"; 
1788— March  22,  to  1  pint  W.  I.  rum,  7id;  July  20,  1  hat,  9s  9d ;  Aug.  12,  1  lb.  To- 
bacco, Is;  Sept.  2,  cash  8s;  Oct.  14,  1  "Check  Hhkf,  5s." 

Against  Jost  Dygert :  1789 — May  20,  "I  reed  Cash  for  Judgment  agt  him  in  full 
of  ray  act  to  this  date";  1790 — To  1  warrant,  Is;  August  11,  3  nips  grog,  Is  6d  ; 
179G — "To  1  peace  warrant  against  Coll  Rxhert  Petry,  Is  Gd ;  to  breaking  1  glass 
Tumpler,  2s,"  etc. — amounting  to  178  Gd. 

Against  Jacob  Woolhaver:  1788 — Nov.  10,  to  tobacco,  Is  6d  ;  Deo.  10,  3  ells  blue 
cloth,  19s  9d  ;  Dec.  12,  to  leather  for  1  pair  of  shoes,  7s;  1  pair  half  soles.  Is ;  to  sun- 
dries to  the  1st  Dec,  1788,  12s  5d. 

Then  follow  the  accounts  of  Russell  Furman,  Peter  S.  Dygert,  Henry 
P.  Dygert,  Phineas  Allen,  Nicholas  Christman,  Jost  Folts,  Thomas  Bell, 
Abraham  Woolhaver,  James  Forbush,  Timothy  Tuttle.  The  following 
items  are  charged  to  Rev.  Abraham  Rosecrants  : 

1788— April  13,  i  lb.  snuff,  3s;  July  8,  3  ells  Durant,  9s;  3  sticks  twist,  2s  3d;  July 
8,  1 J  yd  black  lace,  5s  S^d  ;  "2  skanes  silk,  2s  ;  1  lb.  shott,  Is  ";  i  lb.  powder,  2s  Gd . 
i  paper  pins,  9d. 

Against  James  Catlin  (Whitestown) :  1790 — Nov.  27,  "to  4  Nips  of  Grog  &  Cy- 
der, 2s  Gd;  2  Bowls  Grog  dancing  with  Smith,  2s." 

Against  AVilliam  Petry:  1788--Apl.  26,  to  1  bowl  sling,  Is;  "1  Qt  Bowl  you 
Broke,  2s ;  Aug.  13,  to  2  Gallons  Tar,  6s ;  1  Nip  Grog  &  2  Gills  rum,  9d ;  Jany  8,  to 
my  horse  to  ride  through  the  river,  Is ;  March  11,  to  cost  you  have  to  pay  at  your  suit 
against  Thomas  Casaty  in  Apl  16,  3s  4id  ;  to  cost  at  your  suit  against  Adam  Bearse, 
which  may  be  seen  in  ray  Records,  page  45,  12s  3d ;  to  cost  at  the  suit  of  Paltus  Brae- 
tenbreacher  against  your  father-in-law,  in  the  first  book,  page  34,  2s;  Oct  22,  To  use 
and  keeping  of  ray  purap  augur,  3s." 

Then  follow  the  accounts  of  John  Andrews,  Jost  Hess,  John  Weaber, 
Fawcet  Cox  and  Frederick  Bellinger,  the  latter  as  follows: 

1788 — June  1,  To  IJ  pints  n  rum.  Is  2d  ;  28,  1  nip  grog,  6d;  Dec.  2,  to  1  qt  u  rum. 
Is  Gd;  7th,  2  pair  Indian  shoes.  Gs  8d;  1  nip  grog,  Gd.  Mr.  Bellinger's  account  is 
quite  lengthy,  and  there  are  many  more  charges  for  "Nips  of  Grog,"  than  any  other 


184  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

one  tiling.  He  is  credited  on  account:  "By  riding  1  Hlid  Rum  from  Schenectady, 
12s;  by  8  days  huing  timber  for  my  horse  shed  &  4^  days  framing  the  same,  £1  12s; 
five  days  carpenter  work,  and  four  days  work  making  fraim  for  my  kitchen,  os  per  day." 

Next  come  the  accounts  of  Catharine  (George)  Hilts,  amounting  to  £3  6s  2id, 
"paid  in  Ginsang  at  different  times'';  Maria  (Catharine)  0.x,  Wesner  Spoon,  Elizabeth 
Small,  Mary  Small  (wlio  paid  her  account  in  spinning);  John  Bellinger,  Jacob  Bashorr 
(who  paid  his  bill  in  leather  for  a  "'  slay  tackling  ");  and  Timothy  Frank  (who  paid  his 
bill  in  1790  by  one  o.x  at  Xo  and  one  ox  at  £4  10s).  Frederick  "  Ohrendorph "  is 
charged,  among  other  things,  with  "  Egg  Punch,  Is;  1  bearl  for  the  use  of  beckel  cap- 
page"  [pickle  cabbage?]. 

John  Fox  is  charged  with  nips  of  grog,  nips  of  Sangaree,  nips  of  punch,  a  "  pinker 
knife"  he  broke,  "marrying  his  nigger,"  4  suppers,  etc.  Mr.  Fox's  bill  was  paid  as 
follows:  "By  playing  the  fittle,  12s;  by  one  nip  grog  had  in  1793,  6d  ;  by  Jack,  your 
nigger,  playing  for  a  company,'"  etc.  Christopher  P.  Fox  is  charged  with  snuff,  tea, 
grog,  rum,  breaking  a  b6wl  and  one  fife,  and  a  part  of  his  account  was  paid  in  work  on 
the  court-house  in  1796.  Conrad  Segner  Edward  Walker,  John  Brusler,  Christopher 
Ox,  Adam  Hartman,  George  Weaber,  are  next  on  the  ledger. 

"Jost  Harkimar "  is  charged  with  nips  of  sling,  nips  of  grog,  "Boals"  of  grog, 
wheat  to  be  returned  for  "soing,"  "2  shots  at  6d  each,"  rum,  cash,  costs  of  suit,  and 
other  things,  making  a  long  account,  which  was  paid  in  1791  in  sowing  "Pease,"  oats, 
wheat,  barley,  serving  warrants,  moving  wheat  and  "moing"  wheat,  and  cash. 

Then  comes  the  account  against  Rudolph  Schomaker,  who  is  charged  with  judgment 
before  Squire  Colbreath,  9s  lid  and  cost.  Is  9d ;  2  nips  grog,  2  nips  brandy  grog, 
"cash  at  Stone  Arabia  in  Fox's  House  (present  Flagg  &  Ittick),  Is";  "  cost  between 
you  and  your  brother  2  years  ago,  5s  6d  ";  1  dinner.  Is;  1  gill  bitters.  6d  ;  "cost  be- 
tween you  and  George  Clabsattle,  Is."  The  balance  of  the  long  account  is  "  Nips  of 
Grog,"  which  was  all  paid  in  cash. 

John  Petrie  is  charged  in  1790  with  "taking  affadid  in  respect  of  Demsitts  estate, 
Is."  Andrew  Dygert  is  charged  with  "  Rum,  pigtale  tobacco,  quart  Cyder  and  lodg- 
ing "  Next  are  the  names  of  Joseph  Cook,  Conrad  Kook,  Henry  A.  Cramer,  Nicholas 
N.  Staring,  George  F.  Helnier,  Joseph  Hines,  Christian  Drisselman,  John  Isdall,  Peter 
Flagg,  Adin  Fancher,  Nicholas  Wollhaver,  Samuel  Robertson  (who  paid  his  bill  in  doc- 
toring), Gershom  Reach,  William  Delaney,  Samuel  Pinker.  Jacob  Kunkabol. 

Robert  Bee,  says  the  merchant,  "agreed  with  me  for  one  year's  work  for  £2,5, 
and  Sept.  12  left  me  in  the  morning  before  1  was  out  of  bed."  Next  follows  an  ac- 
count against  Herkimer  county  for  work  on  the  court-house,  then  the  account  of  James 
Yule,  who  paid  a  part  of  his  bill  in  surveying  "  Lott  No.  14,  in  the  third  tract."  Chris- 
topher Rube  paid  his  bill  of  £10  15s  5d  in  bottoming  chairs  and  weaving.  Mrs.  Hol- 
teger  paid  her  bill  in  spinning  flax. 

There  is  a  wonderful  amount  of  information  in  the  old  ledger,  and  as 
this  was  the  first  store  in  German  Flats,  the  record  bears  an  added  in- 
terest. William  Small  and  James  Isdale  were  merchants  at  Fort  Her- 
kimer at  a  later  date.     The  first  tavern  kept  there,  as  far  as  known,  was 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS. 


185 


by  N.  Aldridge,  on  the  south  side  of  the  highway  ;  he  also  kept  a  store, 
and  "  shin-plasters  "  are  in  existence  issued  by  him.  Fort  Herkimer 
was  the  central  point  for  business  for  the  surrounding  country  for  many 
years,  its  situation  on  the  canal  of  the  Navigation  Company  giving  it 
that  prestige.  The  first  blacksmith  in  the  town,  Jacob  Phillips,  located 
here,  and  James  Campbell  came  a  little  later.  Benjamin  Fox  was  an 
early  tailor,  working  at  that  trade  in  1791,  and  later  had  a  blacksmith 
shop  near  the  church.  The  first  harnessmaker  mentioned  is  Jacob 
Bashorr,  and  the  first  shoemaker  was  Peter  WoUever,  while  Dr.  Sam- 
uel Robertson  appeared  in  1790  as  the  first  physician.  Frederick  Bell- 
inger and  Stephen  Wright  were  carpenters.  In  1792  Aaron  Wood  had 
a  small  tannery  here,  and  the  school  was  kept  by  Samuel  Edwards  and 
Pliilip  Peter  Cowder,  before  1800.  The  little  village  continued  to  pros- 
per until  the  diversion  of  travel  to  the  Mohawk  turnpike  along  the  north 
side  of  the  river.  This  was  the  end  of  its  prosperity,  and  the  place 
gradually  declined  in  its  business  enterprise,  until  it  has  reached  its 
present  condition. 

• 1.    _r  


/" 


Resuming  our  account  of 
the  old  Fort  Herkimer  church 
it  must  be  stated  that  the 
corporate  seal  of  the  church 
adopted  in  1796  gave  it  the 
name  of  "  The  Reformed  Pro- 
testant Dutch  Church  of  Ger- 
man Flats."  Long  previous 
to  that,  in  the  year  1753, 
Hans  Dedrich  Stelly  and  oth- 
ers deeded  to  Peter  Remsen, 

for  the  support  of  their  minister,  lots  45,  46,  and  47,  on  the  flats. 
No  records  of  membership  in  the  church  were  kept  during  the  early 
years  of  its  history,  but  in  the  Synod  of  18 12  an  order  was  made  that 
annual  reports  should  thereafter  be  returned.  The  first  regular  preacher 
was  probably  a  brother  of  Rev.  Abraham  Rosecrants,  as  his  biogra- 
pher says  he  succeeded  his  brother  in  1767.  Rev.  Abraham  Rosecrants 
faithfully  labored  here  from  that  year  until  1794,  a  period  of  twenty- 
seven  years.      He  was  an  educated  and  able  man,  and  became  connect- 

24 


186 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


ed  with  the  Herkimer  family  by  marriage.  He  died  at  his  residence 
on  Fall  Hill,  in  the  present  town  of  Little  Falls,  at  the  close  of  the  last 
century. 

From  1794  to  1798  Rev.  Fitch  Romden,  of  Oneida,  preached  to  the 
settlers  occasionally,  and  in  the  latter  year  Rev.  Mr.  Pick,  of  Stone 
Arabia,  was  called  to  supply  the  pulpit,  which  he  did  until  1802,  when 
Rev.  John  P.  Spinner  was  called.  Mr.  Spinner  ministered  to  these  peo- 
ple for  forty-six  years.  He  emigrated  from  Germany  in  1801,  and 
landed  in   New  York  in  May.      He  was  educated  in  the  gymnasium  at 


Bishopslieim  and  the  university  at  Mentz,  and  in  1789  was  consecrated 
to  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  His  wife,  Mary  Magdale  Fedelis  Bru 
mante,  a  native  of  Loire,  accompanied  him  to  this  country.  Mr.  Spin- 
ner was  called  to  the  Fort  Herkimer  church  soon  after  his  arrival  in  the 
country,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  short  period  of  teaching,  contin- 
ued with  it  until  1848.  Nor  were  his  services  confined  to  this  par- 
ish, for  he  preached  to  congregations  in  Columbia,  Warren,  at  the  In- 
dian Castle,  Manheim,  Schuyler,  and  in  some  of  the  towns  of  adjoining 


f'tt-,       [/H^-f^ 


t-f^'f^et. 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  187 

counties,  besides  the  church  in  Herkimer  village.  He  was  thoroughly 
educated  and  his  sermons  were  often  eloquent  and  masterly.  Mr.  Spin- 
ner died  at  his  residence  in  Herkimer,  May  27,  1848,  aged  eighty  years. 
He  was  the  father  of  Hon.  Francis  E.  Spinner,  the  famous  secretary  of 
the  United  States  treasury  under  President  Lincoln,  and  the  family  is 
still  represented  in  the  county. ^  Mr.  Spinner  was  succeeded  in  the  pas- 
torate of  the  church  by  Rev.  J.  Stark,  who  came  about  four  years  after 
Mr.  Spinner  gave  up  the  charge.  Mr.  Stark  preached  five  years,  when 
there  followed  a  period  of  about  four  years  during  which  there  was 
no  regular  preacher,  and  in  1862  Mr.  Stark  returned,  preached  one 
year,  and  died  in  1863.  He  was  the  last  settled  pastor  of  the  once 
flourishing  congregation.  Since  that  time  the  pulpit  has  been  supplied 
at  intervals,  among  those  preaching  here  being  Revs.  J.  Petrie,  J.  J. 
Quick,  Rev.  Mr.  Consaul,  Rev.  Mr.  Todd,  William  Johns,  of  Little 
Falls,  and  others. 

The  financial  needs  of  the  church  were  largely  provided  for  by  the 
rental  of  lands  deeded  in  trust  for  that  purpose,  and  as  long  as  the  orig- 
inal lessees  lived  there  was  no  lack  of  means  for  the  support  of  the  gos- 
pel, no  matter  in  what  direction  the  necessary  expense  might  be  in- 
curred. In  the  time  of  Rev.  Mr.  Rosecrants,  the  rental  of  lands 
brought  in  a  revenue  of  $400  annually,  besides  the  large  amounts  usually 
raised  by  subscription.  At  the  installation  of  the  elders  and  deacons, 
on  the  29th  of  January,  1796,  by  Rev.  Charles  A.  Pick,  he  received  for 
his  services  ;^4  i6sand  6s  for  spreading  upon  the  book  of  minutes  the 
ordination  and  installation,  and  at  his  next  visit  to  this  place  he  received 
£2.  Rev.  Mr.  Spinner  received  a  salary  of  $700  per  annum,  besides 
funds  raised  by  subscription,  which  for  a  time  was  paid  him,  but  as  the 
collection  of  rentals  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Remsen  was  in  a  measure 
neglected,  and  the  estate  of  the  deceased  was  embarrassed  by  litigation, 
the  revenues  began  to  fall  off,  causing  quite  a  deficiency  in  meeting  the 
salary,  so  that  in  May,  1836,  there  was  due  Rev.  Mr.  Spinner  for  ser- 
vices rendered,  $1,324.10,  one  half  of  which  he  proposed  to  donate  to 
the  church,  provided  he  received  the  other  half.  The  litigation  in  re- 
lation to  the  lands  held  in  trust  lasted  for  several  years,  until  in  1851  an 

'  For  more  extended  notice  of  F.  E.  Spinner,  see  Biographical  Chapter  in  later  pages  of  this 
volume. 


188  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

act  of  the  Legislature  was  passed  authorizing  the  consistory  to  sell  a 
portion  of  the  lands.  Several  sales  were  made  under  this  act,  and  the 
money  invested,  the  interest  to  be  used  for  the  same  purpose  as  the 
rentals  or  incomes  of  leases.  In  1870  an  act  was  passed  enabling  the 
consistory  to  record  all  leases,  papers,  etc.,  belonging  to  the  church. 
Thus  the  munificent  gift  of  Nicholas  Wolever,  Hans  Dedrich  Stelly  and 
others,  dwindled  down  to  a  mere  pittance  in  the  space  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-five  years,  and  at  present  this  is  only  a  missionary  field. 

After  settlers  first  located  at  Fort  Herkimer,  they  gradually  extended 
southward  over  the  hills  until  the  head  waters  of  Fulmer  Creek  were 
reached.  In  1797  Seth  Paine  settled  at  what  became  known  as  Paine's 
Hollow,  about  three  miles  south  of  the  river.  He  came  from  Windham 
county.  Conn.,  and  was  thirteen  days  reaching  Fort  Herkimer.  With 
him  came  his  sister,  his  wife  and  eleven  children,  five  of  whom  were 
sons.  In  the  spring  of  X797  the  Paines  had  five  acres  of  timber  cut 
down  and  they  invited  their  German  neighbors  to  a  logging  bee  and 
the  whole  five  acres  were  cleared  for  them  in  one  day.  In  the  summer 
of  1798  a  saw-mill  was  built  there,  and  not  long  afterward  Mr.  Paine 
built  a  grist-mill,  thus  saving  further  journeys  to  Little  Falls  or  Van 
Hornesville.  The  settlement  at  Paine's  Hollow  grew  and  comprised  at 
one  time  three  saw-mills,  the  grist-mill,  a  fulling-mill,  a  store,  tavern,  a 
post-office  and  about  two  hundred  inhabitants.  The  first  post-office  in 
the  town  was  here  and  was  called  German  Flats,  with  John  Paine  as 
postmaster.  Otis  Smith,  who  settled  here  at  about  the  same  time  with 
the  Paines,  was  the  mail  carrier  between  Little  Falls  and  Little  Lakes, 
now  in  the  town  of  Warren,  and  stopped  at  Paine's  Hollow  once  a  week. 
This  post-office  was  long  ago  discontinued  for  a  period,  but  has  been 
renewed  in  recent  years.  Nathan  Swift  is  the  present  postmaster ;  the 
post-office  is  now  in  Little  Falls,  just  across  the  line,  this  hamlet  being 
partly  in  that  town.  Very  little  business  is  now  done  at  Paine's  Hol- 
low. 

The  vicinity  of  what  has  been  known  as  Dennison's  Corners,  on  the 
southern  line  of  the  town,  was  first  settled  by  Benjamin  Whitman  (now 
spelled  and  pronounced  Wightman).  He  came  from  Connecticut  and 
was  a  Baptist  minister.  A  tavern  was  kept  very  early  at  this  point 
by  Stutely  Palmer,  and    Asahel  Wise  came   from   Vermont   and    built 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  189 

an  ashery ;  Henry  Raster  also  had  one.  The  settlement  was  at  first 
known  as  Whitmantown,  until  Stanton  Dennison  settled  there  and 
purchased  a  tract  of  640  acres.  The  hamlet  grew  to  considerable  im- 
portance and  a  post-office  was  established  with  Charles  Whitman  as 
postmaster  in  1847.  The  first  store  was  kept  by  John  I.  Christman. 
Among  other  early  settlers  at  this  point  were  Henry  Steele,  a  black- 
smith, Joseph  Noble,  and  the  Freeman,  Tisdale,  Thomas,  and  Hawks 
families,  all  from  Connecticut.  In  1834  Mr.  Dennison  "built  a  church, 
which  is  still  standing  and  used  at  intervals  by  the  Methodists.  In  1847 
Charles  Whitman  donated  the  lot  and  school- house  to  the  district. 

About  the  year  1800  Jason  Tiff  settled  at  the  mouth  of  Trout  Creek, 
two  and  a  half  miles  up  Fulmer  Creek  from  Mohawk,  and  there  built  a 
saw-mill,  carding  and  cloth-mill,  and  a  grist-mill.  A  little  hamlet 
gathered  there,  but  long  since  lost  its  identity. 

After  the  War  of  18 12  this  town,  like  most  others  in  the  county, 
rapidly  filled  up.  The  farmers  found  good  markets  for  their  crops,  and 
general  prosperity  reigned.  The  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal,  while  in 
some  respects  an  advantage  to  the  people,  was  in  other  ways  a  disad- 
vantage. It  brought  into  competition  with  the  Mohawk  farmers  those 
of  the  Genesee  country,  as  it  was  called,  where  grain  could  be  raised 
cheaper  than  here,  and  inaugur.ited  an  era  of  hard  times  in  the  agri- 
cultural districts;  a  competition  which,  in  connection  with  that 
developed  later  by  the  far  west,  led  10  the  introduction  of  dairying. 
The  building  of  the  Utica  and  Schenectady  Railroad  and  its  conse- 
quences have  already  been  described.  The  road  was  a  great  financial 
success,  a  fact  which  led  to  the  projection  of  other  lines  in  various 
directions.  One  of  these  was  the  Mohawk  Valley  Railroad  Company, 
which  was  organized  in  1850,  with  A.  C.  Flagg  as  president,  and  F.  E. 
Spinner,  secretary.  Books  were  opened  and  the  following  commis- 
sioners appointed  from  Herkimer  county  to  receive  subscriptions  to  the 
stock :  Benjamin  Carver,  F.  E.  Spinner,  and  Eliphalet  Remington.  E. 
H.  Broadhead  was  appointed  chief  engineer  and  his  report  was  made  in 
1851.  Without  following  the  route  proposed  in  detail  it  may  be  said 
that  it  was  to  extend  along  the  south  side  of  the  river,  one  line  being 
proposed  on  the  north  bank  of  the  canal  and  one  on  the  south,  the 
latter  passing  through  the  villages  of  Mohawk,  Ilion  and  Frankfort. 
The  road  was  never  built. 


190  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  New  York,  Utica  and  Ogdensburgh  Railroad,  which  also  contem- 
plated further  connections  in  this  county  and  town,  was  projected  in  New 
York,  and  one  link  in  its  line  was  from  Utica  to  Cooperstown.  A  sur- 
vey was  made  from  Utica  to  Mohawk  and  up  the  valley  of  Fulmer 
Creek  to  the  town  line  of  Stark.  In  aid  of  this  undertaking  the  town  of 
German  Flats  was  bonded  in  1872  for  $160,000.  The  road  was  begun, 
the  town  authorities  by  arrangement  paying  out  of  its  bonds  as  fast  as 
grading  progressed.  The  result  was  that  about  four  miles  were  graded 
and  the  town  had  invested  $32,000  when  the  work  stopped  and  was 
never  resumed  ;   the  remainder  of  the  bonds  was  canceled. 

A  much  more  satisfactory  project  in  its  results  was  the  building  of  the 
Mohawk  and  liion  Street  Railroad,  the  company  for  which  was  organized 
in  April,  1870.  John  F.  Hosch  was  the  first  president;  J.  E.  Casey, 
vice-president  ;  Jacob  Devendorf,  treasurer ;  S.  F.  Wilcox,  secretary. 
The  road  was  finished  in  September,  1870.  The  capital  stock  was 
$15,000,  and  the  village  of  Mohawk  was  bonded  for  $10,000  towards 
the  work  ;  these  bonds  were  retired  a  year  later  and  the  town  stock 
sold.  The  road  has  always  been  a  paying  investment  and  is  admirably 
managed. 

A  similar  enterprise,  which  has  been  of  great  public  benefit,  is  the 
Herkimer  and  Mohawk  Street  Railroad,  the  company  for  which  was 
organized  early  in  1871,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $20,000.  The  road 
was  built  connecting  Herkimer  and  Mohawk  villages,  and  was  in  opera- 
tion in  September,  1871.  This  road  has  also  paid  its  projectors 
financially. 

The  history  of  this  town  in  recent  years  is  further  told  in  the  suc- 
ceeding accounts  of  Mohawk  and  Ilion  villages,  the  latter  being  the 
largest  manufacturing  center  in  Herkimer  county,  excepting  Little 
Falls.  The  prosperity  of  Ilion  is  reflected  to  some  extent  throughout 
the  town,  and  especially  to  the  village  of  Mohawk.  The  dairying  in- 
dustry in  the  town  is  prosperous  and  extensive,  the  market  being 
largely  at  Little  Falls. 

MOHAWK   VILLAGE. 

The  site  of  this  village  was  first  settled  by  the  Palatines,  who  drew  the 
lots  upon  which  it  is  situated,  as  seen  in  the  table  in  Chapter  II,  and  the 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  191 

diagram,  page  38.  The  site  of  the  village  is  picturesque.  It  is  on  the 
north  side  of  the  town  near  the  center,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Erie 
canal,  and  on  Fulmer  Creek  about  half  a  mile  above  its  confluence  with 
the  Mohawk  River.  Among  its  inhabitants  previous  to  the  Revolution- 
ary War  were  very  few  except  the  Germans  and  their  families  ;  but  with 
the  close  of  the  war,  and  to  a  limited  extent  previous  to  that  time,  set- 
tlers came  in  rapidly  from  Connecticut  and  adjoining  Eastern  States. 

The  first  tavern  within  the  limits  of  the  village  was  built  by  Judge 
Gates  in  1778,  and  is  still  standing  in  the  western  part  of  the  village. 
He  occupied  it  a  few  years  and  sold  it  to  one  of  the  Petrie  family  and 
he  to  Rudolph  Devendorf  in  1804,  and  he  to  David  Diefendorf,  1  who 
in  1817  opened  what  was  called  a  "Dutch  tavern,"  which  he  kept  until 
1842,  when  it  was  converted  into  a  dwelling;  it  is  now  owned  and  oc- 
cupied by  Jacob  Diefendorf,  son  of  David,  who  has  lived  in  it  since  1817. 
So  well  was  it  built  that  it  is  to  day  in  excellent  condition.  It  is  thought 
to  be  the  oldest  building  in  the  village.  In  18 17  there  was  not  more  than 
two  dwelling-houses  on  the  north  side  of  Main  street  between  this  house 
and  the  site  of  the  canal  bridge  east  of  the  village,  and  the  whole 
tract  was  covered  with  a  grove  of  hickory  trees.  There  were  two 
or  three  barns,  one  of  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  Mohawk  Valley 
Hotel.  The  next  tavern  in  the  place  was  kept  by  Josiah  Earl.  In  1800 
Peter  Helmer  built  a  tavern  on  a  site  just  south  of  the  old  Mohawk  House, 
which  was  kept  for  many  years  by  Jedediah  Fox.  In  1826  John  Ben- 
nett purchased  the  old  tavern  which  stands  near  the  present  Mohawk 
House,  and  built  a  storehouse  on  the  then  recently  opened  canal.  The 
opening  of  this  great  water-way  was  of  supreme  importance  to  this  vil- 
lage and  contributed  largely  to  its  early  growth  ;  a  growth  that  was  lat- 
er much  retarded  by  the  building  of  the  Utica  and  Schenectady  Railroad 
on  ihe  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  place  was  early  known  as  "  Ben- 
nett's Corners,"  but  after  about  a  dozen  years,  was  given  its  present  more 
appropriate  title.  In  1825  Chester  Tisdale  built  the  American  Hotel,  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Mohawk  Valley  Hotel.  The  old  brick  hotel  east 
of  the  village  was  built  in  1830  by  Christopher  Bellinger  for  Daniel  Dy- 
gert  and  L.  Doolittle  ;  but  it  long  ago  fell  into  disuse  as  a  public  house. 

1  Although  these  two  Diefendorfs  were  brothers,  they  spelled  their  names  as  given, 


192  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  present  Mohawk  House,  corner  of  Main  and  Columbia  streets,  was 
built  by  Briggs  Thomas  in  1835. 

The  first  building  for  a  private  residence  was  erected  by  Peleg  Free- 
man in  1778  ;  the  site  is  now  occupied  by  the  residence  of  Mrs.  B.  A. 
Johnson,  south  side  of  Main  street,  west  of  Fulmer  Creek.  Robert  Shoe- 
maker's mother  built  the  house  where  David  Spencer  now  lives,  in  the 
west  part  of  the  village.  The  Wheeler  house,  just  east  of  the  creek  on 
Main  street,  was  built  by  Peter  Warner  in  1790;  it  is  now  owned  by 
Mrs.  Presley.  In  1800  Frederick  Starling  built  a  house  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  residence  of  Thomas  Cunningham.  It  was  burned  not 
long  afterward,  and  another  erected,  which  finally  gave  place  to  the  pres- 
ent brick  house.  The  old  gambrel-roofed  house  that  stood  on  the  site 
of  the  present  residence  of  H.  1).  Alexander,  was  built  by  Rufus  Ran- 
dall about  1790. 

Manufactures  and  Mercantile. — The  very  early  mills  on  Fulmer 
Creek  have  already  been  described.  In  about  the  year  1808  Reuben 
Randall  built  a  grist-mill  on  this  creek  at  the  south  end  of  Columbia 
street,  which  was  used  until  recent  years ;  and  about  the  same  time  Asa 
Dennison  built  a  tannery  on  the  creek  in  the  west  part  of  the  village  on 
the  south  side  of  Main  street,  which  has  been  remodeled  into  dwellings. 
In  1 813  Rudolph  Devendorf  built  a  grist  and  saw-mill  on  the'south  side 
of  the  road  on  the  creek  in  the  west  part  of  the  village;  and  about  the 
same  time  Solomon  Ford  erected  a  saw-mill  a  little  farther  up  the  creek, 
and  a  Mr.  Warner  had  a  small  tannery  near  Devendorf's  mills.  All  of 
these  have  disappeared.  There  was  also  a  saw-mill  near  the  site  of  the 
lower  locks. 

The  first  blacksmith  in  the  village  was  named  Crane  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Adam  Starling.  The  shop,  which  was  built  probably  as  early 
as  1808,  stood  about  where  Dr.  Van  Court's  store  now  is.  In  1830 
Norton  &  Myers  had  a  blacksmith  shop  near  the  site  where  Thos.  Cun- 
ningham's store  is  now.  From  1 800  to  1820  a  plow  factory  was  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Columbia  streets  where  the  Ouackenbush  block  now 
stands.  This  was  for  many  years  the  only  manufactory  of  agricultural 
implements  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

The  Mohawk  Foundry  was  established  in  1843  by  the  late  Chaun- 
cey    Johnson.      The    building    first    erected    is    still    standing    on    the 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  193 

south  side  of  the  canal  at  the  corner  of  Warren  and  Johnson  streets. 
Another  building  was  afterwards  erected  of  brick,  the  first  one  being  of 
stone.  Stoves,  agricultural  implements,  iron  fence,  etc.,  were  produced 
here.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Johnson  his  sons  conducted  the  business 
for  a  time,  but  it  is  now  stopped. 

The  Mohawk  Manufacturing  Works  were  established  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  a  new  and  improved  revolver.  The  company  consisted  of  H. 
D.  Alexander,  J.  B.  Rafter,  J.  F.  Hosch,  J.  N.  Quackenbush,  C.  Beck- 
with  and  J.  D.  Miller.      In  August,  1878,  the  company  was   dissolved. 

The  Mohawk  Valley  Hotel  Company  was  organized  December  17, 
1874,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000.  The  company  purchased  the  old 
American  Hotel  property,  including  Varley  Hall  and  the  house  and  lot 
next  north  of  it  on  Otsego  street,  and  there  erected  a  handsome  four- 
story  hotel.  The  total  cost  of  the  new  property  was  about  $75,000. 
While  this  house  has  been  of  benefit  to  the  place,  it  has  not  paid  the 
stockholders  financially. 

The  Mohawk  Valley  Knitting  Mills  is  one  of  the  later  manufacturing 
establishments  of  Mohawk  that  are  aiding  in  building  up  the  place.  It 
was  incorporated  March  17,  1887,  with  a  cash  paid-up  capital  of  $50,- 
000.  About  250  hands  are  employed  and  80,000  dozen  knit  underwear 
manufactured  annually.  The  officers  of  the  company  are  H.  D.  Alex- 
ander, president  and  treasurer;  J.  B.  Rafter,  secretary;  B.  A.  Stone, 
vice-president;   Smith  Ostrander,  superintendent. 

The  Knitting  Company  of  Mohawk,  limited,  was  incorporated  Oc- 
tober 27,  1890,  with  a  cash  paid-up  capital  of  $50,000,  and  manufac- 
tures similar  goods  to  those  made  by  the  Mohawk  Valley  Company. 
About  175  hands  are  employed,  and  Smith  Ostrander  is  superintendent. 
The  officers  are :  B.  A.  Stone,  president ;  J.  B.  Rafter,  secretary ;  H. 
D.  Alexander,  treasurer;   H.  G.  Munger,  vice-president. 

The  Broomhall  Milling  and  Malting  Company  was  organized  in 
March,  1891,  with  the  following  officers:  A.  D.  Morgan,  president;  L. 
G.  Young,  vice-president;  I.  W.  Steele,  treasurer;  C.  C.  Steele,  secre- 
tary.     Charles  Young  is  manager.     The  capital  is  $15,000,  paid  up. 

One  of  the  early  merchants  of  Mohawk  was  Samuel  Meeker,  who 
carried  on  business  where  Mr.  Lovejoy  now  has  a  hotel,  on  Columbia 
Street.     Mr.  Meeker  was  noted  for  his  fine  garden.      In  1809  Rudolph 

25 


194  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTTi. 

Devendorf  opened  a  store  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Warren  streets, 
where  for  many  years  business  was  carried  on  by  various  merchants, 
among  them  Solomon  Clough,  Henry  S.  Diefendorf,  Peter  I.  Miller, 
D.  S.  Clark,  and  James  Campbell.  The  store  on  the  post  office  corner 
was  built  in  1836  by  Elias  and  Humphrey  G.  Root.  The  whole 
block  from  the  Kirley  block  to  the  post-office  corner  and  running  back 
nearly  to  the  canal,  was  purchased  in  the  spring  of  1826  by  Elias  Ran- 
dall for  $175.  The  Steele  block,  corner  of  Main  and  Otsego  streets,  was 
built  by  John  A.  Steele  in  1852,  and  the  Spinner  block,  opposite  corner 
of  Main  and  Otsego  streets,  was  erected  in  1844  by  F.  E.  Spinner.  The 
opening  of  the  canal  witnessed  the  erection  of  several  warehouses,  for 
storage  and  forvvarding,  among  them  being  the  building  now  occupied 
by  J.  W.  Devendorf;  this  was  the  first  one,  built  in  1826,  and  others 
were  built  by  H.  G.  Root  &  Co.,  James  Campbell,  Isaac  Woodworth, 
and  Merry  &  Devendorf 

The  first  brick  house  erected  in  the  village  was  the  one  in  which  Mrs. 
Still  well  lived,  and  here  she  died  in  1892.  It  was  biiilt  by  Josiah  Os- 
good and  rebuilt  by  Elias  Root. 

The  first  resident  physician  was  Dr.  A.  W.  Bowen,  who  came  here  in 
1828.  The  first  postmaster  was  Samuel  Miner,  and  the  first  mail  car- 
rier was  a  Mr.  Luke,  who  traveled  on  horseback  between  Utica  and 
Schenectady.  The  mail  was  delivered  once  each  week,  if  the  weather 
and  roads  would  permit. 

The  land  on  which  the  village  stands  was  owned  b)'  Rufus  Randall, 
who,  after  disposing  of  one  or  two  farms,  sold  the  remainder  to  Frederick 
Bellinger,  -who  had  it  surveyed  into  village  lots.  The  village  was  incorpo- 
rated by  act  of  Legislature  passed  April  16,  1844,  and  the  first  election 
for  village  officers  was  held  at  the  house  of  John  Golden  May  4,  1844, 
when  the  following  officers  were  chosen  : 

President,  Frederick  Bellinger;  assessors,  Gordon  Farmer  and  Ezekiel 
Spencer  ;  treasurer,  Elias  Root ;  clerk,  Daniel  S.  Clark  ;  collector,  Marks 
H.  Grants  ;  constable,  Marks  H.  Grants.  The  proceedings  of  the  first 
charter  election  were  signed  by  Frederick  Starling,  as  chairman,  and 
John  Crist  as  town  clerk. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  trustees  held  May  9,  1844,  the  follow- 
ing named  persons  were  granted  each  a  tavern  license,  paying  for  it  $5  : 


194  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUKTl . 

Devendorf  opened  a  store  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Warren  streets, 
where  fm  !ii  ,h\'  \  ears  business  was  carried  on  by  various  merchants, 
among  mon   Clough,  Henry  S.  Diefendorf,  Peter  I.   Miller, 

D.  S.  Ci.>..v.  o,.o  james  Campbell.  The  store  on  the  post-office  corner 
was  built  in    1836  by  Elias   and    Humphrey  G.    Root.      The  whole 

block  from  the  Kirley  block  to  the  post-   '•       ■  "--^  r : -ning  back 

nearly  to  the  canal,  was  purchased  in  th  ias  Ran- 

■Jallfor  $175.     The  Steele  block,  ci'iv  utsego  streets,  was 

Liuilt  by  John  A.  Steele  in  1852,  ai  ick,  opposite  corner 

of  Main  and  Otsego  streets,  was  ei  F.  E.  Spinner.  The 

opening  of  the  canal  witnessed  th  -  rai  warehouses,  for 

storage  and  forwarding,  among  t;  Iding  now  occupied 

by  J.  W.  Devendorf;  this  was  thf  n    1826,  and  others 

were  built  by  H.  G.  Root  &  '  Campbell,  Isaac  Woodwoi  i 

and  Merry  &  Devendorf. 

The  first  brick  house  erectt  c  one  in  which  Mrs. 

Stillwelllived,  and  here  si:  _  biiilt  by  Josiah  O'^- 

good  and  rebuilt  by  Eli; 

The  first  resident  ph}  ^"  »n,  who  came  here  m 

1828.     The  first  postm:'  d  the  first  mail  car- 

rier was  a  Mr.  Luke,  who  n  '■  -  >  i:  on  n^rs' u.ici:  between  Utica  and 
Schenectady.  The  mail  was  delivered  once  each  week,  if  the  weather 
and  roads  would  permit. 

The  land  on  which  the  villape  stands  was  owned  by  Rufus 
who,  after  disposinr  'le  remainder  to  Frederick 

Bellinger,  who  had  ,  The  village  was  incorpo- 

rated by  act  of  Legislature  passed  .rv^.ni  io,  1844,  and  the  first  election 
for  village  officers  was  held  n.t  the  house  of  John  Golden  May  4,.  1844, 
wlien  the  following  office 

''^resident,  Frederick  Bi       ,.  idEzekiel 

r  ;  treasurer,  Elias  Root ;  clerk,  Daniel  S.  Clark ;  collector,  Mar 
"'i  ■  constable,  Marks  ll    '.mnfs      The  proceedings  of  the  fii... 
ion  were  signed  arling,  as  chairman,  and 

board  of  trustees  held  May  9,  1 844,  the  foil' 
ing  nanieu  persoi:-  i ted  each  a  tavern  licens:  for  it  ^5  : 


Town  of  German  flats.  19o 

Newman  Smith,  Olendorf  &  Lawyer,  Charles  Bronson  and  George  L. 
Van  Slyke;  and  grocery  licenses  were  granted  on  the  same  terms  to  L. 
L.  Merry  and  Cornelius  Devendorf. 

The  Mohawk  Valley  Bank  was  organized  February  9,  1839,  by  the 
election  of  the  following  officers :  Directors,  David  Devendorf,  Fred- 
erick Bellinger,  Alanson  Maxon,  Elias  Root,  Ira  Randall,  Jacob  F. 
Cristman,  Ebenezer  Morgan,  Stephen  Jones,  William  Burgess,  E.  A. 
Munson,  Charles  Wightman,  Peter  H.  Warren,  H.  S.  Orendorf,  J.  I. 
Cristman,  R.  G.  Starkweather,  Rodney  Sanford,  L.  Stienburgh,  Ephraim 
Tisdale,  Jacob  Marshall,  and  Jesse  C.  Dann.  "Ebenezer  Morgan  was 
chosen  president,  and  in  May,  1839,  J.  C.  Dann  was  chosen  cashier,  and 
in  June,  Eiias  Root  was  elected  vice-president.  The  successive  presi- 
dents of  the  bank  have  been  as  follows:  After  Mr.  Morgan,  Charles 
Wightman,  elected  February  9,  1841  ;  Benjamin  Carver,  July  2,  1849; 
Peter  H.  Warren,  July  2,  1855  ;  John  J.  Cristman,  July,  1857  ;  F.  E. 
Spinner,  July  5,  1858;  Peter  H.  Warren,  July,  1861  ;  Dean  Burgess, 
July,  1864;  Eli  Fox,  January,  1882;  Jacob  Devendorf,  January,  1 891. 
On  the  3d  of  April,  1865,  the  bank  was  reorganized  and  its  name 
changed  to  the  National  Mohawk  Valley  Bank,  and  the  officers  re- 
mained as  before  until  September  3,  1867,  when  H.  D.  Alexander  was 
elected  cashier  and  has  filled  the  office  until  the  present  time.  The 
present  officers  of  the  bank  are  as  follows:  President,  Jacob  Deven- 
dorf; directors,  the  president,  H.  D.  Alexander,  Allen  Bloomfield,  B. 
A.  Weatherby,  Thomas  D.  Warren,  R.  M.  Devendorf,  B.  A.  Stone, 
John  Giblin,  H.  A.  Deimel,  O.  W.  Bronson,  and  De  Witt  E.  Allen. 
The  capital  of  the  bank  is  $150,000;  surplus  and  undivided  profits, 
$40,000;  deposits  about  $220,000.  In  1892  the  institution  erected  a 
handsome  and  convenient  bank  building  on  Main  street  at  a  cost  ol 
$10,000. 

The  Mohawk  Gaslight  Company  was  organized  October  3,  i860, 
with  a  capital  of  $10,000.  President,  Chauncey  Johnson  ;  secretary, 
Eli  Fox;  treasurer,  R.  H.  Pomeroy.  At  a  later  date  the  company  was 
consolidated  with  the  works  at  llion,  a  new  company  formed  called 
the  llion  and  Mohawk  Gaslight  Company,  and  the  capital  stock  in- 
creased to  $30,000.  After  the  consolidation  the  works  were  located 
about  half  a  mile  east  of  llion  and  both  villages  supplied  with  gas. 
Mohawk  is  now  lighted  with  electricity  by  the  same  company. 


196  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTS. 

Public  School. — Very  little  is  known  of  the  schools  of  Mohawk  in 
early  years.  The  destruction  of  the  records  of  German  Flats  in  1843 
renders  it  impossible  to  learn  details  previous  to  that  year,  excepting 
through  the  memory  of  old  residents.  It  is  known  that  early  in  the 
present  century  there  was  a  school-house  on  the  east  side  of  wliat  is 
now  Columbia  street,  near  the  site  of  the  residence  of  H.  G.  Root,  and 
the  contract  for  the  erection  of  the  building  is  still  in  existence.  The 
building  was  put  up  by  Russel  Brown,  "  at  or  near  Timothy  Campbell's 
house  in  German  Flats."  The  building  cost  $260.  The  contract  was 
signed  on  the  part  of  the  authorities  by  Russel  Brown,  Abrani  Randal, 
Rufus  Randal,  jr.,  James  L.  Campbell,  and  Rudolph  Devendorf 

This  old  school-house  was  abandoned  after  the  erection  of  the  present 
school  building  about  1853,  and  finally  passed  to  the  Methodist  society. 
It  is  still  standing  and  used  for  a  carpenter  shop.  When  the  present 
building  was  erected  a  graded  school  was  established  and  it  so  con- 
tinues. W.  E.  Stearns  is  the  present  principal,  and  under  him  six 
teachers  are  employed.  A  new  school  building  is  to  be  erected  during 
1892-3,  at  a  cost  of  $17,000. 

Fire  Department. — The  fire  department  of  Mohawk  was  organized 
September  9,  1844,  by  the  village  trustees  who  appointed  Humphrey 
G,  Root  as  chief  engineer  ;  Gordon  Farmer,  assistant,  with  twenty-four 
members.  The  company  was  named  Mohawk  Engine  Company  No. 
I.  The  engine  used  was  made  at  Waterford,  and  it  was  kept  in  a  house 
on  the  corner  of  Main  and  North  Washington  streets.  In  May,  1861, 
the  trustees  purchased  a  more  powerful  engine  at  Seneca  Falls,  and  in 
June  of  that  year  a  new  company  named  Colonel  Ellsworth  Engine 
Company  No.  2,  was  organized.  In  1869  this  company  was  disbanded 
and  from  that  date  until  1878  the  engine  was  in  charge  of  citizens,  un- 
der direction  of  the  trustees.  In  March,  1878,  a  company  was  formed 
for  the  hand  engine,  composed  of  forty- eight  men,  and  this  organization 
is  still  kept  up. 

A  special  election  was  held  June  7,  1875,  at  which  it  was  voted  that 
the  village  should  purchase  a  steam  fire  engine.  This  was  done  and 
the  name  Mohawk  Chief  given  to  the  new  engine.  At  the  same  time 
Alexander  Hose  Company  No.  I  was  organized  with  the  following 
officers:     President,  A.   C.   Devendorf;  vice-president,  A.  G.   Myers; 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  197 

secretary,  W.  H.  Schall ;  treasurer,  John  McChesney  ;  foreman,  E.  L. 
Prince.  This  organization  is  still  in  existence.  The  fire  department 
as  at  present  organized  and  equipped,  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county. 

There  is  at  present  only  one  newspaper  in  Mohawk,  which  was 
started  by  Rich  &  Tucker  in  1874,  as  the  Mo/iawk  Independent.  It 
was  subsequently  sold  to  A.  A.  Miller,  who  was  succeeded  as  owner  by 
W.  E.  Churchill,  and  by  C.  A.  White,  who  sold  the  establishment  to 
Miss  Clara  E.  Morgan  in  January,  1892.  The  name  of  the  paper  was 
then  changed  to  The  Eagle.  The  paper  is  ably  edited  by  Miss  Morgan 
and  is  liberally  supported. 

The  Reformed  Church. — This  society  was  organized  December  11, 
1838,  when  Christopher  Bellinger,  and  Samuel  Meeker  were  elected 
elders,  and  Samuel  Barringer  and  Henry  Harter,  deacons.  Shortly 
afterwards  the  lot  on  which  the  church  stands  was  donated  to  the  so- 
ciety by  Frederick  Bellinger.  Through  the  influence  and  substantial  aid 
of  Elias  Root  and  H.  G.  Root,  the  church  building  was  soon  erected. 
The  pulpit  was  first  occupied  by  Rev.  James  Murphy,  of  Herkimer,  as 
supply.  February  i,  1844,  Rev.  Jedediah  L.  Stark  was  called  to  the 
church,  and  he  was  installed  May  3,  1844;  he  continued  for  ten  years, 
since  which  time  the  following  pastors  have  served  the  society  : 

Rev.  Elbert  Slingerland,  1854;  Rev.  John  M.  Hammond,  1856;  Rev. 
Charles  D.  Nott,  1859;  Rev.  E.  Slingerland,  1865,  one  year;  Rev.  G.  D. 
Consaul,  1867;  Rev.  F.  F.  Wilson,  1870;  Rev.  F.  M.  Bogardus,  1872  ; 
Rev.  J.  G.  Lansing,  1876;  Rev.  John  Brandow,  and  Rev.  A.  D.  Minor, 
who  was  succeeded  in  May,  1892,  by  Rev.  Ira  Van  Allen.  The  church 
membership  is  about  115,  and  the  following  are  the  officers:  Elders, 
Byron  A.  Stone,  Thomas  Cunningham,  Robert  Myers  ;  deacons,  Jasper 
Morgan,  Truman  Snell,  Dr.  Rasbach. 

The  Baptist  Church. — The  first  Baptist  society  of  Mohawk  was  or- 
ganized February  9,  1841,  and  the  church  was  erected  in  1845  and  ded- 
icated January  i,  1846.  For  a  number  of  years  the  church  was  fairly 
prosperous,  but  later  it  has  greatly  declined.  Among  the  pastors  have 
been  Revs.  J.  Benedict,  the  first,  N.  Loring,  J.  W.  Crumb,  L.  Casler, 
O.  Adams,  Lamar  W.  Hayhurst,  G.  W.  Harvey,  and  Rev,  Mr.  Broddie, 
who  remained  until  1861.  There  is  now  no  settled  pastor  over  the 
church  and  no  regular  services. 


l&d  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  Methodist  Chiurh. — The  date  of  the  formation  of  the  first  Metho- 
dist class  in  Mohawk  is  not  known,  but  it  was  very  early,  and  it  was  for 
some  years  connected  with  the  class  at  Herkimer.  In  185 1  Rev.  I. 
Hunt  was  permitted  by  the  Reformed  church  society  to  occupy  their 
church  Sabbath  afternoons,  and  he  was  followed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Barnard. 
Later  Rev.  Joseph  Lamb  preached  in  the  Baptist  church  which  was 
leased  for  the  purpose.  The  old  school-house  on  Columbia  street  was 
finally  purchased,  its  use  donated  to  the  society,  and  it  was  fitted 
for  services.  This  was  afterwards  sold  and  the  society  again  used  the 
Baptist  church.  After  years  of  alternate  periods  of  success  and  de- 
spondency, a  revival  held  here  in  the  winter  of  1867—8  by  the  praying 
band  connected  with  the  Ilion  church  quickened  the  feeble  society,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1869  Rev.  Olin  Wightman  became  the  pastor,  and  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Mohawk  was  organized.  After  using 
the  Baptist  and  Universalist  churches  for  a  time,  the  present  handsome 
church  was  erected,  chiefly  through  the  liberality  of  Philo  and  Elizabeth 
Remington.  The  membership  is  about  lOO  and  Rev.  Mr.  Fitch  is 
pastor. 

The  Universalist  Church. — This  society  was  organized  in  1850,  and 
the  brick  church  was  erected  and  dedicated  in  February,  1852.  The 
means  to  this  end  were  contributed  largely  by  subscription.  The  first 
pastor  was  Rev.  B.  B.  Hallock,  who  was  succeeded  in  1857  by  Rev. 
Dolphus  Skinner.  Others  who  have  served  the  church  are  Revs.  L.  C. 
Brown,  J.  R.  Sage,  L.  L.  Briggs,  A.  A.  Thayer,  F.  S.  Brown,  and  D. 
Ballou.  For  the  past  several  years  there  has  been  no  regular  preach- 
ing in  the  church.  Rev.  T.  C.  Fisher,  of  Herkimer,  preaches  afternoons 
at  the  present  time. 

Grace  Episcopal  Church. — This  society  was  organized  in  1854,  and 
the  church  erected  at  the  same  time.  Previous  to  that  time  services 
had  been  held  for  several  years  in  the  public  hall.  The  church  was 
erected  with  funds  subscribed  and  was  paid  for  in  full.  The  first  rector 
was  Rev.  William  Bogart  Walker,  who  was  followed  by  Rev.  E.  C.  Ed- 
munds. Rev.  S.  M.  Griswold  then  preached  for  a  time,  coming  from 
Ilion,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Charles  E.  Freeman  and  Rev.  M.  O. 
Smith.  Rev.  Alfred  Taylor  preached  in  1890.  The  church  is  now 
without  a  rector. 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  199 

The  present  postmaster  of  Mohawk  is  Thomas  Cunningham,  who 
took  the  office  in  November,  1889,  succeeding  D.  D.  Morgan.  An- 
other post-office  in  the  town  is  Edick,  in  the  southwest  part,  with 
John  Shoemaker  as  postmaster,  he  having  held  the  office  about  four 
years  and  since  it  was  estabhshed. 

The  present  officers  of  Mohawk  village  are :  President,  Charles 
Tucker  ;  trustees,  Jeremiah  Warner,  Charles  Young,  F.  H.  Sales,  A. 
H.  Day  ;  clerk,  Charles  Young  ;   chief  engineer,  C.  J.  Thrall. 

VILLAGE   OF   ILION. 

There  was  nothing  meriting  the  name  of  a  village  on  the  site  of  Ilion 
until  after  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal,  yet  there  was  a  store  there 
as  early  as  18 16,  and  perhaps  earlier,  a  fact  which  is  attested  by  shin- 
plasters  of  Thomas  Gillespie  &  Son  of  that  date.  In  early  years  the. 
western  part  of  the  present  corporation  was  called  "  London."  After 
the  construction  of  the  canal  the  locality  was  known  as  Morgan's  Land- 
ing, while  on  the  canal  list  it  was  called  Steele's  Creek. 

The  following  interesting  and  comprehensive  account  of  the  place 
was  written  by  William  Hibbard  Page  in  1874: 

On  the  1st  day  of  January,  in  the  year  1828,  Eliphalet  Remington  purchased  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  of  John  A.  Clapsaddle,  in  part  the  site  of  the  present  village  of 
Ilion,  being  that  portion  bounded  on  the  west  by  Otsego  street.  The  canal  had  been  in 
operation  about  three  years,  but  the  settlement  could  only  boast  of  seven  dwellings, 
two  storehouses  and  a  school-house.  The  river  road  (Main  street)  came  down  from 
Frankfort  as  it  does  now,  but  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Albert  Baker  it  crossed  the 
canal  on  a  bridge,  which  was  torn  away  when  the  canal  was  enlarged;  passing  down 
on  the  north  side,  it  recrossed  to  the  south  side  of  the  canal  a  .short  distance  below  the 
gas  works.  One  of  the  principal  dwellings  was  the  old  Clapsaddle  farm  house,  which 
stood  on  the  premises  now  occupied  by  the  bank  block  and  the  adjacent  armory  build- 
ings. Here  Mr.  Clapsaddle  had  lived  many  years,  and  we  are  reliably  informed  that 
he  was  born  and  brought  up  in  this  vicinity.  Where  Small's  Hotel  now  is  there  stood 
a  building,  in  the  front  part  of  which  was  the  "corner  grocery,"  kept  by  a  man  named 
Gary.  Here  all  the  business  of  the  Corners  was  transacted,  temporally  and  spiritually. 
Groceries,  dry  goods,  etc.,  and  intoxicating  liquors  made  up  the  stock  in  trade.  Daniel 
Dygert,  father  of  our  townsman,  J.  M.  Dygert,  occupied  a  portion  of  the  same  build- 
ing as  a  dwelling.  Just  west  of  this,  and  where  the  last  named  gentleman  now  lives, 
was  the  residence  of  his  uncle,  Dennis  Dygert.  This  gentleman  owned  a  storehouse, 
which  stood  where  Hotahng's  block  now  is.  On  the  site  of  Long's  Hotel  (now  occu- 
pied by  the  Coleman  carriage  and  wagon  factory)  was   the  farm  house  of  Selden  Mor- 


200  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

gan,  who  also  owned  a  storehouse  near  where  the  steam  mill  now  stands.  Still  farther 
west  and  near  the  creek,  was  the  residence  of  Adam  Steele.  The  school-house  was  lo- 
cated on  the  site  of  Long's  barn,  near  the  old  feeder,  but  was  afterward  moved  to 
about  lialf  way  between  Dennis  Dygert's  storehouse  and  the  bridge  first  mentioned. 
Opposite  this  bridge,  and  close  to  the  towpath,  was  the  "'Seth  Curtis  House,"  occupied 
by  Mr.  Lawrence  Helmer,  which  is  still  standing,  and  is  distinguished  as  the  old  brown 
tenement,  third  building  east  of  the  Agricultural  Works ;  farther  to  the  east  was  the 
residence  of  Esquire  Helmer.  This  property  was  afterwards  bought  of  Mr.  Barter  by 
William  Jinks,  inventor  of  the  Jinks  carbine,  who  erected  a  new  dwelling  in  the  place 
of  the  old  one  ;  and  later  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Esquire  Rasbach,  by  whose  family 
it  is  now  occupied.  Such  was  Ilion  in  1831 ;  and  these  eight  families  consisted  of  less 
than  forty  persons.  From  1830  to  1843  the  settlement  was  called  Remington's  Cor- 
ners by  the  residents,  and  generally  known  as  such  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  surround- 
ing country.  On  the  canal  list,  however,  it  was  designated  as  Steele's  Creek,  probably 
after  the  stream  of  water  which  now  flows  through  the  center  of  the  village,  and  which 
took  its  name  from  the  fact  that  Mr.  Steele  had  lived  for  many  years  where  the  creek 
passes  under  the  canal.  During  all  this  time  there  was  no  post-office  at  this  point,  and 
the  villagers  received  their  mail  through  the  office  at  Mohawk  and  others  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity.  This  was  a  source  of  great  annoyance  to  them,  as  it  was  very  incon- 
venient to  go  or  send  from  two  to  ten  miles  to  get  letters  and  papers  which  might  be 
brought  almost  to  their  very  doors.  In  1843  the  place  had  materially  increased  in  size 
and  population,  and  had  become  a  point  of  considerable  interest.  The  manufacture  of 
fire-arms  was  then  in  its  infancy ;  indeed,  Mr.  Remington's  principal  business  was  the 
manufacture  of  gun  barrels,  which  were  sold  to  gunsmiths  and  to  large  manufacturing 
houses  in  distant  cities.  At  this  time  the  necessity  for  a  post-office  had  correspond- 
ingly increased  with  the  prosperity  of  the  Corners,  and  became  the  principal  topic  of 
conversation  in  the  stores,  shops,  and  firesides  as  well.  But  to  get  an  office  there  must 
be  a  name  by  which  to  call  it.  As  many  as  thirty  different  names  were  proposed. 
This  was  at  a  time  when  villages  were  being  named  after  the  most  prominent  states- 
men of  the  nation,  and  as  there  cannot  be  two  post-offices  of  the  same  name  in  any 
single  State,  nearly  all  the  propositions  were  dropped  and  the  people  of  the  Corners 
settled  upon  two  names,  Vulcan  and  Fountain,  under  one  of  which  they  resolved  an 
office  should  be  established.  Finally  a  general  meeting  of  the  citizens  was  called  to 
express  their  views,  and  to  decide  by  vote  which  of  the  two  it  should  be.  This  meet- 
ing was  held  in  one  of  the  stores.  The  result  of  the  vote  as  announced  was  that  the 
friends  of  Fountain  outnumbered  the  Vulcanites  nine  to  one.  These  were  the  days  of 
"  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too  !  "  On  the  death  of  William  Henry  Harrison,  John  Tyler 
succeeded  to  the  presidency,  and  under  his  administration  A.  G.  Wicliffe  was  post- 
master-general. From  1840  to  1844  Hon.  L.  L.  Merry  was  postmaster  at  Mohawk, 
and  he  used  to  send  the  mail  to  the  Corners  tied  up  in  a  handkerchief ;  frequently  there 
being  no  more  of  it  than  he  could  hold  in  one  hand.  Mr.  Benton,  of  Mohawk, 
familiarly  known  as  Charley  Benton,  was  member  of  Congress  from  this  district,  and 
the  petition  for  the  new  office  was  placed  in  his  hands.  Another  petition,  from  Mr. 
Merry  and  the  postmasters  at  Herkimer  and  Frankfort,  was  also  handed  to  Mr.  Ben. 


Ou/iAt^te^ 


^/Ve-f^t--ni^i^o-'f^. 


1 


I 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  201 

ton,  but  was  not  presented  to  the  department,  as  Mr.  Wicliffe  readily  granted  the  office 
on  the  petition  of  the  citizens.  The  friends  of  Fountain  were  not  entirely  satisfied 
with  their  choice,  although  they  consented  to  adopt  the  name  for  the  want  of  something 
better.  It  had  been  suggested  that  the  place  be  named  after  Mr.  Remington,  but  that 
gentleman  modestly  declined  the  honor.  Mr.  Benton,  however,  was  so  much  in  favor 
of  the  suggestion  that  after  consulting  with  General  Spinner,  then  cashier  of  the  Mo- 
hawk Valley  Bank,  and  Humphrey  G.  Root,  by  their  advice  he  concluded  to  change 
the  name,  on  presenting  the  petition,  which  he  did  accordingly.  So  this  village  was 
called  Remington  by  authority  of  the  government,  and  one  of  its  most  highly  esteemed 
citizens,  David  D.  Devoe,  was  appointed  to  be  postmaster.  As  might  be  supposed,  the 
people  were  greatly  surprised  when  the  papers  were  received  informing  them  of  the 
change,  but  they  were  apparently  satisfied.  Mr.  Remington  was  displeased.  In  due 
time  the  department  sent  on  a  contract  for  a  weekly  mail  from  Mohawk  at  twelve  dol- 
lars a  year  ;  a  mail  but  once  a  week  was  hardly  better  than  under  the  old  system,  and 
a  contract  at  twelve  dollars  a  year  nobody  would  take.  For  the  sake  of  form,  how- 
ever, and  to  comply  with  the  requirements  of  the  department,  David  Harrington  was 
induced  to  accept  it,  and  the  contract  was  accordingly  returned  to  Washington.  This 
arrangement  not  being  satisfactory  to  the  postmaster  or  the  citizens,  Mr.  Devoe  made 
a  private  contract  with  a  Mr.  Roarbach  to  let  his  (Roarbach's)  boy  get  a  daily  mail 
from  Mohawk ;  and  it  was  agreed  that  in  time  of  unpleasant  and  stormy  weather 
the  official  should  go  after  the  mail  himself.  The  price  of  the  contract  was  fifty -six 
dollars.  This  sum  was  the  amount  allowed  by  the  department,  less  forty-four  dollars, 
which  Mr.  Devoe  paid  out  of  his  own  pocket.  The  office  was  opened  in  the  store 
where  0.  B.  Rudd's  jewelry  store  is  now  located,  and  it  was  fitted  up  with  a  case  of 
boxes  and  other  fixtures  necessary  to  make  it  convenient  by  Mr.  Devoe.  These  cir- 
cumstances are  mentioned  simplj'  to  show  how  much  interest  was  felt  by  our  first  post- 
master in  the  success  of  his  administration,  as  well  as  personal  expenses  incurred  by 
him  in  supplying  Remington  with  a  daily  mail,  facts  not  generally  known  to  our  citi- 
zens. So  great  was  Mr.  Remington's  displeasure  at  the  name  of  the  new  post-office 
that  he  refused  to  date  his  letters  at  Remington, but  dated  them  at  German  Flats;  con- 
sequently answers  to  his  correspondence  were  sent  to  German  Flats  post-office,  nine 
miles  away  up  in  Paine's  Hollow.  As  a  further  inconvenience,  letters  addressed 
to  this  place  would  be  sent  to  Bennington,  Vt.,  Perrinton,  N.  J.,  Bennington,  N.  Y., 
and  another  place  of  similar  name  in  Pennsylvania;  so  also  would  letters  intended  for 
those  places  reach  this  office,  occasioned,  of  course,  by  illegible  superscription.  These  cir- 
cumstances finally  became  a  source  of  such  great  annoyance  that  the  people  murmured. 
About  a  year  after  the  establishment  of  the  office  Messrs.  Remington  and  Devoe  be- 
came satisfied  that  a  change  was  very  much  needed.  Considerable  time  was  spent  by 
them  in  searching  for  an  Indian  name  for  some  point  in  close  proximity  to  Remington, 
but  without  effect.  Failing  to  find  a  name  which  he  would  be  willing  to  forward  on 
his  own  responsibility  to  the  department  for  confirmation,  Mr.  Remington  asked  his 
friend  to  suggest  one,  and  Mr.  Devoe  named  Ilion,  which  he  had  proposed  at  the  be- 
ginning. At  that  time  there  was  one  other  office  of  this  name  in  the  United  States, 
located  in  Tipton  county,  Tenn.,  but  it  has  since  been  discontinued.  On  that  account, 
36 


202  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

but  chiefly  because  he  had  been  favorably  impressed  with  it  in  reading  Homer's  Iliad, 
did  Postmaster  Devoe  urge  the  name  of  Ilion.  Mr.  Remington  was  pleased  with  it, 
but  there  was  one  objection  ;  he  thought  that  there  was  somewhat  of  vanity  in  taking 
the  name  of  so  important  a  city  as  ancient  Troy  to  bestow  on  such  a  small  and  unpre- 
tending place  as  was  proposed.  Concluding  that  none  could  be  found  that  would  give 
better  ."sati-sfaction,  these  gentlemen  sent  their  petition  to  Washington,  and  the  name  of 
Ilion  was  substituted  for  Remington,  without  consulting  the  citizens,  which  would 
doubtless  have  caused  delay,  and  perhaps  defeated  the  object  in  view.  So  the  stone 
which  the  builders  refused  is  become  the  headstone  of  the  corner. 

The  village  was  incorporated  in  1852,  and  the  first  officers  were  as 
follow:  Trustees,  John  A.  Rasbach,  John  Harrington,  Conrad  Folts, 
Piiineas  Gates,  and  Samuel  Underwood  ;  assessors,  Jacob  Getman, 
Lawrence  Helmer,  William  J.  Lewis;  clerk,  Eliphalet  Remington,  jr.  ; 
treasurer,  William  O.  Barnes ;  collector,  William  Breadon ;  pound- 
master,  Abraham  Fish.  In  1866  by  legislative  act  the  charter  was 
changed  in  important  matters,  making  the  term  of  office  of  the  trustees 
five  years,  and  providing  for  the  election  of  one  only  each  year.  In 
1870  the  population  had  reached  2,876,  and  in  1875  it  was  a  little  more 
than  4,000  ;   it  is  now  nearly  5,000. 

The  fire  department  was  organized  in  1863.  R.  R.  Bennet  was  the 
first  chief  engineer,  and  Alfred  E.  Brooks  and  William  Kitzmiller,  first 
and  second  assistants.  The  present  chief  engineer  is  M.  M.  Kane.  The 
Armory  Hose  Company  was  organized  in  1863  and  was  composed 
wholly  of  employees  in  the  Remington  factories,  and  chiefly  for  the 
protection  of  those  works,  the  water  being  taken  from  pumps.  This 
organization  continued  until  1870,  when  the  corporation  purchased  for 
it  a  hand  engine.  The  company  was  then  divided,  a  part  retaining  the 
former  name  and  the  others  assuming  the  name  of  Excelsior  Fire  Com- 
pany No.  2,  and  persons  outside  of  the  Remington  works  were  admitted 
to  membership.  A.  H.  Sumner  was  the  first  foreman  of  Excelsior 
Company,  and  John  Irlam  and  Smith  C.  Harter,  first  and  second  as- 
sistants. 

Ilion  Steamer  and  Hose  No.  i  was  organized  in  1863,  soon  after  the 
formation  of  the  Armory  Hose  Company.  It  consisted  of  fifty  men, 
and  the  first  foreman  was  D.  J.  Randall.  The  steamer  purchased  at 
about  this  time  and  for  this  company,  cost  $4,500  ;  it  was  a  Siisby 
rotary.      In  the  spring  of  1876  the  village  purchased   two  new  steamers 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  203 

of  the  Silsby  make,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000  "each.  The  village  has  always 
been  fortunate  in  escaping  disastrous  fires,  and  the  department  is  now 
thoroughly  equipped  after  modern  ideas. 

In  1852  the  Ilion  Bank  began  operations  under  the  State  banking 
laws,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000.  The  first  directors  were  Eliphalet 
Remington,  Benjamin  Carver,  Benjamin  P.  Markham,  John  P.  Sill, 
George  Tuckerman,  Vose  Palmer,  John  Ingersoll,  Alonzo  Wood, 
Henry  L.  Green,  Peter  H.  Warren,  and  John  A.  Rasbach.  Eliphalet 
Remington  was  elected  the  first  president;  John  Ingersoll,  vice-presi- 
dent; Robert  H.  Pomeroy,  cashier.  Mr.  Remington  held  the  office  of 
president  until  his  death,  and  was  succeeded  by  George  Tuckerman. 
The  successive  cashiers  were  Frank  Carver  succeeding  Mr.  Pomeroy, 
Le  Roy  Tuttle,  John  A.  Rasbach,  H.  H.  Devendorf,  and  Floyd  C. 
Shepard.  The  bank  suspended  business  in  1866,  paying  all  of  its  lia- 
bilities in  full. 

The  Ilion  National  bank  was  organized  March  14,  1867,  with  a  cap- 
ital of  $100,000.  The  first  president  was  Jacob  J.  Folts,  and  the  first 
cashier,  Charles  Harter,  who  was  succeeded  in  the  office  by  F.  C. 
Shepard,  and  he  by  David  Lewis,  the  present  cashier.  The  first  board 
of  directors  was  as  follows  :  Varnum  S.  Kenyon,  Alfred  E.  Varney, 
William  Getman,  George  Tuckerman,  Floyd  C.  Shepard,  Jacob  J. 
Folts,  John  Hoefler,  Henry  L  Green,  Peter  Countryman.  Philo  Rem- 
ington succeeded  Mr.  Folts  as  president  of  the  bank,  and  Charles 
Harter,  the  present  president,  succeeded  Mr.  Remington.  The  excel- 
lent management  of  this  institution  is  shown  in  its  condition.  Its  de- 
posits now  amount  to  $355,582.62,  while  it  has  surplus  and  profits  of 
over  $40,000. 

The  first  attempt  to  secure  for  Ilion  better  educational  facilities  than 
were  supplied  by  the  common  and  free  schools,  was  the  formation  of 
an  association  about  1881— 2,  comprising  twenty  progressive  citizens, 
who  pledged  themselves  to  the  payment  of  $200  each  for  the  establish- 
ment of  an  academy.  The  institution  was  started,  but  it  did  not  meet 
with  expected  success,  and  in  1864  it  was  given  up  and  a  graded 
school  established. 

In  addition  to  the  district  school- house  then  in  existence,  a  com- 
modious brick  building  was  erected  in  1865,  at   a   cost  of  $23,000.      It 


i04  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

has  since  been  enlarged  by  an  extension  of  the  stone  building  in  the 
rear,  which  is  used  for  a  primary  department.  The  bounds  of  the  dis- 
trict coincide  with  those  of  the  village.  This  school  has  been  under 
the  care  of  the  Regents  of  the  University  for  about  fifteen  years,  and  the 
academic  class  sent  out  its  first  graduates  in  1873.  There  are  about 
1,200  children  of  school  age  in  the  district,  and  twenty-two  teachers  are 
employed,  with  Judson  I.  Wood  as  principal. 

Through  the  inauguration  in  Ilion  of  large  manufactories,  noticed  a 
little  further  on,  the  village  has  grown  rapidly  and  is  now  a  thriving 
business  center.  Extensive  water  works  are  about  to  be  constructed, 
for  which  bonds  have  been  issued  and  sold  to  tiie  amount  of  $95,000. 
Connection  is  conveniently  made  with  Mohawk  by  the  street  railroad, 
already  described,  and  with  Frankfort  by  another  line  which  was  opened 
in  1 87 1  ;  and  a  station  on  the  Central  road  at  a  distance  of  half  a  mile 
and  one  on  the  West  Shore  still  nearer,  give  the  place  additional  im- 
portance. 

The  writer  who  attempts  to  make  a  history  of  Ilion  mus-t  give  very 
much  of  his  attention  to  the  founding  and  growth  of  the  great  Reming- 
ton arms  works,  which  have  in  recent  years  passed  to  other  hands. 
The  farm  which  Eliphalet  Remington  (senior)  purchased  in  18 16  lay 
upon  the  banks  of  a  small  stream  (Steele's  Creek)  in  the  then  wilds  of 
Herkimer  county,  the  waters  of  which  have  now  almost  disappeared. 
Young  Remington  early  showed  remarkable  mechanical  genius,  and 
tradition  tells  of  how  he  constructed  a  gun  for  his  own  use  before  he 
reached  manhood,  an  appeal  for  one  to  his  father  having  resulted  in 
refusal.  The  gunsmith  at  Utica,  to  whom  the  boy's  gun  barrel  was 
taken  for  rifling,  saw  that  it  was  made  in  an  unusually  excellent  manner 
and  greatly  encouraged  its  maker  by  his  praise.  It  should  be  stated 
that  there  was  a  forge  of  some  kind  on  the  Remington  farm,  which 
served  the  boy's  purpose  in  making  the  gun  barrel.  When  the  fame 
of  that  first  production  began  to  spread,  as  it  soon  did,  young  Reming- 
ton was  called  on  at  first  by  a  few  and  soon  by  many  others  to  make 
guns  for  them.  At  first  he  made  only  the  barrels,  but  gradually  ex- 
tended his  operations  to  the  finishing  of  the  complete  guns.  Down  to 
about  1 83 1  the  work  was  prosecuted  at  the  home  place,  and  the  demand 
for  the  Remington  barrels  and  guns  far  exceeded  the  capacity  of  the 
insignificant  works. 


TOWK  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  205 

In  1828  the  canal  had  recently  been  opened  and  Mr.  Remington  in 
searching  for  a  proper  and  convenient  site  for  the  extension  of  his 
works,  saw  with  prophetic  eye  the  possibilities  offered  at  Ilion.  He 
accordingly  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  here  and  erected  his  first 
shop,  a  low  one-story  building.  Here  he  carried  on  his  business,  which 
showed  a  healthy  growth.  In  1835  he  purchased  of  Ames  &  Co 
of  Springfield,  Mass  ,  their  plant  of  gun-finishing  machinery,  with  a 
part  of  an  unfinished  contract  with  the  United  States  for  some  thou- 
sands of  carbines.  The  works  were  increased,  and  before  the  comple- 
tion of  this  contract,  the  rising  establishment  was  given  another  for 
5,000  Harper's  Ferry  Rifles;  and  still  another  followed  in  quick  suc- 
cession. About  the  year  1840,  while  the  capacity  of  the  works  was 
still  insignificant  compared  to  their  later  magnitude,  Mr  Remington's 
sons,  Samuel,  Philo  and  Eliphalet,  reached  manhood  and  took  an  active 
part  in  the  growing  business,  with  the  best  of  results. 

In  1847  the  firm  began  making  pistols,  and  so  simply  and  efficiently 
were  they  constructed  that  a  large  market  was  opened  for  them  at 
once.  This  branch  of  the  business  grew  to  enormous  proportions  be- 
fore they  took  up  the  manufacture  of  their  well-known  army  and  navy 
revolver,  which  was  afterwards  adopted  by  the  United  States  govern- 
ment. For  some  time  previous  to  1865  the  firm  had  perfected  systems 
particularly  designed  for  the  conversion  of  muzzle  loaders  to  breech 
loaders,  in  rifles.  A  carbine  embodying  the  results  of  their  prior  ex- 
periments in  this  direction  was  tested  among  about  sixty  others  by  a 
board  of  government  ofificers  at  Springfield  in  1865,  and  attracted  con- 
siderable attention.  During  the  succeeding  year  valuable  improve- 
ments were  made  in  the  system,  after  which  for  many  years  the  Rem- 
ington was  the  leading  breech-loading  arm  of  the  world.  Many 
governments  in  the  old  world  adopted  it,  while  large  contracts  were 
filled  for  the  United  States,  and  the  gross  number  manufactured  reached 
much  more  than  half  a  million.  In  all  of  the  severe  tests  made  by 
expert  boards  for  the  several  governments,  including  our  own,  this  arm 
maintained  its  foremost  reputation.  So  great  was  the  capacity  of  the 
new  works  that  in  1870-71,  during  a  period  of  about  seven  months,  the 
enormous  number  of  155,000  rifles  was  shipped  to  the  French  govern- 
ment—  a  result  altogether  unprecedented  in  the  history  of  similar 
enterprises. 


206  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

In  January,  1865,  the  Remington  works  were  incorporated,  with 
Philo  Remington  as  president;  Samuel  Remington,  vice-president; 
Eliphalet  Remington,  secretary.  In  187 1  Col.  W.  C.  Squire  was 
elected  secretary  ;  he  was  a  member  of  the  Remington  family  by  mar- 
riage, and  is  now  United  States  Senator  for  the  State  of  Washington. 
The  nominal  capital  was  $1,000,000,  while  the  value  of  the  plant  was 
then  placed  at  $1,500,000.  This  latter  estimate  was  subsequently  in- 
creased to  about  $3,000,000. 

In  1856  the  manufacture  of  agricultural  implements  was  begun  at  the 
armory,  commencing  with  a  cultivator  tooth,  which  soon  found  a  large 
and  profitable  market.  To  this  was  afterwards  added  plows,  mowing 
machines,  wheel  rakes,  horse  hoes,  and  a  large  variety  of  smaller  tools. 
For  this  department  three  large  buildings  were  erected,  and  they  em- 
ployed at  one  time  about  400  men. 

In  1870  the  firm  added  to  their  line  of  products  the  manufacture  of 
sewing  machines,  a  branch  of  the  business  that  soon  became  as  suc- 
cessful as  those  preceding  it.  This  step  was  taken  partly  because  of 
the  fluctuation  in  the  manufacture  of  arms,  much  of  the  machinery  be- 
ing necessarily  idle  at  times.  An  excellent  sewing  machine  was  turned 
out  and  it  found  such  favor  that  the  sale  reached  about  35,000  in  a 
single  year. 

In  1874  still  another  important  industry  was  added  to  these  works  in 
the  manufacture  of  tj'pewriters,  which  have  since  become  almost  a 
household  necessity.  While  this  branch  of  the  business  was  being  de- 
veloped and  improved,  the  firm  became  embarrassed  through  causes 
which  we  need  not  enter  into  here.  In  1878,  to  relieve  the  financial 
embarrassment  of  the  corporation,  its  bonds  for  over  $500,000  having 
five  years  to  run,  were  issued  to  its  creditors.  In  1882,  in  order  to  pro- 
vide relief  and  get  quicker  returns  for  a  part  of  the  vast  product  of  the 
factories,  an  arrangement  was  made  whereby  the  sewing  machine  out- 
put was  disposed  of  bj"  the  Remington  Sewing  Machine  Agency,  a 
company  formed  for  the  purpose  of  marketing  all  the  machines  made 
at  the  works.  In  August  of  the  same  year  further  arrangements  to 
this  end  were  made  by  which  the  typewriters  were  sold  direct  to  the 
firm  of  Wyckoff,  Seamans  &  Benedict,  who  continued  to  handle  the 
product  of  that  department  until  March,  1886,  at  which  time  they  pur- 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  207 

chased  the  business  and  machinery  and  have  ever  since  handled  with 
great  success  both  manufacture  and  sale  of  these  machines,  giving  em- 
ployment at  the  factory  to  about  400  men.  In  1883  a  further  arrange- 
ment was  made  with  Lamberson,  Furman  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  to 
handle  all  the  sporting  arms.  All  this  served  as  a  relief  for  a  period ; 
but  unfortunately  it  was  not  permanent.  In  March,  1886,  the  entire 
typrewriter  interest  was  sold,  as  above  stated,  and  a  part  of  the  works 
leased  in  which  to  continue  manufacture.  This  action  preceded  the 
failure  of  the  company  only  a  few  weeks,  and  in  April  A.  N.  Russell 
and  Addison  Brill,  both  prominent  business  men  of  Ilion,  were  appoint- 
ed receivers  of  the  company.  They  immediately  assumed  charge  of 
the  works  and  took  an  inventory  as  soon  as  practicable.  Their  re- 
port was  ready  in  June.  Under  order  of  the  court  they  operated  the 
works  until  1888.  In  October,  1887,  they  were  given  an  order  to  sell 
the  works  at  auction,  and  the  first  sale  was  made  in  February,  1888, 
the  gun  department  being  sold  to  Hartley  &  Graham,  of  New  York, 
for  $152,000.  This  sale  included  the  armory  plant  and  all  the  goods 
in  process  of  completion.  The  sale  was  not  approved  by  the  court, 
and  a  second  took  place  in  March,  1888,  under  which  the  same  firm 
paid  $200,000  for  the  same  property.  This  firm  organized  the  Rem- 
ington Arms  Company,  with  Marcellus  Hartley  as  president;  Thomas 
G.  Bennett,  vice-president;  W.W.Reynolds,  secretary;  Wilfred  Hart- 
ley, treasurer.  About  500  hands  are  now  employed  in  these  works, 
and  new  lines  of  manufacture  have  been  added  which  have  greatly  in- 
creased the  magnitude  of  the  establishment,  particularly  the  Reming- 
ton bicycle,  which  is  now  occupying  a  prominent  place  among  the  vari- 
ous styles  of  popular  wheels. 

The  agricultural  works  were  formerly  a  co-partnership  carried  on  by 
Philo  and  Eliphalet  Remington.  Charles  Harter  was  made  assignee  of 
this  establishment  and  it  was  sold  at  auction  in  the  summer  of  1887, 
passing  afterwards  by  lease  to  the  typewriter  firm,  which  has  recently 
become  incorporated  and  purchased  the  property,  while  one  depart- 
ment of  the  original  agricultural  works  is  now  carried  on  by  A.  M. 
Ross  &  Co.,  who  make  a  variety  of  implements  and  employ  about  80 
hands.  In  the  typewriter  works  about  600  hands  are  employed  and 
nearly  20,000  machines  are  made  annually.  These  large  industries  are 
of  great  benefit  to  the  village. 


208  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  Ilion  Manufacturing  Company  was  organized  in  1886,  for  the 
manufacture  of  knit  goods.  The  building  and  machinery  have  recently 
been  leased  to  the  Ilion  Knitting  Company.  About  80  hands  are 
employed,  and  the  product  comprises  ladies'  and  men's  underwear. 

The  business  now  conducted  by  A.  N.  Russell  &  Sons  was  established 
by  Brill  &  Russell  in  1 871,  on  the  site  of  the  present  plant.  S.  T.  Rus- 
sell joined  the  firm  in  1880,  the  style  being  changed  to  Brill,  Russell  & 
Co.  In  1882  George  Russell  became  a  member  of  the  firm  and  the 
name  was  changed  to  A.  N.  Russell  &  Sons.  A  very  large  lumber 
trade  is  carried  on,  and  also  the  manufacture  of  sash,  doors,  blinds,  gen- 
eral interior  finishing  and  boxes.      About  40  hands  are  employed. 

Frederick  Coleman  has  been  connected  with  carriage  manufacturing 
in  Ilion  since  1875,  when  he  began  in  a  small  way.  In  1889  the  Cole- 
man Carriage  and  Wagon  Company  was  organized  as  a  corporation, 
since  which  time  large  factories  have  been  built.  Carriages  and  sleighs 
of  high  grade  are  made,  and  75  hands  employed.  Thomas  Richard- 
son, president;  Charles  Harter,  vice-president;  A.  N.  Russell,  secre- 
tary; Frederick  Coleman,  treasurer  and  general  manager. 

The  first  newspaper  in  Ilion  was  the  Ilion  Indepe7ide7it,  which  was  es- 
tablished by  George  W.  Bungay  in  1855.  The  proprietor,  who  in  later 
years  acquired  considerable  reputation  as  a  poet  and  a  lecturer,  and 
died  in  1892,  was  induced  to  come  to  the  village  and  start  a  paper  by 
the  Remingtons.  Poets  are  not  necessarily  good  editors  and  managers, 
and  the  Independent  was  not  very  successful.  In  1858  it  was  removed 
to  Utica,  its  title  changed  to  the  Central  Independent,  and  subsequently 
it  was  merged  in  the  Utica  Herald.  In  the  year  last  named,  and  after 
the  departure  of  the  Independent,  the  Remingtons  again  took  steps  to 
secure  for  the  place  the  publication  of  a  newspaper,  and  S.  B.  Loomis 
became  the  editor  and  nominal  proprietor.  The  paper  was  Republican 
in  character  and  was  called  the  Loyal  Citizen.  It  probably  did  not  pay 
financially,  at  least  for  a  period,  but  received  the  necessary  support  from 
the  Remingtons,  who  employed  various  persons  to  take  the  active  man- 
agement of  the  establishment.  Subsequently  the  name  of  the  paper 
was  changed  to  the  Ilion  Citizen,  which  it  has  since  borne.  In  1878 
Rev.  Albert  E.  Corse  was  editor  of  the  journal,  and  C.  D  Rose  busi- 
ness manager. 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  209 

In  1884  the  establishment  was  in  possession  of  Weaver  &  Mead,  and 
on  the  1st  of  January,  1885,  C.  S.  Munger  purchased  a  half  interest  in 
tlie  estabhshment  and  the  firm  style  became  Weaver  &  Munger.  At 
the  same  time  the  Herkimer  Citizen  was  founded  by  the  firm  and  has 
continued  to  the  present  time.  (See  history  of  Herkimer  village.)  In 
the  conduct  of  the  two  journals,  George  W.  Weaver  was  in  immediate 
charge  of  the  Ilion  branch,  while  Mr.  Munger  gave  his  attention  to  the 
Herkimer  sheet.  On  the  ist  of  January,  1889,  Mr.  Weaver  retired 
and  his  interest  was  purchased  jointly  by  A.  T.  Smith  and  F.  E.  Easton, 
who  with  Mr.  Munger  form  the  Citizen  Publishing  Company.  The 
Citizen  is  at  the  present  time  a  progressive,  ably  edited  paper,  and 
makes  its  influence  felt  throughout  the  county. 

The  Ilion  News  was  started  March  21,  1889,  by  C.  A.  White.  He 
sold  out  in  1891  to  C.  D.  Munsel,  the  present  publisher,  under  whose 
management  the  paper  is  gaining  in  reputation  and  circulation. 

Churches  of  Ilion. — Methodism  in  Ilion  dates  back  to  1832,  when 
Rev.  John  Ercanback,  a  preacher  in  charge  of  the  Litchfield  circuit,  or- 
ganized the  first  class,  consisting  of  John  Hunt  and  wife,  Mrs.  Bolles, 
Mrs.  Nathan  Morgan,  W.  Norton,  R.  Hunt,  and  probably  one  or  two 
others.  John  Hunt  was  the  first  class  leader  and  at  his  house  the  first 
preaching  was  held.  After  that  the  school-house  was  used  for  services. 
In  1840  Ilion,  together  with  Frankfort  and  Mohawk,  was  made  a  part 
of  the  Herkimer  circuit ;  Rev.  C.  H.  Austin  was  the  preacher  in  charge. 
In  1842  Rev.  B.  I.  Diefendorf  and  Rev.  J.  Thomas  were  sent  to  Herki- 
mer circuit  and  in  that  year  a  union  church  was  built  by  the  Methodists 
and  Universalists ;  this  was  afterwards  sold  to  the  Baptists  and  still  be- 
longs to  them.  In  1856  Frankfort  and  Ilion  were  made  a  separate  cir- 
cuit, with  Rev.  A.  M.  Smith  in  charge;  he  was  followed  for  two  years 
by  Rev.  J.  B.  Ferguson,  and  one  year  by  Rev.  O.  Squire. 

In  i860  Ilion  became  a  preaching  station,  having  some  sixty  mem- 
bers and  paying  $400  preacher's  salary.  In  1862  the  parsonage  was 
built,  Rev.  J.  F.  Dayan,  pastor.  In  1 866  was  built  the  First  Metho- 
dist Church  ;  Rev.  E.  Horr  (then  a  probationer  in  the  Conference), 
pastor.  In  1890  Mrs.  Caroline  Remington,  in  remembrance  of  her 
husband  lately  deceased,  built  and  presented  to  the  church  the  Reming- 
ton Memorial  Chapel  ;   Rev.  D.  F.  Pierce,  pastor.     The  church  has  now 


210         .  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

465  members  and  thirty  probationers  and  owns  a  church  and  parson- 
age property  worth  $35,000. 

The  pastors  of  the  church  have  been  : 

1860-61,  D.  B.  White;  1862-63,  J.  F.  Dayan  ;  1864-66,  E.  Horr,  jr.;  1867-6!).  F. 
F.  Jewel;  1870-72,  M.  S.  Hard;  1873-74,  T.  B.  Sliepherd;  1875-77,  H.  W.  Bennett; 
1878-80,  G.  M.  Mead;  1881-83,  W.  H.  Reese;  1884-80,  S.  O.  Barnes;  1887-90,  D. 
F.  Pierce;  1891-92,  R.  E.  King.     Superintendent  of  Sunday-school,  L.  B.  Walrath. 

The  Baptist  church  (tinder  title  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Ilion) 
was  organized  in  April,  1865,  but  had  been  recognized  by  a  council 
which  met  in  the  Union  church  in  February  preceding,  and  consisted  of 
fifteen  members.  Rev.  R.  O.  Broady  was  the  first  pastor.  In  1869  the 
Union  church  building  was  purchased  by  the  society  and  extensively 
remodeled,  enlarged  and  refitted;  it  was  dedicated  on  the  13th  of 
May,  1869.  Among  the  pastors  who  have  served  the  church  since  the 
first  are  Revs.  W.  W.  Jones,  Judson  Davis,  James  H.  Andrews,  L. 
Golden,  Mr.  Maxfield,  Mr.  Reeder,  Mr.  Merwin,  A.  B.  Sears,  who  came 
in  1887,  and  Rev.  A.  M.  Beggs,  who  came  in  1890.  The  membership 
is  about  250.      Superintendent  of  Sunday-school,  Frederick  Coleman. 

First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Ilion. — At  a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery 
of  Utica,  held  at  Little  Falls  January  16,  1871,  Aaron  Brown  and  A. 
H.  Sumner  appeared  in  behalf  of  residents  of  Ilion  and  asked  to  be  or- 
ganized into  a  Presbyterian  church.  The  request  was  granted  and  the 
following  persons  became  members  : 

Aaron  Brown,  A.  H.  Sumner,  Mrs.  Mandana  A.  Sumner,  Rebecca  Churchill,  A.  P. 
Redway,  Mrs.  Fannie  Redway,  Sarah  A.  Southworth,"  Helen  Southworth,  Eliza  R. 
Hanson,  George  Newth,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Newth,  John  Wake,  Mrs.  Mariette  Wake, 
Thomas  G.  Hutchinson,  H.  Harper  Benedict,  Mrs.  Marie  Benedict,  Sarah  Robinfon, 
and  E.  Robinson. 

In  the  following  November  Rev.  D.  M.  Rankin  became  pastor  and 
continued  until  1878.  In  October  of  that  year  Rev.  A.  F.  Lyle  was 
called ;  he  was  succeeded  in  1882  by  Rev.  M.  E.  Dunham,  and  he  bj'  Rev. 
W.  C.  Taylor,  the  present  pastor,  whose  services  began  in  October,  1888. 
In  the  spring  of  1874  a  lot  was  purchased  on  the  corner  of  Morgan  and 
Second  streets  for  $4,500,  and  there  the  present  handsome  brick  church 
was  erected  ;   the  entire  property  is  worth  about  $40,000. 

The  first  elders  of  the  church  were  Aaron  Brown  and  A.  H.  Sumner. 
The   deacons   were    George   W.   Newth   and   James  Truax.     The   first 


TOWN  OF  GERMAN  FLATS.  'ill 

trustees  were  A.  M.  Osgood,  S.  W.  Skinner  and  Russel  Perkins.  The 
present  trustees  are  F.  O.  Harter,  J.  K.  Harris,  A.  H.  Sumner,  N.  J- 
Newth,  C.  W.  Carpenter,  H.  A.  House,  J.  C.  Truax.  Elders,  A.  H. 
Sumner,  N.  J.  Newth,  J.  K.  Harris,  F.  O.  Harter,  Robert  Watson. 
The  church  membership  is  143. 

Church  of  the  Annunciation. — In  1845  Rev.  Father  John  McMenomy, 
a  Roman  CathoHc  priest,  established  a  mission  at  this  place  in  connec- 
tion with  missions  at  Mohawk,  Frankfort  and  Herkimer.  He  was 
stationed  at  Little  Falls  and  attended  this  mission  from  that  place,  con- 
tinuing to  do  so  until  1856,  when  Rev.  Father  William  Howard  took 
charge  of  this  missionary  field.  He  lived  in  Mohawk  the  first  year  and 
preached  in  Varley  Hall,  in  that  village.  In  August,  1857,  Father 
Howard  purchased  of  Mr.  J.  P.  Pelton,  of  Ilion,  the  house  and  lot,  con- 
taining two  and  a  half  acres  of  land,  upon  which  the  church  and  par- 
sonage now  stands,  paying  therefor  $4,500.  In  April,  1868,  he  in- 
augurated measures  for  building  a  church  edifice,  and  in  August  of  the 
same  year  the  present  church  was  dedicated  by  J.  J.  Conroy,  bishop  of 
Albany,  assisted  by  twelve  priests.  The  buildings  cost  $14,000,  and 
the  property  is  at  the  present  time  worth  $30,000  and  is  clear  from 
debt.  The  membership  comprises  about  200  families.  The  station  is 
now  and  has  for  many  years  been  in  charge  of  Rev.  Father  J.  F. 
Hyland. 

The  Catholic  Parish  of  the  Annunciation,  including  the  villages  and 
surrounding  country  of  Herkimer,  Mohawk,  Ilion  and  Frankfort,  was 
organized  into  a  mission  in  1867,  by  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.  Conroy,  with  Rev. 
William  Howard  as  first  resident  pastor.  His  assistants  at  different 
times  were  Revs.  A.  P.  Ludden,  J.  F.  Mullany  and  W.  J.  Smith. 

Owing  to  his  zealous  faith  and  untiring  energy  Father  Howard  was 
very  successful  in  securing  a  suitable  church,  rectory  and  cemetery,  and 
for  the  most  part  paying  for  them.  His  continued  illness,  and  local 
business  depression,  induced  him  to  retire  to  Herkimer  in  1878.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  F.  Hyland.  During  his  incumbency  of  four- 
teen years  the  church,  cemetery  and  rectory  have  been  enlarged  and 
greatly  improved.  The  debt  also  has  been  paid  and  there  are  a  few 
thousand  dollars  in  the  treasury. 

Though  Herkimer  was  severed  from  the  mission  in  1878,  and  Frank- 
fort in  1886,  the  church  attendance  has  not  decreased. 


'2l2  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Rev.  J.  F.  Hyland  was  the  second  child  of  a  large  family  in  the 
town  of  Hamilton,  Madison  county,  N.  Y.  He  graduated  successively 
from  the  public  schools  there,  Eastman's  Commercial  Business  College, 
Poughkeepsie  ;  Niagara  University,  Suspension  Bridge,  and  St.  Joseph's 
Theological  Seminary,  Troy,  where  he  was  ordained  in  1874. 

He  was  assistant  pastor  of  St.  John  the  Baptist's  church,  Syracuse, 
and  St.  Mary's,  Amsterdam,  and  became  pastor  of  the  Church  of  the 
Annunciation,  Ilion,  in  1878. 

St.  Augustine's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  was  incorporated  on  the 
9th  of  August,  1869,  with  the  following  officers:  Wardens,  Floyd  C. 
Shepard  and  John  W.  Newhouse;  vestrymen.  S.  Bosworth  Johnson, 
William  Onyans,  William  R.  Russell,  David  W.  Vanderburgh,  Richard 
Hard  and  George  Rix.  In  August,  1869,  Rev.  Charles  H.  Lancaster 
was  chosen  rector,  and  was  succeeded  November  i,  1871,  by  Rev. 
George  H.  Hepburn.  Succeeding  rectors  have  been  Revs.  C.  F.  A. 
Bielby,  Edward  M.  Pecke,  J.  B.  Hubbs,  Edwin  Armstrong,  J.  Dolby 
Skeene,  S.  M.  Griswold,  and  the  present  rector.  Rev.  William  Mason 
Cook,  who  came  in  1888  There  are  173  communicants  in  the  church, 
and  following  are  the  wardens  :  F.  C.  Shepard,  R.  L.  Winegar  ;  vestry- 
men, George  P.  Rix,  T.  J.  Behan,  George  H.  Barlow,  George  H.  Dyett, 
Alfred  Williamson,  N.  A.  Hanchett,  Walter  C.  Rix  and  Walter  S.  Baker. 

The  present  officers  of  the  village  of  Ilion  are  as  follows  :  President, 
Dr.  A.  J.  Douglass;  trustees,  Seward  Hakes,  Harrington  P.  Whitney, 
M.  L.  Burke,  John  Van  Gumster ;  clerk,  Z.  E.  Cooper;  chief  engineer 
of  the  fire  department,  M.  M.  Kane;  chief  of  police,  Daniel  Foley.  S. 
G.  Heacock  is  postmaster. 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE    TOWN    OF    HERKIMER. 


WHEN  the  town  of  Herkimer  was  organized  in  1788,  it  contained  all 
that  part  of  the  county  of  Montgomery  bounded  northerly  by  the 
north  bounds  of  the  State;  easterly  by  Palatine  (then  extending  to  the  west 
bounds  of  the  present  town  of  Manheim) ;  southerly  by  the  Mohawk  Riv- 
er, and  westerly  by  a  north  and  south  line  running  across  the  Mohawk 
River  at  the  fording  place  "  near  the  house  of  William  Cunningham, 
leaving  the  same  house  to  the  west  of  said  line."  This  fixed  the  west 
line  of  the  town  on  the  present  western  limits  of  the  county,  north  of  the 
Mohawk,  and  covered  the  area  now  embraced  in  the  towns  of  Fairfield, 
Little  Falls,  Newport,  Norway,  Ohio,  Russia,  Schuyler,  and  Wilmurt, 
besides  a  considerable  portion  of  the  northern  part  of  the  State  outside 
of  the  present  county  line.  These  limits  also  embrace  all  that  portion 
of  the  German  Flats  and  Kingsland  districts  north  of  the  Mohawk  and 
east  of  the  present  westerly  bounds  of  the  county. 

The  town  as  at  present  constituted  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  New- 
port and  Fairfield  ;  east  by  West  Canada  Creek  and  Little  Falls  ;  south- 
erly by  the  Mohawk  River,  and  westerly  by  Schuyler.  The  whole  of 
Winne's  and  portions  of  Burnetsfield,  Hasenclever's,  Colden's  and  Wil- 
lett's  patents,  and  some  lots  of  the  Royal  Grant  and  Glen's  purchase 
are  in  this  town. 

The  settlement  of  the  territory  included  in  this  town  has  been  alluded 
to  in  the  early  pages  of  this  work.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  In- 
dian deed  of  Herkimer  county  lands  was  under  date  of  1721,  and  the 
land  was  afterwards  secured  to  the  settlers  by  the  colonial  patent  under 
date  of  April  25,  1725.  At  that  date  the  lands  had  been  surveyed,  num- 
bered and  assigned  to  persons  by  name.  One  hundred  acres  were  as- 
signed to  each  of  the  ninety-two  persons  named  in  the  patent,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river.  In  order  to  make  an  equal  division  of  the 
flats  surrounding  the  present  village  of  Herkimer,  thirty  acres  were  as- 
signed to  each  person  who  did  not  secure  intervale  lands  elsewhere  on  the 


214  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

river.  The  thirty  acres  were  designated  as  lowland,  and  to  those  who  had 
the  thirty  acres  each,  were  also  assigned  seventy  acres  of  upland,  called 
woodland  in  the  patent;  the  thirty-acre  lots  and  seventy- acre  lots  were 
designated  by  the  same  numbers,  and  in  order  to  bring  each  of  the 
seventy-acre  lots  near  to  its  corresponding  thirty-acre  lot,  the  former 
were  made  about  sixteen  rods  wide  on  the  river,  and  almost  two  and 
one-half  miles  long.  (See  map,  page  38.)  The  names  of  the  Palatines 
who  were  to  settle  on  the  lots  were  certified  to  the  surveyor- general 
and  certificates  issued  to  the  settlers  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1723. 
The  certificate  of  the  lot  embracing  the  site  of  the  village  of  Herkimer 
bears  date  March  28,  1723.  This  lot  was  assigned  to  Gertrude  Petri, 
wife  of  Johan  Jost  Petri,  and  contained  eighty- six  acres. 

At  the  election  of  town  officers  in  March,  1809,  the  following  persons 
were  chosen  : 

For  supervisor,  Hen i-y  Staring;  town  clerk,  Melger  Fols;  assessors,  Melger  Fols, 
George  Smith,  Melger  Tlmm  ;  collector,  George  Fols  ;  constables,  George  FoU,  Adam 
Bauman;  commissioners  of  highways,  Peter  F.  Bellinger,  John  Demiitli,  Jacob  N. 
Weber;  overseers  of  the  poor,  Henrv  Staring,  George  Weber,  jr.,  Michael  Myers; 
overseers  of  highways,  Marx  Demuth,  Philip  Helmer,  Adam  Hartman,  Hannes  De- 
muth,  Peter  Weber,  Philip  Herter,  Hannes  H.\\ts.  jr.,  Hannes  Eiseman;  pound- 
raasters,  George  AVeber,  jr.,  Peter  Barky,  Hannes  Demuth,  Nicholas  Hilts,  Hannes 
Schell. 

From  1725  to  the  close  of  the  Revolution  the  foregoing  county  his- 
tory comprises  very  little  of  general  moment  that  did  not  take  place  in 
this  town  and  German  Flats.  Fort  Dayton  was  a  small  stockaded  fort 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  village  of  Herkimer  ^  and  within  its  limits  was 
included  the  land  on  which  the  Reformed  church  and  the  court-house 
now  stand. 

'  Regarding  the  name  o£  "  Herkimer  "  as  applied  to  this  town,  Gen.  F.  E.  Spinner  wrote  in  1878 
as  follows  :  "  The  present  nomenclature  came  about  by  a  most  singular  misunderstanding  between 
Hon.  Simeon  De  Witt,  then  surveyor-general  of  the  State,  and  Dr.  William  Petry,  the  maternal 
grandfather  ot  Judge  Earl,  of  Herkimer.  The  doctor  was  one  of  the  most  intelligent  of  the  set- 
tlers of  the  upper  Mohawk  valley,  and  having  previously  for  several  years  been  a  member  of  the 
State  Legislature,  was  sent  to  Poughkeepsie,  where  the  Legislature  then  sat,  in  regard  to  the 
erection  of  new  towns  in  the  then  county  of  Montgomery.  This  was  in  1788.  The  names  ot  Ger- 
man Flats  and  Herkimer  had  been  agreed  upon,  but  the  location  of  the  two  was  not  understood  by 
the  surveyor-general.  That  officer  had  his  survey  maps  by  patents  before  him.  He  asked  the 
doctor  as  to  the  situation  of  each.  Viewing  the  ground  from  his  standpoint,  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Mohawk,  looking  up  that  river,  he  answered  that  Herkimer  was  on  the  if/i  and  German  Flats 
on  the  ri^/tt.  The  surveyor-general  supposed  that  the  doctor  meant  the  right  and  left  banks  of  the 
Mohawk  as  the  river  flowed ;  so  wrote  the  names  on  his  map,  and  so  the  error  was  enacted  into  a 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  215 

Previous  to  the  Revolution  the  German  settlers  looked  upon  the  site 
of  Herkimer  village  as  desirable  for  a  business  center,  as  it  rose  grace- 
fully above  the  surrounding  lands,  and  was  early  known  as  "  the  Stone 
Ridge."  This  site  was  embraced  in  lot  17,  assigned,  as  we  have  said, 
to  Gertrude  Petri.  On  account  of  its  desirable  features  for  compact 
building,  the  settlers  complained  to  some  extent  that  it  had  been 
granted  to  one  person.  In  consequence,  Mrs.  Petri,  or  members  of  her 
family,  executed  a  deed  dated  July  i,  1765,  to  forty-six  of  the  Burnets- 
field  lot  owners,  and  the  deed  ran  to  those  persons  whether  they  were 
then  dead  or  living,  and  conveyed  sixty-two  and  three  fourths  acres 
lying  southwardly  from  an  east  and  west  line  running  just  north  of  the 
present  Palmer  House.  Mrs.  Petri  retained  the  part  of  her  lot  lying 
north  of  this  line,  and  there  the  court-house,  the  Reformed  church,  and 
other  buildings  now  stand 

Little  was  done  until  after  the  Revolution  towards  making  this  site 
a  center  of  close  settlement.  In  1793  steps  were  taken  for  the  divi- 
sion of  the  tract  into  small  lots,  and  Evans  Wharry,  Isaac  Brayton, 
and  Phineas  Gates  were  the  commissioners  for  the  task.  The  strange 
proceeding  was  then  witnessed  of  granting  lots  principally  to  dead 
persons  and  seventy  years  after  the  lots  in  the  original  patent  had  been 
assigned  to  them.  The  sixty-two  and  three-fourths  acres  were  divided 
into  two  sections,  the  present  Main  street  being  the  dividing  line,  and  a 
street  was  run  through  each  section  parallel  with  Main  street.  They 
then  laid  out  the  land  into  half  acre  lots,  bounding  the  same  on  the 
three  streets  that  are  now  known  as  Main,  Prospect  and  Washington 
streets,  and  making  forty-six  lots  in  each  division.  A  map  was  made 
showing  the  numbers  and  positions  of  the  lots,  and  the  forty-six  names 
were  written  on  slips  of  paper  and  placed  in  a  hat  to  be  drawn  out,  the 
first  drawing  being  written  on  lot  No.  i,  and  so  on  through  the  whole 
list.  Each  person,  dead  or  alive,  whose  name  was  read  in  the  proceed- 
ings, was  assigned  two  lots  of  the  same  number,  one  in  each  division. 
Nicholas  Feller,  who  received  lots  No.  4,  was  dead  before  the  deed  was 
executed  by  which  the  sixty-two  and  three- fourths  acres  were  granted. 

law,  and  the  reversal  of  the  names  was  not  known  until  too  late,  and  so  they  have  remained  ever 
since.  The  old  and  true  German  Flats,  which  are  situate  in  the  angle  formed  by  the  confluence  of 
the  Mohawk  with  the  West  Canada  Creek,  were  by  thisj  mistake  placed  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Mohawk,  and  Fort  Herkimer  was  oarrried  by  force  of  law  to  the  German  Flats." 


216  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

John  Jost  Herkimer  was  assigned  lots  45,  and  he,  too,  was  dead  long 
before  the  division  was  made;  and  the  same  might  be  said  of  most  of 
the  others.  It  is  under  this  partition  that  titles  to  the  village  lots  have 
since  been  held.  The  title  to  the  portion  of  the  Stone  Ridge  retained 
by  Mrs.  Petri,  with  the  exception  of  the  acre  belonging  to  the  Reformed 
churcl),  passed  into  the  hands  of  Gen.  Michael  Myers  soon  after  the 
Revolutionary  War,  and  from  him  the  title  to  all  that  part  of  the  village 
site  is  held,  including  the  title  to  the  land  on  which  the  county  build- 
ings stand.  The  original  map  made  by  the  commissioners  contains 
the  following  names  of  those  who  received  lots,  given  with  the  original 
spelling  : 

Mary  Catharine  Coen,  Lodwick  Richet,  Jurgh  Dox.stater,  John  Adam  Staring, 
Michael  Edick,  Johonas  Pownrad,  Adam  Michael  Smith,  Nicholas  Woolver,  John 
Vanderline,  Wendriclv  Myer,  John  Jurfrh  Smith,  John  Casler,  Johona.s  Bellinger,  Law- 
rence Harder,  Nicholas  Staring,  Lendert  Helmer,  Lodwick  'Pears,  Godfrey  Reele, 
Jacob  Weaver,  Dedrick  Tamouth,  Christian  Felmer,  John  Jost  Herkimer,  Hendrick 
Orendorf,  Nicholas  Wever,  Johonas  Miller,  Frederick  Bellinger,  John  Jurgh  Kast, 
jr.,  Peter  Bellinger,  Rodolph  Korsing,  Jurgh  Herkheimer,  John  Michael  Edigh, 
Widow  M.  Folts,  Hendrick  Spoon,  John  Jost  Petrie,  Peter  Spier,  Johonas  Boar- 
man,  Thomas  Shoemaker,  Philip  Helmer,  Conradt  Richet,  John  Adam  Helmer, 
Frederick  Staring,  Anna  Catharine  Land,  Nicholas  Feller,  John  Adam  Bowman, 
.Johan  Jurgh  Kast,  Johanas  Hess. 

It  need  hardly  be  stated  that  numerous  descendants  of  these  families 
are  still  living  in  the  town  of  Herkimer  and  in  other  parts  of  the 
county. 

Here  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  on  the  flats  the  settlers 
had,  before  the  outbreak  of  the  French  and  Indian  war,  made  for  them- 
selves comfortable  homes,  built  mills  and  churches,  and  were  living  in 
contented  peace. 

The  building  of  the  stone  church  and  a  mill  south  of  the  river  is 
described  in  the  preceding  history  of  the  town  of  German  Flats ;  these 
were  the  first  in  the  present  limits  of  the  county.  Then  followed  the 
erection  of  the  church  on  the  site  of  the  Reformed  church  in  Herkimer 
village,  described  a  little  further  on.  A  grist- mill  that  was  burned  in 
the  invasion  of  November,  1757,  was  situated  about  half  a  mile  north 
of  the  turnpike,  near  the  residence  of  George  W.  Pine,  on  lands  of  the 
late  Hon.  I'rederick  P.  Bellinger.  This  mill  was  built  shortly  after  the 
year  1733  by  Jacob  Weber,  to  whom   was  assigned  lot  No.  10  in  the 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  217 

patent  on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  He  bought,  July  2,  1733,  an  acre 
of  land  in  lot  No.  11,  adjoining  his  lot,  to  make  with  his  lot  a  con- 
venient mill  site.  In  1769  Dr.  William  Petry,  then  a  prominent  and 
leading  German  in  the  valley,  took  a  bond  from  Jacob  Weber  and  his 
son,  George  Jacob  Weber,  for  a  deed  of  this  mill  site.  The  condition 
in  that  bond  shows  that  it  was  the  site  of  a  former  mill,  and  is  as  fol- 
lows : 

The  condition  of  this  obligation  is  such  that  if  the  above  bounden  George  Jacob 
Weber  and  Jacob  Weber,  Senior,  their  heirs,  executors,  administrators,  or  any  of  them, 
do  will  and  truly  deliver  for  the  first  of  Jacob  Weber,  Senior,  one  acre  of  land  in  the 
clove  of  Christnian's  mill  Kill,  and  in  Frederick  Reegle's  House  place,  where  the  oldmill 
was,  and  then  together  out  of  their  own  House  place  near  by  above  this  acre  the  land 
lying  on  the  same  Kill  from  one  hill  to  the  opposite  one  when  he  finds  necessary  for 
the  use  of  a  mill  unto  said  William  Petry,  etc.l 

This  extract  shows  that  there  was  a  mill  on  this  site  before  the 
burning  of  1757.  It  was  one  of  the  grist-mills  mentioned  in  the  ac- 
count of  that  disastrous  event.  There  is  a  tradition  that  John  Christ- 
man  had  a  mill,  probably  a  saw- mill,  on  this  creek.  On  the  site  men- 
tioned in  the  bond  above  referred  to,  Dr.  William  Petry  erected  a  grist- 
mill, a  potashery,  dwelling  house  and  other  buildings.  These  were  all 
burned  at  the  time  of  Brant's  invasion  in  1778. 

The  following  petition  throws  light  upon  the  history  of  Fort  Dayton 
(Herkimer),  after  the  Revolution,  and  indicates  that  the  Legislature 
gave  some  needed  relief  to  poor  widows  whose  husbands  were  killed  in 
the  war: 

To  the  Honorable  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  Fork  our  humble  petition 
sheweth  : 

We  the  subscribers  humbly  beg  to  take  in  consideration  our  poor  circumstances,  it 
has  been  pleased  to  grant  ten  of  the  poor  widows  occasioned  by  the  enemy,  the  Legis- 
lature by  the  session  of  last  spring,  some  provision  where  Peter  Tygert,  Esq.,  should 
have  the  charge  of,  we  never  have  got  anything  yet  until  this  moment,  and  have 
spended  the  chief  parts  of  our  clothes  and  effects  for  the  maintenance  of  our  farailys. 

We  therefore  humbly  beg  to  order  this  provision  to  be  issued  to  us  by  Peter  Tygert, 
Esq.,  to  be  forwarded  so  that  we  may  in  our  distress  be  supported.  Then  further, 
since  the  petition  of  us  has  been  grant  four  other  families  have  shared  the  same  fate 
with  us  and  Catharine  Demood,  Anna  Colsh,  Catharine  Reigel  and  Anna  Lents,  where 
two  of  their  husbands  had  been  killed  and  two  taken  prisoners. 

1  Samuel  Earl's  papers. 
28 


218  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

So  we  humbly  beg  to  grant  us  some  support  wberefore  we  shall  ever  pray  and  call 
ourselCs  your  honours'  most  obedient  humble  servants. 

Fort  Dayton,  March  .'id,   1787. 

Elizabeth  Ayres,  Catharine  Rinhill, 

Catharine  Demood,  Stbilla  Dinis, 

Eva  Keller,  Anna  Colsh, 

Ijertrand  Steinway,  Margareth  Olementz, 

Catharine  Reigel,  Maria  Skikk, 

Susan  Otd,  Anna  Lentz, 

Maroareth  Brown,  Magdalein  Snek.' 

Nicholas  Feller,  who  has  already  been  mentioned  as  receiving  a  lot 
in  the  division  under  Gertrude  Petry's  deed,  and  who  also  had  posses- 
sion of  a  tract  in  German  Flats,  was  assigned  lot  No.  7,  lowland  and  up- 
land, on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  The  upland  lot  was,  according  to 
the  late  Samuel  Earl,  "  the  house  place  and  is  the  next  lot  cast  of  the 
paper-mill  in  the  village  of  Herkimer.  There  he  lived  and  died.  He 
made  his  will  in  1734,  one  of  the  witnesses  to  which  was  John  Jost  Petri, 
his  nearest  neighbor,  then  living  on  the  adjoining  lot  No.  8,  whereon 
stands  the  paper-mill  of  Messrs.  Miller  &  Churchill.  In  his  will  he 
gives  his  lot  to  his  daughter,  Maria  Elizabeth,  wife  of  George  Hilts. 
The  lot  was  afterwards  owned  by  George  Hilts's  son,  Nicholas  Hilts,  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  George  Hilts,  who  died  in  1857."  This  is 
one  of  the  few  lots  that  remained  in  possession  of  descendants  of  the 
original  holder  until  very  recent  years.  Another  lot  that  may  be  men- 
tioned as  remaining  in  the  family  during  a  number  of  succeeding  gener- 
ations was  that  of  the  Doxtaders,  about  a  mile  west  of  the  court-house  on 
the  turnpike,  lot  No.  20.  On  this  lot  John  Doxtader,  father  of  Frede- 
rick, was  wounded  by  the  Indians  in  August,  17S0,  while  at  work  with 
his  brothers  on  the  lowlands  near  the  river.  Frederick  Doxtader  lived 
to  a  great  age,  and  the  lot  passed  to  his  daughter,  wife  of  Alexander  M. 
Gray,  who  occupied  it. 

Before  the  War  of  the  Revolution  Dr.  William  Petry-  purchased  lot 
No.  1 1,  lowland  and  upland.  On  the  southerly  end  of  the  upland  stands 
the  Samuel  Earl  homestead,  which  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family. 
William  Smith,  also,  still  occupies  the  home  of  his  ancestors.  Members 
of  the  Smith  and  Shell  families  occupied  until  recent  years  the  farms  on 

'  Samuel  Earl's  papers. 

'  For  sketch  of  Dr.  Petry  see  Chapter  on  the  Medical  Profession, 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  219 

the  east  side  of  the  West  Canada  Creek  where  their  ancestors  lived  and 
died. 

The  original  Jacob  Wever  drew  lot  No.  lo  in  the  Burnetsfield  assign- 
ment ;  the  upland  lot,  upon  which  he  settled  and  lived,  is  at  the  head 
of  Main  street,  in  the  village.  After  his  death  it  passed  to  his  sons, 
Peter  and  George  Jacob,  the  latter  getting  the  western  half  This  land 
remained  with  members  of  the  family  until  recent  years. 

The  emigration  into  the  county  after  the  Revolution  took  place  chiefly 
between  1785  and  1800,  and  consisted  largely  of  shrewd  New  Eng- 
landers.  Between  this  Yankee  element  and  the  German  settlers  there 
was  considerable  rivalry  and  antagonism  for  some  years,  but  ultimately 
the  former  became  dominant,  and  the  Germans  gradually  relinquished 
the  conduct  of  affairs  and  supremacy  in  manufacturing  and  commercial 
matters.      Brief  sketches  of  a  few  of  the  settlers  follow  : 

Henry  Ellison  came  into  Herkimer  soon  after  the  county  was  created 
and  settled  on  the  West  Canada  Creek,  some  miles  north  of  the  village, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  tanning.  He  was  an  intelligent,  pro- 
gressive man  and  occupied  several  positions  of  trust ;  was  presidential 
elector  in  1836,  and  held  minor  offices.  He  died  at  his  home  leaving 
an  ample  estate  to  his  posterity. 

Dan  Chapman  was  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  came  into  the  county 
at  an  early  period,  settling  at  the  Stone  Ridge  in  the  village,  where  he 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  and  afterwards  adopted  the  legal  pro- 
fession He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  previous  to  1804,  was  appointed 
surrogate  in  1803,  re-appointed  in  1808,  and  held  the  office  until  1816. 
He  removed  to  Oneida  county  about  1820. 

Joab  Griswold  settled  at  Herkimer  village,  coming  from  Connecticut, 
his  native  State,  early  in  the  history  of  this  county.  He  was  an  active 
politician  and  for  his  services  in  the  Federal  party  was  given  the  office 
of  county  clerk  in  March,  1798,  which  he  held  six  years.  Although  a 
lawyer  by  profession,  Mr.  Griswold  followed  farming  while  he  lived  at 
Herkimer.  Some  of  his  descendants  lived  in  Herkimer  many  years 
after  the  death  of  their  ancestor. 

Elihu  Griswold  was  a  member  of  the  medical  profession,  but  did  not 
follow  it  after  he  settled  in  Herkimer  before  the  beginning  of  the  pres- 
ent century.      He  was  appointed  county  clerk  in  April,  1804,  and  held 


220  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  office  six  years;  was  superseded,  but  reappointed  in  i8ll  and  held 
the  office  until  his  death  in  i8i2.  He  was  succeeded  by  hisson-in  law, 
Aaron  Hackley,  jr.  Mr.  Griswold  was  born  in  Herkimer  August  17, 
1756,  and  Idied  here  January  12,  1812.  He  was  educated  and  accom- 
plished ;  a  man  of  energy  of  character,  courteous,  generous  and  social. 

Philo  M.  Hackley  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  came  with  his 
father,  Aaron  Hackley,  to  the  town  of  Salisbury  in  1795.  Philo  re- 
moved within  a  few  years  to  Herkimer  village  and  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile operations,  which  he  continued  nearly  twenty  years.  He  was  an 
honorable  and  high-minded  man  ;  was  a  Federalist  in  politics  and  be- 
longed to  that  energetic  and  "  talented  body  of  men  who  early  estab- 
lished themselves  at  the  county  seat,  and  during  several  years  exerted 
a  potent  influence  in  the  county."  ^  He  was  appointed  surrogate 
of  the  county  in  1807,  but  a  political  revolution  displaced  him  in  the 
following  year;  was  appointed  sheriff  in  1810,  but  another  change  re- 
moved him  from  that  office.  At  the  spring  election  of  18 19  he  was 
chosen  member  of  Assembly,  with  James  Orton  and  Jacob  Markel!, 
"  three  old  fashioned  and  highly  respected  Federalists."  Mr.  Hackley 
lived  several  years  in  Little  Falls  and  died  in  Michigan,  whither  he  had 
removed. 

Henry  Hopkins  was  one  of  the  early  merchants  of  Herkimer.  He 
came  hither  at  an  early  day;  was  appointed  sheriff  in  18 13,  held  the 
office  two  years,  and  in  1815  was  elected  to  the  Assembly;  was  a  can- 
didate in  1816,  but  was  defeated.      He  died  at  Herkimer  in  1827. 

Michael  Myers  has  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  history  of 
this  town.  He  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  German  descent. 
He  was  not  of  the  original  Palatine  emigrants,  but  his  ancestors  may 
have  been  among  those  who  came  here  in  1722.  He  was  wounded  at 
Johnstown  in  1781,  and  was  then  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age. 
Upon  the  organization  of  the  county  courts  he  was  appointed  one  of 
the  judges  and  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  February,  1791,  and  was  sev- 
eral times  reappointed  ;  was  elected  the  first  member  of  Assembly 
after  the  erection  of  the  county  and  re- elected  the  following  year.  He 
was  elected  to  the  Senate  in  1795  and  served  four  years,  and  was  for 
many  years  a  prominent  and  influential   politician   in  Herkimer  county. 

'  Judge  Benton's  writings. 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  221 

He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  acquired  a  large  fortune.  He  died 
at  Herkimer  February  17,  18 14,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years,  leaving 
numerous  descendants.  Peter  M.  Myers,  appointed  county  clerk  in 
1 8 10,  was  a  son,  and  he  also  left  descendants  in  the  county. 

Ephraim  Snow  lived  and  died  at  Herkimer  village.  He  came  from 
Connecticut  some  time  before  1800  ;  was  appointed  sheriff  in  1806  and 
held  the  office  only  one  year.      He  was  a  respected  citizen. 

Chauncey  Woodruff  was  a  Herkimer  merchant  for  many  years.  He 
was  appointed  sheriff  of  the  county  after  its  erection,  under  date  of 
March  19,  1798,  and  held  the  office  by  reappointment  until  1802.  He 
died  in  Herkimer  in  1810. 

Sketches  of  many  other  residents  of  the  town  will  be  found  in  cliap- 
ters  relating  to  the  legal  and  medical  professions. 

For  a  few  years  succeeding  the  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  the  out- 
look for  growth  in  the  village  and  town  of  Herkimer  was  not  very 
promising  ;  but  a  few  years  later,  when  the  Utica  and  Schenectady 
Railroad  passed  directly  through  the  village,  and  the  construction  of 
the  hydraulic  canal  was  consummated,  Herkimer  seemed  destined  to 
take  its  proper  place  as  one  of  the  leading  towns  of  Central  New  York. 
The  farming  community  promptly  and  energetically  entered  upon  the 
dairy  industry  and  soon  placed  the  town  well  up  among  the  foremost  in 
the  manufacture  of  cheese  and  butter. 

The  opening  of  the  Herkimer  and  Poland  Narrow  Gauge  Railroad 
in  1 88 1  brought  down  to  the  village  a  considerable  volume  of  northern 
trade,  adding  its  strength  to  the  welfare  of  the  village ;  and  this  road, 
now  just  transformed  into  a  first  class  railroad,  extending  directly  across 
the  northern  part  of  the  State,  is  surely  destined  to  add  greatly  to  the 
wealth  and  growth  of  this  town  and  village. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  Herkimer,  with  date  of  their 
incumbency  : 

Henry  Staring,  1789,  '90;  John  Porteous,  1791-95;  Chauncey  Woodrufi,  1796,  '97; 
Jacob  Griswold,  1798;  John  Meyer,  1799,  1800  ;  Matthias  B.  Talmadge,  1801  ;  Evans 
Wharry,  1802,  '03  ;  Ellihu  Griswold,  1804,  '05 ;  Jost  D.  Petrie,  1806-09,  1816 ;  Eben 
Britton,  1810;  John  McCombs,  1811-13  ;  Winsor  Manard,  1814,  '15;  Philo  M.  Hack- 
ley,  1817-19;  Jacob  Small,  1820-25;  Jacob  N.  Petrie,  1826,  '27;  Frederick  P.  Bell- 
inger, 1828-32,  1835,  1848;  James  B.  Hunt,  1833,  '34;  Aaron  Hackley,  1836, '37; 
Nicholas  Smith,   1838;    Frederick  Dockstader,  1839;  Ezra  Graves,   1840, '41 ;  Alex- 


222  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

anderM.  Gray,  1842,  '43,  1862-66;  Peter  C.  Helmer.  1844;  Robert  Ethridge,  1845, 
'40;  E.  H.  Williams,  1847;  Robert  Earl,  1849,  1861  ;  Frederick  A.  Helmer,  1850,  '51; 
Peter  Countryman,  1852 ;  John  D.  Spinner,  1853  ;  Charles  Spmner,  1854-58 ;  Marcus 
W.  Rasbach,  18G9,  1881-83,  1891 ;  James  A.  Suiter,  1860,  1872;  William  Smith,  1867, 
'68;  C.  C.  Witherstine,  1869-71,  1878;  Erwin  A.  Munson,  1873;  George  P.  Folts, 
1874;  Clinton  Beckwith,  1875;  George  W.  Smith,  1876;  Joab  Small,  1877;  Henry 
AlDeimel,  1879,  '80,  1885;  J.  Horatio  Huyck,  1884;  Lewis  B.  Jones,  1886,  '87;  Adam 
J.Smith,  1888, '89:  WiUiam  B.  Howell,  1890;  William  Horrocks,  1892. 

THE   VILLAGE    OF    HERKIMER. 

The  village  of  Herkimer  is  the  oldest  in  the  county,  and  was  incor- 
porated April  6,  1807,  Geneva,  Cooperstown  and  Utica  then  being  the 
only  villages  west  of  Herkimer,  and  the  two  former  antedated  Herki- 
mer by  only  a  few  days.  The  population  at  the  date  of  incorporation 
was  probably  about  300.  In  1820  it  was  547  ;  in  1872,  2,000,  and  at 
the  present  time  about  4,000. 

The  village  records  as  they  exist  at  present  begin  at  the  year  1841, 
since  which  time  the  following  presidents  have  been  chosen  : 

1841-44,  C.  Kathern;  1845,  Ezra  Graves;  1846,  Peter  F.  Bellinger;  1847,  Christian 
F.  Spinner;  1848-50,  C.  A.  Burton;  1851,  '52,  A.  H.  Laflin  ;  1853,  Charles  Spinner; 
1854,  J.  D.  Spinner;  1855,  A.  M.  Gray;  1856-8.  George  W.  Pine  ;  1859,  Samuel  Earl  ; 
1860,  George  W.  Pine ;  1861.  Byron  Laflin  ;  1862,  '63,  Wm.  H.  Barter ;  1864,  B.  Laflin  ; 
1865,  Robert  Earl;  1866,  William  Smith;  1867,  Jeremiah  L.  Haner;  1868,  D.  J. 
Curtiss:  1869,  George  W.  Pine;  1870,  J.  G.  Bellinger;  1871,  George  P.  Folts;  1872, 
J.  D.  Spinner;  1873,  William  Smith  ;  1874,  D.  M.  Devendorf ;  1875,  A.  T.  Freeman  ; 
1876,  J.  D.  Henderson  ;  1877,  Clinton  Beckwith  ;  1878,  79,  H.  M.  P.  Uhlee ;  1880,  C.  R. 
Snell;  1881,  Clinton  Beckwith;  1882,  J.  H.  Huyck;  1883,  J.  D.  Henderson;  1884,  '89, 
Harvey  Huyck;  1886,  John  D.  Moore;  1887,  Wm.  B.  Howell ;  1888,  Charles  G.  Grosve- 
nor;  1889,  L.  B.  Jones;  1890,  '91,  A.  B.  Steele;  1892,  William  Witherstine. 

In  the  year  1841  the  village  was  small  and  few  improvements  had 
been  made.  There  were  no  sidewalks,  or  almost  none,  except  gravel, 
and  the  streets  were  mere  graded  roads.  In  that  year  $1 1.50  was  paid 
for  rental  of  the  lot  on  which  the  engine-house  stood.  But  the  village 
had  a  brass  band  in  those  days,  and  a  subscription  paper  is  on  record 
in  1842,  showing  that  more  than  $150  was  subscribed  for  the  purchase 
of  instruments.  From  about  1850  onward  improvements  in  streets  and 
sidewalks  and  the  opening  of  new  streets  progressed  rapidly. 

The  usual  provisions  were  made  in  early  years  for  protection  from 
fire,  in  which  all  citizens  were   required  to  share ;  but  it  was  not  until 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  223 

one  or  two  destructive  fires  occurred  that  thorough  effort  was  made  for 
the  organization  and  eqiupment  of  a  company.  Those  fires  were  the 
one  of  1834,  which  destroyed  the  old  Reformed  church,  the  court- 
house and  other  structures,  and  that  in  1838,  which  burned  nearly  all 
of  the  north  half  of  the  block  where  now  stands  the  Waverly  Hotel  and 
the  opera-house.  In  early  years  all  owners  of  buildings  were  re- 
quired to  keep  a  certain  number  of  buckets  on  their  premises,  the  num- 
ber based  upon  the  size  and  height  of  the  buildings.  It  is  not  now 
known  just  when  the  first  engine  was  provided  ;  but  a  new  one  was 
purchased  on  June  i,  1841,  and  among  those  who  soon  afterward  were 
made  firemen  were  the  following: 

James  Trumbly,  Henry  Clark,  David  Weber,  Asa  G.  Kelsey,  William  Howell,  jr., 
Michael  SchafFner,  jr.,  Gideon  Dodge.  Albert  Webb,  James  A.  Suiter,  David  P.  Crosby, 
Philander  A.  Ford,  Jeremiah  Petrie  and  Charles  W.  Swift. 

A  few  months  later  the  following  were  constituted  Fire  Company 
No.  i: 

George  Lake,  Harvey  Huyck,  Gaylord  Griswold,  Philander  A.  Ford,  Charles  H. 
Hopkins,  Gideon  Dodge,  Thomas  Fetterly,  Henry  Clark,  James  Trumbly,  Christian  F. 
Spinner,  Asa  G.  Kelsey,  John  P.  De  GraflT,  Warren  Caswell,  jr.,  Benjamin  Harter, 
Jeremiah  Petrie,  William  Look,  David  Weber,  William  F.  Hayes,  Franklin  Draper, 
Charles  W.  Swift,  William  Howell,  jr.,  Alonzo  B.  Benedict,  William  F.  Smith  and 
Humphrey  Williams,  jr. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  trustees  the  following  persons  were  ap- 
pointed firemen  to  Engine  Company  No.  2,  viz.  : 

Alexander  M.  Gray,  Charles  Spinner,  James  Hoffman,  Peter  L  Lepper,  Hubbard  H. 
Morgan,  Smith  Colyer,  Grant  Davis,  Albert  S.  Howell,  Alonzo  Hall,  Henry  Shaw, 
James  Dolan,  Hiram  Campbell,  George  M.  Harter,  Charles  Smith,  David  Bowers,  John 
Bowers,  Samuel  Earl,  Harvey  H.  Lewis,   William  Weber, 

Late  in  the  same  year  a  hook  and  ladder  company  was  formed,  of 
which  the  first  members  were  : 

Nathan  Esterbrooks,  Joseph  Bowers,  Kellogg  Hubbard,  Willard  A.  Gray,  Alfred  P. 
Peck,  Frederick  A.  Helmer,  William  A.  Caswell,  Peter  F.  Bellinger,  John  Vincent, 
Mark  Batchelder,  and  William  B.  Houghton. 

There  was  a  reorganization  of  the  department  in  1866,  and  $300  were 
raised  "  for  equipping  the  late  reorganized  fire  department."  Under 
the  stimulus  of  a  destructive  fire  in  1S75,  the  department  was  again  re- 
organized and  steps  taken  to  purchase   a  steam  fire  engine.     Previous 


224  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

to  this  time  and  for  many  j-ears,  the  "Conqueror"  engine  and  com- 
pany had  served  the  village  and  was  the  only  company^here.  After 
the  great  fire  this  company  was  reorganized  with  the  other  changes, 
and  it  continued  in  active  service  until  a  few  years  since,  when  the 
completion  of  the  public  waterworks  rendered  it  comparatively  useless, 
and  the  company  was  disbanded. 

The  steamer  purchased  in  1876  was  of  the  Button  make  and  has 
proved  in  the  eflficient  hands  of  the  company  one  of  the  most  powerful 
machines  ever  built.  It  is  called  Fort  Dayton  Steamer  No.  2.  The 
first  officers  of  the  company  were  : 

Isaac  Mason,  foreman;  Joseph  Palmer,  first  assistant  foreman;  W.  H.  Wilson,  sec- 
ond assistant  foreman;  L.  A.  Lawton,  secretary;  H.  A.  Marckres,  treasurer;  H.  M 
Qnackenbush,  engineer. 

This  steamer  has  for  three  years  past  held  the  state  championship. 
The  present  officers  of  the  company  are  as  follow  : 

Byron  D.  Small,  foreman  ;  Charles  P.  Warburton,  first  assistant  foreman  ;  Jacob 
Ackler,  second  assistant  foreman;  Edward  Small,  president;  Thomas  H.  Allen,  vice- 
president  ;  Albert  Putnam,  .secretary  ;  Albert  Ertman,  treasurer. 

Active  Hook  and  Ladder  company  (now  Excelsior)  was  first  organ- 
ized July  28,  1874,  with  the  following  charter  members: 

W.  C.  Stewart,  J.  V.  Mallery,  Charles  A.  Paul,  William  W.  Barse,  John  H.  Dresher, 
M.  M.  Draper,  Howard  C.  Harter,  James  A.  Clark,  and  John  D.  Moore.  The  officers 
were:  Charles  A.  Paul,  foreman;  John  H.  Dresher,  first  assistant;  Howard  C.  Harter, 
second  assistant;  W.  C.  Stewart,  secretary;  John  D.Moore,  treasurer. 

After  organization  the  company  removed  to  the  old  Conqueror  (now 
Fort  Dayton)  engine-house  and  took  charge  of  the  old  hand  engine, 
continuing  in  that  capacity  until  1875,  when  they  dropped  the  name  of 
Active  Engine  Company  No.  2,  and  took  the  name  of  Active  Hose 
Company.  In  June,  1877,  a  hook  and  ladder  truck  was  purchased  and 
placed  in  their  charge.     The  present  officers  of  the  company  are  : 

President,  William  Witherstine  ;  vice-president,  William  H.  Whitmore;  foreman, 
John  D.  Moore  ;  first  assistant  foreman,  George  W.  Nellis,  jr. ;  second  assistant  fore- 
man, John  Bowman;  secretary,  Thomas  A.  Byrnes;  financial  secretary,  Irving  Lynch; 
treasurer,  William  G.  Smith. 

Fort  Dayton  Hose  Company  No.  2  was  organized  September  22, 
1875,  when  the  steamer  was  purchased,  and  was  incorporated  Decem- 
ber 7,  1875.     The  first  officers  were  : 


TOWN  OF   HERKIMER.  225 

Foreman,  George  Susholz;  first  assistant,  E.  A.  Brown;  second  assistant,  A.  B. 
Steele;  secretary,  W.  C.  Prescott;  treasurer,  W.  C.  Stewart. 

Tlie  company  now  consists  of  twenty-eight  members,  and  has  the 
following  officers  : 

Thomas  W.  Grosvenor,  foreman  ;  W.  H.  Bencliley,  first  assistant;  M.  A.  Deimel, 
second  assistant ;  Cliarles  W.  Prescott,  secretary  ;  Glen  P.  Munson,  treasurer. 

The  public  supply  of  water  to  the  village  is  owned  and  controlled  by 
the  village  authorities  and  consists  (1892)  of  fifty- two  driven  wells, 
from  which  pure  and  wholesome  water  is  pumped  and  supplied  in  pipes 
by  the  Holly  system.  The  supply  was  installed  in  1888,  at  a  cost  of 
over  $60,000.     The  money  was  raised  on  bonds  of  the  village. 

For  a  considerable  period  after  the  close  of  the  late  war  Herkimer 
village  was  especially  progressive.  New  streets  were  rapidly  opened, 
sidewalks  multiplied,  the  fire  department,  as  before  explained,  was  in- 
creased, and  general  extension  and  prosperity  prevailed.  In  1875  the 
village  adopted  the  act  of  1870  for  the  incorporation  of  villages,  giving 
the  authorities  broader  powers.  The  police  force  as  at  present  consti- 
tuted was  organized  in  1887,  with  Sylvester  Wilson  as  chief  He  was 
succeeded  by  the  present  official,  John  T.  Manion.  There  are  two  uni- 
formed patrolmen. 

The  receipts  from  the  various  funds  for  the  year  ending  March  i, 
1892,  were  as  follows:  Ordinary  fund,  $8,013.73;  highway  fund, 
$6,(59.42  ;  electric  light  (on  hand  February  18),  $1,885  H  !  police  and 
fire,  $5,721.78 — a  total  of  $21,780.04.  The  village  has  no  debt,  ex- 
cepting the  bonds  for  water  and  lights. 

Following  are  the  village  officers  for  1892  :  President,  William  Witherstine  ;  trustees, 
J.  D.  Moore,  Lewis  Turnier,  Jacob  G.  Bellinger,  James  H.  Walrad,  Robert  Barl  2d, 
C.  D.  West.  Police  Justice,  E.  B.  Mitchell.  Marshal  Rice,  chief  of  fire  department. 
Police  and  Fire  Commissioners,  Charles  Bell,  Dr.  Cyrus  Kay,  W.  P.  Munson,  C.  R.  Snell. 
C.  C.  Spinner  is  secretary,  and  W.  I.  Taber,  treasurer  of  the  Light  and  Water  Commis- 
sion. 

THE    CHURCHES   OF    HERKIMER. 

It  is  not  known  precisely  when  the  first  church  was  built  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river  in  the  limits  of  this  county  ;  but  it  was  previous 
to  1757.     The  stone  church  on  the  south  side  was  already  erected,  as 

29 


226  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

appears  in  the  history  of  tlie  town  of  German  Flats.  "Although  at 
that  time  the  inhabitants  in  this  valley  were  few  and  could  not  have  ex- 
ceeded eight  or  ten  hundred  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  yet  there  were 
good  reasons  for  having  two  church  edifices.  At  times,  and  especially 
in  the  spring  of  the  year,  it  was  impossible  for  the  people  to  go  from 
one  side  of  the  river  to  the  other,  on  account  of  the  floods,  and  as  the 
people  were  a  church- going  people,  there  was  a  necessity  for  a  place  of 
worship  on  both  sides,  so  that  at  such  times  as  they  could  not  all  meet 
at  one  place,  they  could  meet  in  separate  places  for  worship.  And  in 
the  absence  of  their  clergyman,  some  one  of  the  congregation  would 
read  service.  Dr.  William  Petry  was  often  called  upon  to  do  this,  and 
so  was  John  Christian  Shell,  the  hero  of  Shell's  Bush  and  the  Chevalier 
Bayard  among  the  people.  In  the  absence  of  the  clergyman  it  is  said 
that  Dr.  Petry  published  his  own  bans.  He  was  married  in  1766."' 
The  ample  evidence  of  the  existence  of  the  church  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  and  where  the  present  Reformed  church  now  stands,  on  Main 
street,  exists  in  the  following  old  German  document  (translated  by  the 
late  John  P.  Spinner)  which  reads  as  follows  : 

"  Germanflats,  August  20,  1770. 
I,  on  the  end  undersigned,  testify  hereby  that  I  have  given  an  acre  of  land  for  a 
High  Dutch  Reformed  church  on  the  stone  ridge  ;  but  whereas,  the  church,  with  all  its 
writings,  in  the  devastation  of  this  place  by  the  Indians  anno  1757,  in  an  unfortunate 
manner  has  been  burned  away;  and  whereas,  I  have  this  land  wherein  this  acre  lies 
transferred  to  my  son,  Dietrich,  and  the  same  likewise  did  precede  me  to  eternity,  I 
John  Jost  Petrie,  testify  that  the  oldest  son  of  the  deceased  Dietrich  must  give  other 
writings  as  soon  as  the  same  comes  to  his  years,  and  a  new  church,  with  my  consent, 
on  the  same  acre  of  land  build  again.     Such  do  I  attest  with  my  own  hand  and  seal. 

his 
John  Jost  x  Petkie.      [l.  s.] 
In  presence  mark 

Marcus  Pptrie. 

This  first  church  in  the  village  was  burned  in  1757  and  another  built 
on  the  same  site. 2  The  latter  was  burned  in  1834,  and  the  present  brick 
edifice  erected  on  the  site. 

■  Samuel  Earl's  writings,  1876. 

'^  The  great  difference  between  the  social  habits  of  that  early  period  and  those  of  the  present  are 
shown  in  the  toUowing  account  rendered  by  a  committee  appointed  by  the  church  to  go  to  Albany 
and  transact  some  business  in  lyg;  : 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  227 

Important  clianges  took  place  in  this  church  during  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  John  P.  Spinner  (1801-1841),  owing  largely  to  the  gradual  acces- 
sions to  the  Yankee  element  in  the  population.  "The  New  England 
influence  was  asserting  itself,  and  presently  a  style  of  doctrine  and  a 
form  of  worship  were  required  that  should  be  more  in  accord  with  New 
England,  or  perhaps  we  should  say,  with  American  ideas.  To  the 
descendants  of  the  Puritans  and  to  those  in  general  who  came  of 
English  stock,  and  who  were  beginning  now  to  settle  here  and  else- 
where throughout  the  county  in  considerable  numbers,  the  German 
service  and  the  prevailing  customs  and  usages  of  the  German  people 
were  not  at  all  congenial.  Besides,  the  English  language  was  coming 
more  and  more  into  general  use,  so  that  some  change  in  the  manage- 
ment or  at  least  in  the  mode  of  conducting  ecclesiastical  affairs,  was 
rendered  necessary  by  the  changed  condition  of  the  church  and  of  the 
community.  Add  to  this  the  fact  of  Mr.  Spinner's  opposition  to  new 
men  and  measures  and  the  feeling  of  estrangement  which  had  sprung 
up  to  some  extent  from  other  causes,  even  among  his  old  German 
parishioners,  and  the  result  may  be  easily  accounted  for  In  1827  the 
old  pastor  was  led  through  stress  of  circumstances  to  abandon  his  pul- 
pit for  a  time  and  maintain  himself  in  some  other  way  than  by  the 
ministrations  of  the  gospel."  ^  Mr.  Spinner's  absence  at  length  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  classis,  and  he  was  cited  before  that  body,  where  he 
was  exonerated  from  blame  in  the  matter.  The  resolutions  of  the  classis 
were  accompanied  by  wholesome  advice  to  both  pastor  and  people,  and 
the  church  work  was  soon  resumed.  But  strange  to  say  it  was  soon 
afterwards  resolved  by  the  consistory  that  a  subscription  paper  be  cir- 

1797- 

Feb'y  7— To  liquors  at  different  places, £><^     4    o 

8  Paid  John  Fonday  for  3  sup.,  3  quarts  cider,  3  lodgings  &  ^  gill  gin o    lo    6 

9  Paid  Johnson,  Schenectady,  i  grog,  i  lodging,  i  supper,  i  glass  bitters,  7  I  6  and 

stage  to  Albany  S  I o    15    o 

To  and  in  Albany,  2  dinners,  I  glass  punch -  o      g    o 

To  cash  paid  Barber  the  printer 3      .^    o 

To  cash  paid  Myers  for  getting  the  papers  from  New  York 080 

From  loth  to  16th  included,  to  sundries  in  liquors 080 

To  7X  day's  boarding  and  liquors  at  Crane's,  in  Albany,  as  per  receipt.. 5    11    o 

To  bread  and  cheese  for  on  the  way  home,  2  I.    Liquors  to  Schenectady 046 

At  Alsober's,  .Schenectady,  for  liquors  and  lodgings 030 

To  expenses  in  liquors  from  Schenectady  to  home 070 

J  History  of  the  Reformed  church  at  Herkimer,  by  Rev.  H.  M.  Co.x. 


^28 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtJNTlf. 


f 


culated  for  the  support,  not  only  of  Rev.  Mr.  Spinner,  but  also  of  tlie 
Rev.  Henrj  M.  Snyder.  (Mr.  Snyder  had  preached  in  the  pulpit  dur- 
ing part  of  the  absence  of  Mr.  Spinner,  and  was  not  in  favor  with  the 
latter.)  In  other  words,  an  effort  was  to  be  made  to  unite  the  German 
and  the  English  speaking  elements  in  one  congregation.  This  action 
was  taken  in  1830.      Prior  to  that,  however,  a  second  Reformed  church 

had  been  organized,  with 
the  view  of  meeting  the 
needs  of  that  portion  of  the 
community  that  could  not 
understand  the  German 
tongue.  It  was  incorpo- 
rated August  21,  1824,  un- 
der the  title  of  "  Tlie  Uni- 
ted  Dutch  Church  of  Herki- 
mer and  German  Flats." 
This  society  existed  until 
1833,  and  was  served  during 
that  period  by  Revs.  Sam- 
uel Center,  Isaac  S.  Ketch- 
um,  J.  Boyd,  J.  Morris  and 
J    H.  Pitcher. 

After  the  burning  of  the 
church  in  1834  the  congre- 
gation worshiped  about  a 
year  in  the  village  school- 
house,  while  the  present 
building  was  in  course  of 
erection.     The  first    sale  of 

^ I       pews  in  the  new  church  oc- 

.  curred  on  February  5,  1835  ; 

_        .  .  j,  I'.vRNKD  Jan.  25,  1S34.  ■'  -"        -'-'  ' 

but  the  church  soon  found 
itself  in  straitened  circumstances,  while  the  old  controversies  w^hich  had 
led  to  the  organization  of  the  second  church  continued  to  come  to  the 
surface.  This  led  to  a  kind  of  reorganization  and  active  efforts  to  re- 
lieve and  preserve  the  church.     Many  members  of  the  disbanded  society 


,£EfcEir 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  229 

pledged  their  co-operation  to  the  new  movement,  which  included  a 
provision  for  employing  a  second  minister  to  preach  in  the  English 
language.  The  result  was  the  engagement  of  Rev.  James  Murphy, 
then  of  Manheim,  who  remained  as  colleague  of  Mr.  Spinner  from  1837 
to  1842.  During  his  pastorate,  which  continued  alone  after  1842  until 
1849,  the  church  was  furnished,  a  bell  purchased,  and  other  improve- 
ments made.  In  1838  the  church  officers  resolved  to  erect  a  consist- 
ory house  to  cost  $250.  This  amount  proving  insufficient,  $400  were 
expended  for  the  purpose  and  the  building  was  erected. 

After  four  years  of  experience  with  the  two  pastors  it  was  seen  that 
the  expense  was  more  than  the  members  could  bear,  and  steps  were 
taken  to  make  a  change.  This  was  opposed  by  Mr.  Spinner.  At  the 
same  time  negotiations  were  opened  for  a  dissolution  of  the  relations 
which  had  so  long  existed  between  the  churches  at  Herkimer  and 
German  Flats,  which  was  accomplished  on  the  26th  of  April,  1841. 
After  that  date  Mr.  Spinner  confined  his  attention  almost  wholly  to  the 
church  at  Fort  Herkimer. 

"  In  1875  the  interior  of  the  church  building  was  remodeled  at  an  ex- 
pense of  about  $7,000,  and  we  owe  it  mainly  to  the  enterprise  and 
liberality  of  Mr.  Consaul  that  the  money  for  that  purpose  was  obtained 
and  the  work  accomplished  which  has  ever  since  afforded  so  much  com- 
fort and  satisfaction  to  those  who  worship  within  these  courts."^ 

The  Reformed  church  is  now  in  a  prosperous  condition,  with  a 
thriving  Sunday  school.  Following  is  a  list  of  its  pastors  with  the 
dates  showing  their  terms  of  service  : 

Rev.  Abraham  Rosekrants,  1765-9G;  Rev.  D.  Christian  A.  Pick,  1798-1800;  Rev. 
John  Peter  Spinner,  1801-41 ;  Rev.  James  Murphey,  D.  D.,  1837-42  as  colleague  of 
Mr.  Spinner,  and  1843-49;  Rev.  Cornelius  S.  Mead,  1849-59;  Rev.  Hugh  Brodie  Gard- 
ner, 1860-64 ;  Rev.  Jeremiah  Petrie,  1864-68,  as  stated  supply ;  Rev.  Gansevoort  D. 
W.  Consaul,  1869-77 ;  Rev.  Ralph  Watson  Brokaw,  1877-82 ;  Rev.  Henry  Miller  Cox, 
1882-91;  Rev.  John  G.  Gebhard,  November,  1891. 

Following  are  the  officers  of  the  church  : 

Elders.  Henry  Churchill,  Clarence  L.  Avery,  Abram  S.  Brush,  Edwin  B.  Mitchell ; 
deacons,  Clinton  M.  Batchelder,  George  Hessler,  John  Gettley,  Charles  H.  Burrell, 
Charles  B.  Morris,  George  Henderson. 

'  Rev.  Mr.  Cox's  history  of  the  church. 


230  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — Methodism  in  Herkimer  dates  back  to 
1827,  when  the  first  class  was  formed  by  Revs.  John  Ercanback  and 
Calvin  Hawley,  who  were  then  preaching  in  the  Herkimer  circuit.  In 
September,  1832,  a  legal  organization  was  effected  by  the  election  of 
Abijah  Osborne  (one  of  the  first  members),  Warren  Caswell  and 
W.  Usher,  as  trustees.  The  name  was  "  The  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  Village  of  Herkimer."  This  name  was  changed  in  1865 
to  "The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  Village  of  Herkimer." 
The  first  permanent  church  edifice  was  built  in  1839,  at  a  cost  of 
$1,300,  and  served  its  purpose  until  1872,  when  a  larger  church  be- 
came a  necessity.  The  old  house,  corner  of  Washington  and  Green 
streets,  was  sold  to  the  Catholics,  and  a  building  committee  was  ap- 
pointed consisting  of  Hon.  Warner  Miller,  chairman  ;  Zenas  Green, 
secretary ;  George  P.  Folts,  Charles  Barse,  lilisha  Washburne,  Berth- 
waite  Patrick,  Aaron  Snell,  Spellman  Falk,  and  Joseph  Folts.  Under 
their  direction  and  through  the  generous  liberality  of  the  people  the 
present  beautiful  brick  church  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $39,000.  The 
corner-stone  was  laid  in  June,  1873,  and  the  church  was  dedicated 
April  23,   1874.     The  following  pastors  have  served  the  church  : 

Joliii  Ercanback  and  Calvin  Hawley,  1827  and  1828;  Jonathan  Worthing  and  D.  H. 
Kingsley,  1829;  Jonathan  Worthing  and  Earl  Fuller,  1830;  Henry  Halslead,  1831: 
Allen  H.  Tilton  and  Darius  Simons,  1832;  J.  Puffer,  H.  Chapin  and  B.  Mason,  1833; 
H.  Chapin,  1834;  E.  Wheeler,  1835  and  1836;  E.  Whipple,  1837  ;  Charles  H.  Austin. 
1838  and  1839;  Franklin  Hawkins  and  Stephen  H.  Fenton,  1840;  Eleazer  Whipjile 
and  A.  Blackman,  1841 ;  George  C.  Woodruff,  1842  ;  David  Chidester  and  John  Thomas, 
1843;  John  Slee  and  R.  Lewis,  1844j  John  Slee,  1845;  Jesse  Penfield,  1S46  and  1847; 
James  E.  Downing,  1848  and  1849;  EUjah  Smith,  1850;  Ward  I.  Hunt,  1851;  D. 
Barnard.  1852;  J.  H.  Lamb,  1853  and  1854  ;  J.  Billings,  1855;  C.  H.  Austin,  1856  and 
1857;  James  Wells,  1858  and  1859;  B.  L  Diefendorf,  1860;  Daniel  Fulford,  1801  and 
1862;  S.  E.  Brown,  1863  and  1864;  Charles  Baldwin,  1865  and  1866  ;  William  Jones, 
1867-69;  Charles  T.  Moss,  1870  and  1871  ;  W.  R.  Cobb,  1872  and  1873;  W.  F.  Mark- 
ham,  1874-70;  S.  0.  Barnes,  1877  and  1878-9;  W.  Dempster  Chase,  1880-82  ;  Horace 
M.  Danforth,  1882-85;  Isaac  S.  Bingham,  1886-91;  and  Wm.  C.  Davidson,  the  present 
pastor.     The  church  membership  is  nearly  500. 

In  connection  with  this  may  be  properly  mentioned  the  "  George  P. 
Folts  Training  School,  for  home  and  foreign  mission  work,"  which  is  to 
some  extent  an  outgrowth  of  this  church.  Through  a  generous  gift  of 
George  P.  Folts  this  school  is  founded  at  a  cost  of  $45,000,  and  a  hand- 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  231 

some  building  erected  in  1892,  for  the  accommodation  of  about  forty 
students,  a  matron,  servants,  etc.,  with  conveniences  for  boarding  all 
the  inmates.  Tlie  board  of  trustees  is  chosen  by  the  Northern  New 
York  Conference,  and  the  school  is  held  by  them  in  trust  for  the  church. 
Tuition  is  free  and  members  of  any  sect  are  admitted. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church. — On  the  26th  of  January,  1833,  a  meet- 
ing was  held  in  the  school-house  and  articles  of  incorporation  signed 
for  the  organization  of  an  Episcopal  church  in  Herkimer.  Andrew  A. 
Bartow  and  Frederick  Bellinger  were  chosen  wardens,  and  John  Brown, 
Robert  Shoemaker,  Elias  Root,  Ira  Backus,  Flavel  Clark,  James  B. 
Hunt,  Simeon  Ford  and  James  Ferman,  vestrymen.  The  name  of"  St. 
Luke's  Church,  German  Flats,"  was  adopted.  A  futile  attempt  was 
made  to  erect  a  church  at  the  Flats,  between  the  two  villages,  and  the 
society  finally  united  with  others  in  building  a  union  church  at  Mohawk, 
which  was  subsequently  transferred  to  the  Presbyterians.  Services 
were  then  begun  in  Herkimer  and  a  new  organization  was  substituted 
for  the  old  one.  On  the  23d  of  March,  1839,  a  meeting  was  held, 
articles  of  incorporation  were  signed  and  the  following  officers  chosen : 

Andrew  A.  Bartow  and  Matthew  Myers,  wardens  ;  Charles  Kathern,  Erwin  A.  Mun- 
son,  Bloomfield  Usher,  Theodore  A.  Griswold,  Benjamin  Barter,  Homer  Caswell,  An- 
son Hall  and  Robert  Ethridge,  vestrymen. 

The  name  adopted  was  "  Christ's  Church,  Herkimer."  Services  were 
held  for  several  years  in  the  court-house,  in  the  Methodist  church  and 
elsewhere.  Land  was  secured  and  a  beginning  made  to  erect  a  church 
on  the  site  of  the  Catholic  church;  but  this  was  given  up  and  a  lot 
taken  on  the  corner  of  Mary  and  Prospect  streets.  Here  a  corner- 
stone was  laid  by  Bishop  Onderdonk  and  a  building  partly  erected  ;  but 
embarrassments  again  stopped  the  work.  A  new  organization  was 
effected  February  20,  1854,  at  a  meeting  presided  over  by  Rev.  Owen 
P.  Thackara.  Byron  Laflin  and  Samuel  Earl  were  chosen  wardens,  and 
Hubbard  H.  Morgan,  William  Howell,  jr.,  Benjamin  F.Brooks,  Beek- 
man  Johnson,  George  \V.  Thompson,  Jacob  Spooner,  Charles  Kathern, 
and  Elkanah  T.  Cleland,  vestrymen.  The  former  title  was  retained  and 
ground  was  purchased  for  a  building  on  July  10,  1854,  corner  of  Main 
and  German  streets.  A  contract  was  made  with  Alexander  Underwood 
for  the  building  of  a  chapel.     The  building  was  consecrated  on  the  4th 


232  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

of  October,  1855,  by  Rt.  Rev.  Horatio  Potter,  bishop  of  the  diocese  of 
New  York,  During  this  period  the  parish  was  under  charge  of  Rev.  O. 
P.  Thaclora,  a  missionary  for  the  section  which  embraced  this  locality. 
During  the  latter  part  of  his  charge  he  stationed  Rev.  I.  N.  Fairbanks 
over  this  parisli.  Mr.  Thackara  established  a  large  boarding  and  day 
school,  with  several  teachers.  In  October,  1857,  he  resigned  his  charge 
of  this  district  and  shortly  afterwards  Mr.  Fairbanks  withdrew.  The 
Rev.  Marcus  N.  Perry  was  then  engaged  as  minister  and  remained  un- 
til October  10,  1858.  There  were  then  only  thirteen  communicants. 
On  the  29th  of  November,  1858,  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Hedges  was  called  to 
the  rectorship  and  remained  until  1861,  when  he  was  succeeded  on  the 
17th  of  March  by  Rev.  Edward  Pidsley.  He  resigned  in  the  latter 
part  of  1862,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Hedges,  who  then  lived  in  Herkimer,  offici- 
ated once  in  two  weeks.  In  September,  1864,  Rev.  H.  G.  Wood  became 
the  rector  and  during  his  term  of  service  a  school- house  and  a  rectory 
were  built  adjoining  the  church.  March  8,  1871,  Rev.  J.  D.  Morrison 
was  called  to  the  church,  and  was  succeeded  in  August,  1875,  by  Rev. 
William  Bogert  Walker,  who  remained  until  October,  1S84.  The  pres- 
ent rector.  Rev.  Charles  C.  Edwards,  assumed  charge  of  the  parish 
January  i,  1885. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Edwards's  installation  a  movement  was  started  for 
the  building  of  a  new  church.  On  the  1st  of  July,  1886,  the  lot  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Mary  streets  was  purchased  for  $5,500.  Active 
measures  for  raising  funds  were  adopted  and  in  August,  1888,  the 
vestry  ordered  the  erection  of  the  present  edifice  after  plans  by  R.  W. 
Gibson,  of  New  York.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  October  1st,  1888, 
and  the  church  was  consecrated  November  7,  1889.  The  rectory  is  a 
part  of  the  church  building.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  small  churches  in 
Central  New  York  and  cost  about  $35,000,  all  of  which  has  been  paid. 
Its  memorial  windows  are  not  surpassed  anywhere,  two  of  them  costing 
about  $2,500,  while  the  interior  arrangement  of  the  building  is  a  model 
of  harmony  and  beauty. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales  Church. — In  October,  1874,  tlie  Roman  Catho- 
lic families  of  the  town,  numbering  about  thirty,  joined  in  the  purchase 
of  the  churcli  building  on  Washington  street,  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Methodists.      It  was  dedicated  on  the  9th  of  June,  1875,  ^y  Rev.  Francis 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  233 

McNierney,  bishop  of  Albany,  and  given  its  present  name.  An  addi- 
tion was  made  of  forty-two  feet  in  the  rear  in  1888,  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  growing  membership,  which  is  now  about  140  families. 
The  parsonage  was  purchased  in  1890.  The  founder  of  the  church  was 
Rev.  William  Howard,  then  of  Ilion,  who  remained  and  faithfully 
worked  for  the  upbuilding  of  his  church  until  1885,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  J.  H.  Halpin.  Under  his  effective 
administration  the  church  is  flourishing. 

First  Baptist  Church. — While  for  a  great  many  years  the  Baptist 
sect  was  not  numerous  in  Herkimer,  yet  there  were  representatives  in 
the  town  who  attended,  as  a  rule,  the  church  at  Mohawk.  In  recent 
years  the  church  at  that  village  declined,  which  led  to  the  organization 
of  a  society  in  Herkimer.  This  took  place  on  the  17th  of  February, 
1888,  the  persons  organizing  being  Dr.  E.  G.  Kern,  Alonzo  Rust, 
William  Goodall,  Edgar  L.  Jackson,  and  their  wives,  and  Mrs.  Mary 
Robinson  and  her  daughter  Electa.  The  first  preaching  was  by  George 
B.  Lawson,  as  a  supply,  while  he  studied  at  Hamilton  College.  Nor- 
man Burd  was  ordained  here  and  preached  as  the  first  regular  pastor 
one  year.  The  next  pastor  was  Charles  B.  Alden,  who  preached  one 
year,  while  continuing  his  college  studies.  The  present  pastor.  Rev. 
W.  D.  Lukens,  came  to  the  church  on  the  1st  of  January,  1892.  Pre- 
vious to  the  erection  of  the  church  the  services  were  held  in  the  court- 
house and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rooms.  The  church  was  erected  and  dedi- 
cated on  the  17th  of  February,  1890  Its  value  is  about  $5,000.  The 
present  deacons  are  A.  Rust,  William  Goodall.  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school,  E.  G.  Kern.  The  membership  of  the  church  is  seventy- 
three. 

Free  Methodist  Church. — This  society  was  organized  in  1881,  the 
first  pastor  being  Rev.  George  Storer.  Pastors  who  have  since  supplied 
the  church  have  been  the  Revs.  L.  H.  Robinson,  D.  J.  Santmyre,  Mr. 
Carpenter,  L.  H.  Robinson,  Mr.  Warren,  M.  S.  Babcock,  G.  S.  Coons 
and  T.  C.  Givens.  The  church  is  situated  on  Liberty  street,  and  was 
erected  in  1885.     The  church  membership  is  fifty-two. 

Schools  of  Herkimer.  —  Little  is  known  at  the  present  time  of  the 
very  early  schools  ;  but  intelligent  readers  are  familiar  with  the  general 
common   school  system    of  the   State   in   early  times,  and  the   disad- 

iO 


234  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

vantages  surrounding  tliose  who  attempted  to  secure  even  a  simple 
English  education.  The  first  school  in  the  village  of  Herkimer  is  said 
to  have  been  taught  by  a  man  named  Robinson.  In  the  year  1836  the 
meager  school  accommodations  became  insufficient,  and  to  meet  the 
difficulty  a  brick  school-house  was  erected  on  Washington  street  on  the 
site  of  the  present  commodious  and  beautiful  Union  school  building. 
This  building  served  its  purpose  until  1878,  when  the  present  building 
was  erected,  at  a  cost,  with  its  appurtenances,  of  $17,500.  Previous  to 
1865  the  schools  were  common  district  schools,  but  in  that  year  the 
union  free  school  system  came  into  operation.  In  1878,  when  the  new 
building  was  first  occupied,  a  graded  school  was  established. 

Benjamin  F.  Miller  was  employed  as  principal,  and  the  trustees  were 
Zenas  Green,  Ward  P.  Munson,  and  Hienry  Churchill.  Seward  D. 
Allen  was  principal  from  January,  1880,  until  H.  R.  Jolley  assumed 
the  position  in  1882.  He  was  succeeded  by  Erastus  Crosby  in  1884, 
and  the  present  principal,  A.  G.  Miller,  came  in  1887. 

In  1888  a  new  brick  school  building  was  erected  in  the  south  di- 
vision, corner  of  Smith  and  South  Washington  streets,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$16,000.  The  first  school  was  held  there  in  September  of  that  year. 
Two  rooms  are  also  leased  in  outside  buildings  for  school  purposes. 
The  present  board  of  trustees  are,  Ward  P.  Munson,  president ;  William 
Witherstine,  and  E  B.  Mitchell.  Following  are  the  names  of  the 
teachers  for   1892  : 

High  School,  A.  G.  Miller,  principal;  Jean  Du  Bois,  first  assistant;  Jessie  A.  Beach, 
second  assistant.  Grammar  School,  Margaret  Lynch,  Finette  Bigelow.  Intermediate 
Schools — North  Division,  Alice  Baldwin,  Clorinda  Otis;  South  Division,  Madge  Tiiger. 
Primary  Schools — North  Division,  Nellie  Enos,  Mary  E.  L3'nch,  Nellie  S.  Kent ; 
South  Division,  Madge  Burns,  Emma  Lansing,  Lina  0.  Holmes.  Sadie  Littlejohn  and 
Frances  Wilson  are  also  primary  teachers  employed  by  the  board. 

MANUFACTURES. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  some  of  the  early  mills,  asheries,  etc.,  of 
Herkimer.  Besides  the  usual  shops  of  the  blacksmith,  the  wagonmaker, 
the  shoemaker,  and  the  tinner,  who  were  for  many  years  to  be  found  in 
most  hamlets,  there  was  very  little  manufacturing  in  the  county  for 
a  long  time  after  its  settlement,  if  we  exclude   the  saw-mills  and  grist- 


'town  of  HERKIMER.  235 

mills.  The  West  Canada  Creek  supplies  excellent  water  power  at  Her- 
kimer village,  and  its  current  was  utilized  for  mills  at  a  comparatively 
early  day.  Soon  after  the  War  of  1812  a  man  named  Price  built  a  mill 
within  the  corporation  limits,  which  was  used  exclusively  for  flouring 
purposes.  It  was  afterwards  burned  and  rebuilt,  and  for  a  time  was 
operated  by  a  Mr  Van  Home.  In  the  year  181 1  a  grist-mill  with  three 
runs  of  stone  was  built  on  the  West  Canada  Creek  about  where  the  Cen- 
tral Railroad  crosses  it  by  Windsor  Maynard  and  Simeon  Ford  ;  con- 
nected with  the  mill  was  a  distillery  and  saw-mill.  This  mill  subse- 
quently passed  to  the  possession  of  the  Manhattan  Company  of  New 
York,  on  a  mortgage,  and  that  company  sold  it  to  the  Hydraulic  and 
Manufacturing  Co.  It  was  subsequently  abandoned,  and  in  1836,  after 
the  hydraulic  canal  was  built,  the  mill  now  operated  by  E.  Washburne 
and  G.  M.  Helmer  was  erected  by  F.  P.  Bellinger.  Mr.  Washburne 
purchased  this  mill  in  1866  and  has  continued  to  operate  it  ever  since. 
It  is  used  now  principally  for  grinding  corn. 

A  spirit  of  manufacturing  enterprise  was  developed  in  Herkimer  in 
i8j3,  which  culminated  in  the  organization  of  the  Herkimer  Manufact- 
uring and  Hydraulic  Company,  and  its  incorporation  with  a  capital  of 
$100,000.  The  principal  object  of  this  company  was  the  construction 
of  a  dam  across  the  West  Canada  Creek  for  the  production  of  available 
water  power;  they  intended  also  to  manufacture  cotton  and  woolen 
goods,  machinery,  sell  surplus  power,  etc.  About  $40,000  was  ex- 
pended in  this  undertaking,  and  nearly  the  whole  volume  of  the  creek 
turned  into  a  side  canal  at  a  point  about  two  miles  up  the  stream,  thus 
gaining  a  head  of  thirty- seven  feet  of  water.  It  was  calculated  by  the 
engineer  that  this  canal  would  produce  power  equivalent  to  what  would 
be  required  to  run  138  runs  of  fifty-four  inch  mill-stones.  While  it  can 
scarcely  be  said  that  this  project  has  met  the  expectations  of  its  more 
sanguine  projectors,  yet  it  has  been  of  great  importance  to  the  village, 
and  within  the  past  ten  years  has  been  still  more  extensively  utilized  in 
supplying  power  to  the  numerous  manufacturing  enterprises  that  have 
been  started,  to  the  great  benefit  of  the  community. 

On  the  site  of  the  paper-mill  J.  B.  Morse  once  carried  on  the  manu- 
facture  of  hats;  but  the  property  was  transferred  to  A.  H.  Laflin,  who 
changed  it  into  a   paper-mill.      In    1865    the   property    passed   into  the 


236  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtNTY. 

possession  of  Warner  Miller  8:  Co.,  the  company  being  Henry  Churchill, 
sen.,  and  Charles  Hutchinson.  The  establishment  afterwards  (1875) 
became  the  Herkimer  Paper  Company,  limited,  with  Warner  Miller  as 
president,  and  Henry  Churchill,  secretary.  The  original  building 
owned  by  Mr.  Laflin  was  burned  in  1867,  and  a  part  of  the  present  mill 
erected.  In  1868  Mr.  Miller  bought  the  interest  of  both  his  associates, 
and  on  the  ist  of  January,  1869,  took  in  Henry  Churchill,  jr.,  the  name 
of  the  company  remaining  the  same.  Within  the  past  five  years  the 
capacity  of  the  mill  has  been  quadrupled  and  the  buildings  correspond- 
ingly enlarged.  The  product  is  almost  wholly  newspaper,  and  about 
sixty  hands  are  employed. 

The  Mark  Maimfactiiring  Company. — This  is  the  largest  industry  in 
Herkimer  and  manufactures  all  kinds  of  knit  goods.  The  original 
building  on  the  canal  near  the  railroad  was  erected  as  a  hoop  skirt 
factory  in  1870.  About  two  years  later  the  manufacture  of  knit  goods 
was  begun  on  a  very  small  scale  by  Mark  &  Elias.  The  business  grew 
rapidly  and  in  1878  additions  were  made  to  the  buildings.  In  1883 
Mr.  Mark  bought  his  partner's  interest,  paying  for  it  a  price  that  indi- 
cated the  great  value  of  the  industry.  He  carried  on  the  business 
alone  until  1889,  when  a  stock  company  was  formed  with  Morris  Mark, 
president;  Robert  Earl,  vice  president;  A.  K.  Marsh,  secretary.  In 
December,  1891,  Mr.  Mark  purchased  Marsh's  interest,  and  James  G. 
Johnson  became  secretary  and  treasurer.  Judge  Earl  still  remaining 
vice  president.  About  300  hands  are  now  employed  in  this  factoiy, 
and  it  is  a  source  of  great  benefit  to  the  place. 

On  the  site  of  the  Standard  Ftirniture  Company  was  formerly  the 
sash  and  blind  factory  of  E.  C.  Munson.  It  had  still  earlier  been  a 
broomhandle  factory  and  a  cheese- box  factory.  The  Standard  Com- 
pany began  business  here  in  1886  for  the  manufacture  of  typewriter 
cabinets  for  the  Remington  people,  and  roller-top  desks.  The  business 
has  grown  enormously,  with  the  increase  of  sales  in  the  tj-jjewriter 
works,  while  at  the  same  time  the  desk  business  has  been  pushed  with 
energy  and  success.  The  buildings  have  been  greatly  enlarged.  The 
members  of  the  company  are  William  Horrocks,  president ;  M.  Foley, 
vice-president ;  F.  T.  Lathrop,  treasurer.  Water  and  steam  power  are 
used  and  150  men  employed,  with  155  in  a  branch  in  Kentucky. 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  23? 

The  Gem  Knitting  Company  v/as,  formed  and  began  business  in  1888, 
using  water  power,  by  H.  A.  Deimel,  C.  R.  Snell,  M.  A.  Deimel,  and 
J.  H.  Evans.  The  product  of  the  factory  is  ladies'  underwear  of  cotton 
and  wool  and  150  hands  are  employed. 

The  Herkimer  Manufacturing  Company,  also  situated  on  the  canal, 
was  an  offshoot  of  the  Bedell  Manufacturing  Company,  in  1881,  and 
was  started  by  Deimel  &  Snell,  George  E.  Bedell,  and  M  A.  Deimel. 
Four  years  later  M.  A.  Deimel  and  C.  R.  Snell  took  its  control.  Sub- 
sequently the  interest  of  Mr.  Bedell  and  H.  A.  Deimel  was  purchased 
by  the  other  members  of  the  company.  Spring  beds,  mattresses,  fancy 
chairs,  etc.,  are  made,  and  about  forty  hands  employed. 

The  prominent  woodworking  establishments  of  the  town  are  the  sash, 
door  and  blind  factories  of  Deimel  &  Snell,  and  W.  D.  Lyons. 

In  the  spring  of  1871  H.  M.  Quackenbush  began  the  manufacture  on 
Prospect  street,  in  a  small  frame  building,  of  toy  air  pistols  under  his 
own  patents.  The  demand  for  his  goods  was  prompt  and  large,  and  in 
the  fall  of  that  year  he  removed  into  a  larger  building  and  put  in  steam 
power.  In  the  summer  of  1874  he  was  forced  to  make  another  enlarge- 
ment, and  a  building  was  erected  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street. 
The  first  articles  manufactured  were  followed  by  the  Eureka  .scroll  saw 
and  in  1876  by  the  improved  air  rifle,  both  of  which  have  an  enormous 
sale.  In  1877  he  erected  a  two- story  brick  building  and  put  in  a 
thirty-horse  engine  In  1890  he  built  his  present  factory,  which  is  one 
of  the  most  complete  and  convenient  industrial  buildings  to  be  found 
anywhere.  Eighty  men  are  employed  and  a  seventy-five  horse  Corliss 
engine  supplies  the  power.  The  safety  cartridge  rifle  and  an  amateur 
lathe  have  been  added,  among  other  articles,  to  the  output.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  thriving  industries  in  Central  New  York. 

Charles  A.  Lee  began  making  chairs  under  his  own  patents  in  1889, 
in  a  small  way,  employing  three  men.  His  patents  cover  valuable  im- 
provements in  reclining  and  platform  rockers.  In  1891  he  removed  to 
his  present  factory  and  now  employs  twenty  hands.  His  chairs  are 
shipped   throughout  the  country. 

Banks. — Herkimer  has  suffered  from  several  bank  failures  ;  but  they 
were  not  due  to  any  financial  stress  of  a  general  character.  The 
county  and  the  village   being  largely  dependent    upon  agriculture  as  a 


238  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

source  of  wealth,  the  failures  incident  to  mercantile  and  manufacturing 
operations  have  not  been  numerous ;  while  the  communities  have 
passed  through  the  great  periods  of  financial  panic  which  caused  wide- 
spread ruin  in  large  commercial  centers,  almost  unscathed.  The  first 
bank  in  Herkimer  was  called  the  Agricultural  Bank,  and  began  business 
in  1839,  just  after  the  panic  of  1837-8,  with  Harvey  Doolittle  as  presi- 
dent, and  Gen.  P.  F.  Bellinger  cashier.  In  1845  ^^^-  Bellinger  left  the 
bank  and  Benjamin  Carver  was  made  president ;  C.  T.  E.  Van  Horn, 
vice-president;  Harvey  Doolittle,  cashier.  This  bank  failed  in  1857, 
through  causes  that  need  not  be  explained  here;  but  some  of  the  losses 
were  grevious  ones  and  resulted  in  prolonged  litigation. 

The  Bellinger  Bank  carried  on  business  a  few  years  after  the  failure 
of  the  Agricultural.  Peter  F.  Bellinger  was  president  and  H.  Bellin- 
ger cashier.  It  closed  its  affairs  in  1866.  Then  followed  the  Messinger 
Bank,  which  was  one  of  several  started  by  Hiram  J.  Messinger,  then  of 
New  York  ;  it  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1867,  «*nd  went  down  in  the 
general  crash  of  all  of  Messinger's  institutions  in   May,  1868. 

Herkimer  Bank. — This  institution  was  established  many  years  ago 
as  a  private  bank,  but  was  organized  under  a  charter  under  the 
State  banking  laws  in  1885.  The  present  executive  officers  (1892) 
are  as  follow : 

President,  William  Smitli;  vice-president,  J.  AV.  Vrooman  ;  cashier,  W.  I.  Taber  ; 
and  Robert  Earl  2d,  assistant  cashier.  The  board  of  directors  consists  of  Messrs. 
William  Smith,  H.  M.  Quackenbush,  C.  W.  Palmer.  Hon.  Robert  Earl,  W.  W.  Mosher, 
B.  Washburn,  Morris  Mark,  J.  W.  Vrooman,  E.  S.  W.  Thomson,  C.  E.  Snyder,  E.  M. 
Burns,  L.  T.  Du  Bois,  P.  B.  Myers. 

The  following  summary  giving  an  idea  of  the  business  is  taken 
from  the  statement  of  March  19,  1892:  Capital,  $75,000;  surp»lus, 
$10,000;  deposits,  $223,860.20;  loans  and  discounts,  $256,636.86,  and 
total  resources,  $325,104.10.  The  management  has  been  character- 
ized by  a  conservative  regard  for  the  interest  of  its  customers,  which 
fact  has  gained  for  the  bank  a  well  founded  faith  in  the  financial 
strength  and  influence  of  its  recognized  vocation  for  usefulness. 

First  National  Bank. — This  bank  was  organized  by  H.  G.  Munger, 
Henry  Churchill,  P.  M.  Wood  and  others,  in  1884.  Among  the 
stockholders  are  many  of  the  leading  business  men  and  capitalists  of  this 
county.     The  capital  stock  is  $50,000.     Henry  Churchill  was  chosen 


TOWN  OF  HERKIMER.  239 

president  of  the  bank  upon  its  organization  and  has  discharged  the 
duties  of  the  office  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  stockholders  ever 
since.  The  same  may  be  said  of  A.  W.  Haslehurst,  who  has  been 
cashier  of  the  bank  from  the  beginning.  The  statement  of  the  bank 
dated  May  17,  1892,  shows  surplus  and  undivided  profits  of  more 
than  $20,000,  and  individual  deposits  of  $224,21 1.29.  The  board  of 
directors,  1892,  is  as  follows:  Henry  Churchill,  H.  G.  Munger,  C.  R. 
Snell,  George  P.  Folts,  R  H.  Smith,  G.  H.  Watson,  A.  W.  Haslehurst. 
The  bank  was  placed  in  its  present  handsome  and  convenient 
quarters  on   Main  street  in  July,    1891. 

The  Herkimer  Press. — The  character  of  the  press  of  any  community 
is  an  indication  of  its  intelligence  and  enterprise.  The  progressive  vil- 
lage or  city  always  gives  its  newspapers  liberal  support,  and  as  a  result, 
the  papers  are  made,  as  a  rule,  worthy  of  such  support.  The  first  news- 
paper in  Herkimer  county  was  published  at  Herkimer  village  very  early 
in  the  present  century,  and  was  called  the  Telescope  ;  its  proprietor  was 
Benjamin  Cory,  and  it  supported  the  Federal  party.  Mr.  Cory  sold  out 
in  1805  to  David  Holt  and  J.  R.  Robins,  who  changed  the  name  of  the 
paper,  or  started  a  new  one  under  the  title  of  the  Farmer's  Monitor, 
which  was  discontinued  in  1807.  Mr.  Cory  started  another  paper  in  the 
interest  of  the  Federal  party,  which  he  published  until  18 10. 

In  January,  18 10,  J.  H.  and  H.  Prentiss  started  the  Herkimer  Ameri- 
can, which  was  published  by  them  several  years,  and  until  183  i  by  other 
persons,  William  L.  Stone  being  at  one  time  a  partner.  In  December, 
1813,  Thurlow  Weed  obtained  employment  in  the  office  of  this  paper, 
being  a  "jealous  Republican."  (See  page  2)1,,  Life  of  Thurlow  Weed, 
Vol.  1.)     Edward  P.  Seymour  was  its  last  publisher. 

A  paper  called  the  Bitnker  Hi/l  was  commenced  some  time  in  1810, 
with  G.  G.  Phinney  at  its  helm.  Mr.  Phinney  also  published  a  paper 
called  the  T/ie  Honest  American  about  the  year  18 12.  Both  of  these 
journals  died  before   1821. 

In  1828  the  Herkimer  Herald  made  its  appearance  under  direction  of 
John  Carpenter,  and  was  devoted  to  the  interest  of  General  Jackson  and 
his  policy.  Then  followed  the  Republican  Farmer  s  Free  Press,  an  anti- 
Masonic  paper,  printed  by  David  Holt  and  edited  by  B.  B.  Hotchkin. 
Its  life  was  not  much  longer  than  its  name. 


240  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  Herkimer  County  Journal  wa^s  started  in  December,  1837,  ^s  a 
Whig  organ.  It  was  owned  by  a  company,  and  at  first  was  edited  at 
Herkimer  by  J.  C.  Underwood  and  printed  by  Edward  P.  Seymour. 
About  a  year  later  O.  A.  Bowe  took  charge  of  the  paper  and  pubHshed 
it  six  years.  During  various  periods  it  was  edited  by  R.  U.  Sherman 
G.  W.  Smith,  and  A.  H.  Prescott.  In  1849  Orlando  Squires  took 
charge  of  the  paper  and  removed  it  to  Little  F"alls. 

In  the  fall  of  1842,  J.  M.  Lyon  and  W.  B.  Holmes  started  \.he  Frnnk- 
fort  Democrat,  at  Frankfort,  which  was  afterwards  removed  to  Herkimer 
village.  In  1848  Judge  Earl  became  the  sole  proprietor  and  editor  of 
the  paper.  In  1850  C.  C.  Witherstine  acquired  an  interest  in  the  estab- 
lishment, and  in  March,  1854,  became  its  sole  proprietor.  In  Septem- 
ber of  the  same  year  Jacob  Hayes  was  associated  with  Mr.  Witherstine. 
and  the  firm  was  Witherstine  &  Hayes  until  the  death  of  the  latter  in 
1856.  In  June,  1859,  the  paper  passed  from  possession  of  IMr.  Wither- 
stine to  Henry  G.  Crouch,  who  continued  to  publish  it  until  1864,  Mr. 
Witherstine  in  the  interim  being  engaged  in  the  West.  In  the  year  last 
named  Mr.  Witherstine  returned  and  again  became  the  owner  of  the 
establishment.  In  May,  1856,  the  Z////^/^a//.y  Crt^^//^  was  merged  with 
the  Democrat  and  the  name  changed  to  the  Herkimer  Democrat  and 
Little  Falls  Gacette,  un\.\\  the  fall  of  1876,  when  the  clumsy  title  was 
changed  back  as  before  to  the  Herkimer  Democrat.  In  October,  1875, 
H.  P.  Witherstine  was  given  an  interest  in  the  establishment  and  in  1880 
the  firm  name  was  changed  to  H.  P.  Witherstine  &  Co.,  the  same  per- 
sons constituting  the  firm.  Januarj'  4,  1892,  C.  C.  Witherstine  sold  his 
interest  to  John  M.  Comings,  who,  with  H.  P.  Witherstine,  still  publishes 
the  paper.  With  the  exception  noted,  C.  C.  Witherstine  was  connected 
with  this  journal  for  fifty  years  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  journalists,  in 
point  of  continuous  service,  in  Central  New  York.  His  son  has  devel- 
oped a  peculiar  aptitude  for  the  publishing  business,  while  his  partner 
has  already  acquired  valuable  experience  in  the  same  direction  as  editor 
of  the  Petin  Van  Democrat.  Under  their  management  the  Democrat 
wields  a  large  influence  among  the  intelligent  people  of  this  and  ad- 
joining counties. 

The  Herkimer  Citizen  was  started  September  30,  1884,  by  George 
W.  Weaver  and  Charles  S.  Munger.      This  continued  until  January    1, 


a//M 


TOWN  OF   HERKIMER.  241 

1889,  when  A.  T.  Smith  and  F.  E.  Easton  purchased  Mr.  Weaver's 
interest  in  the  Ilion  Citisen  and  Herkiinej-  Citizen,  and  they,  with  C.  S. 
Hunger,  formed  the  Citizen  Publishing  Company.  The  papers  are  both 
printed  at  Ilion,  with  a  job  printing  office  at  Herkimer.  The  paper  is 
Republican  in  politics  and  is  an  excellent  journal.  Mr.  Hunger  had 
e.xperience  in  the  office  of  the  Camden  Journal,  where  he  succeeded  his 
father.  Messrs.  Easton  and  Smith  left  the  county  clerk's  office  after 
many  years'  service,  to  take  up  the  publishing  business.  (See  history 
of  Ilion.) 

The  Herkimer  County  Record  \s  a  new  paper  started  in  1888,  by  its 
present  publisher,  George  W.  Nellis,  jr.  The  Record  is  an  enterprising 
paper,  independent  in  politics,  and  has  attained  a  good  circulation. 

Hotels. — In  the  old  staging  days  hotels  in  country  villages,  and  along 
the  turnpikes,  possessed  a  degree  of  importance  to  traveling  men  that 
can  hardly  be  accorded  them  at  the  present  time.  In  these  days,  if 
every  hotel  in  half  a  dozen  villages  on  the  line  of  a  railroad  were  simul- 
taneously burned,  the  traveler  could  still  stay  another  hour  in  the  train 
and  reach  a  farther  station  where  he  would  find  accommodations. 
Such  a  calamity  happening  when  the  stage  or  the  canal  was  the  best 
mode  of  travel,  would  have  caused  great  inconvenience. 

One  of  the  important  houses  on  the  old  Mohawk  turnpike  is  still  re- 
membered as  the  Talcott  House  in  Herkimer,  which  at  first  was  built 
of  logs,  and  stood  near  the  site  of  the  present  paper-mill.  Good  au- 
thority credits  this  with  being  the  first  public  hotel  in  Herkimer  county. 
When  the  original  house  became  too  small  to  accommodate  the  in- 
creasing number  of  guests,  the  proprietor  built  a  more  commodious 
structure  at  a  point  where  the  bridge  crosses  the  canal  below  the  paper- 
mill.  When  this  site  eventually  became  inconvenient,  the  proprietor 
built  another  house  on  Main  street,  which  now  constitutes  the  south 
end  of  the  Mansion  House  (long  known  as  the  Popper  House).  The 
Hansion  House  is  now  kept  by  F.  W.  Eckle. 

The  Waverly  House  on  Main  street,  now  kept  by  H.  Edick,  for- 
merly of  the  Edick  House,  near  the  Central  Railroad  station,  stands  on 
the  site  of  an  old  tavern.  What  was  long  known  as  the  Tower  House, 
stands  across  from  the  railroad  station,  and  received  its  name  from  J.  C. 
Tower  who  long  kept  it.      It  was  afterwards   called   the  Edick   House 

31 


242  HISTORY  OF  HERKTMER  COUNTY. 

and  was  bought  in  1892  by  John  Nelson,  who  has  greatly  improved  it. 
A  short  distance  east  of  this  hotel  stands  the  Allman  House,  of  brick, 
kept  by  Theodore  Allman.  Mr.  Allman  built  this  house  in  1875.  It 
stands  also  on  the  site  of  a  former  hotel. 

In  1 891  the  Palmer  House  was  erected  by  C.  W.  Palmer.  It  is 
not  only  one  of  the  handsomest  structures  in  the  village  of  Herkimer, 
but  is  admirably  designed  on  modern  ideas  for  a  first-class  hotel.  It  is 
kept  by  George  A.  May,  and  is  thoroughly  well  managed. 

Herkimer  Post-office. — John  A.  Rasbach  was  one  of  the  early  post- 
masters at  Herkimer,  and  was  succeeded  by  Harvey  Doolittle  in  1840. 
Mr.  Rasbach  had  the  office  another  term  and  was  succeeded  by  James 
A.  Suiter,  who  served  under  General  Taylor's  administration.  Mr. 
Suiter  was  succeeded  by  H.  H.  Morgan,  who  held  the  office  eight  years, 
and  was  succeeded  in  1861  by  Warren  Caswell.  He  held  the  office  un- 
til the  appointment  of  F.  A.  Gray,  who  for  two  years  preceded  the 
present  incumbent,  S.  W.  Stimson,  who  assumed  the  office  July  i,  1889. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
THE   TOWN    OF   LITTLE   FALLS. 

THP2  town  of  Little  Falls  was  set  off  from  the  towns  of  Herkimer, 
Fairfield,  and  German  Flats  in  pursuance  to  an  act  of  the  Legislature, 
passed  February  16,  1829.  On  account  of  its  comparatively  recent 
formation,  therefore,  the  history  of  the  town  organization  must  neces- 
sarily be  brief  and  relatively  unimportant.  The  town  embraces  parts 
of  Glen's  purchase,  Staley's  first  tract,  Guy  Johnson's  tract,  Vaughn's 
and  Fall  Hill  patents,  six  lots  in  Burnetsfield,  and  small  triangular 
pieces  of  L'Hommedieu's  and  Lindsay's  patents.  The  town  was  sur- 
veyed by  William  De  Wolf,  of  the  town  of  Columbia,  and  the  follow- 
ing described  boundaries  given  to  it :  "  Beginning  on  the  middle  or 
base  line  of  Glen's  purchase,  at  a  point  where  the  line  between  lots 
numbers  five  and  six  in  said  purchase  unites  with  said  base  or  middle 
line,  and  running  thence  south  along  said  line  to  its  southern  termina- 


".-■  "fyF-GiC!min,N-Y 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  243 

tion  ;  thence  on  the  same  course  continued  to  the  south  bounds  of  the 
town  of  German  Flats ;  thence  along  the  south  bounds  of  said  town  to 
the  southeast  corner  thereof;  thence  along  the  eastern  bounds  of  the 
towns  of  German  Flats  and  Herkimer  to  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
town  of  Fairfield  ;  and  from  thence  by  a  straight  Hne  to  the  place  of 
beginning." 

In  common  with  other  portions  of  the  Mohawk  valley  in  Herkimer 
county,  this  town  was  first  settled  by  Germans  long  previous  to  the 
Revolution.  Mr.  Benton  says:  "There  were  German  inhabitants  in 
nearly  every  direction  around  the  present  village  [of  Little  Falls]  be- 
fore the  Revolution,  but  only  one  habitable  dwelling  and  a  grist-mill 
within  the  present  corporation  limits."  (See  map.)  The  dwelling  men- 
tioned stood  on  the  west  side  of  Furnace  street  and  near  Elizabeth 
street,  north  of  the  old  canal.  It  was  occupied  in  early  years  by  John 
Porteous,  the  Scotch  pioneer.  It  was  removed  by  the  late  William 
I.  Skinner  and  converted  into  an  ice-house.  Most  of  these  early  Ger- 
man settlers  have  been  sufficiently  noticed  in  the  preceding  general 
history,  and  in  the  histories  of  the  towns  from  which  Little  Falls  was 
formed  ;  and  others  will  be  mentioned  a  little  further  on  in  the  history 
of  the  village. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Robert  Hinchman, 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Hardin  &  Wheeler  block,  on  the  south  side 
of  Main  street,  in  1829,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected  : 

George  Petrie,  supervisor;  Richard  N.  Casler,  town  clerk;  G-ardeus  Deyor,  Jolin 
Klocls,  Leonard  Eaton  and  Richard  M.  Casler,  assessors;  James  T.  Rankins,  Jacob 
Petrie  and  Parley  Eaton,  commissioners  of  highways;  Thomas  Smith,  overseer  of 
poor;  Calvm  G.  Carpenter,  Solomon  Petrie  and  Bernard  L  Wager,  commissioners  of 
common  schools ;  Walter  H.  Ward,  Calvin  W.  Smith  and  Jacob  Guywitts,  inspectors 
of  common  schools;  John  McMitchell,  collector;  Richard  Winsor,  John  Phillips,  John 
MoMitchell,  Daniel  Dygert,  Joseph  Eysaman,  John  Eaton,  Peter  Van  Vost,  Shired 
Vincent  and  Jacob  Osburn,  constables ;  Martin  Easterbrook,  Adam  Petrie,  Bernard  I, 
Wager,  William  Sponenburg,  and  John  I.  Bellinger,  poundkeepers. 

The  commissioners  of  highways  appointed  the  following  overseers  of 
highways : 

John  Casler,  John  C.  Bellinger,  Jeremiah  Pulver,  Cornelius  Skinkle,  Nathan  Russ, 
Melchert  Rankins,  John  Christman,  John  I.  Bellinger,  Thomas  Rankins,  Samuel  S. 
Boyce,  Jacob  Bellinger,  John  Bort,  Robert  Johns,  Morgan  E.  Case,  Charles  Smith,  An- 
drew G.  Weatherwa.x,  Benjamin  P.  Churchill,  John  Tucker,  William  Bucklin,  Benja- 
min C.  Weatherwax  and  George  Harter. 


244  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

These  lists  contain  the  names  of  aiany  of  the  early  families  of  the 
town. 

On  the  5th  day  of  May,  1829,  the  following  persons  made  applica- 
tion for  license  to  keep  public  houses  in  this  town,  nearlj'  or  quite  all  of 
them  being  in  the  village:  Thomas  S.  Willard,  Peter  Walrath,  Robert 
Hincliman,  Isaac  Churchill,  Leonard  Eaton,  and  William  Sponenburg. 
The  commissioners  of  excise  were  George  Petrie,  C.  P.  Bellinger,  and 
William  Brooks. 

The  principal  occupation  of  the  farming  community,  particularly 
during  the  past  fifty  years,  has  been  dairying,  which  finally  resulted  in 
the  establishment  of  the  celebrated  market  at  Little  Falls  village,  now 
one  of  the  most  important  interior  markets  for  the  sale  of  dairy  products 
in  the  world.  As  a  cheese  producing  district  Little  Falls  ranks  among 
the  best  in  the  country,  and  the  fact  that  this  industry  found  its  local 
center  here  was  largely  due  to  a  resident  of  this  town,  the  late  X.  A. 
Willard,  whose  writings  on  the  subject  have  a  national  reputation. 
Sketches  of  many  of  the  leading  farmers  and  others  of  the  town  are 
given  in  a  later  department  of  this  volume. 

The  surface  of  this  town  is  broken  upland,  divided  by  the  deep,  nar- 
row gorge  of  the  Mohawk  River.  A  range  of  hills  extends  north  and 
south  from  the  village,  rocky  and  precipitous  near  the  river,  but  less 
rugged  on  the  north  and  south  borders.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  and  grav- 
elly loam,  is  well  watered,  and  quite  well  adapted  to  grazing. 

In  connection  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  town,  the  Little 
Falls  Grange,  Patrons  of  Hasbandry,  should  receive  due  credit.  It  was 
organized  in  December,  1889,  with  thirty- five  charter  members,  and  is 
now  the  largest  grange  in  the  county,  numbering  about  two  hundred 
members.  Its  object  is  the  general  advancement  of  agriculture  in  all 
its  branches  ;  the  social,  fraternal  and  educational  uplifting  of  its  mem- 
bers, and  the  uniting  and  harmonizing  of  the  agricultural  classes.  The 
officers  of  the  grange  are  :  Philo  W.  Casler,  master ;  Richard  L.  Ran- 
kins,  overseer ;  Joseph   Rice,  lecturer  ;  George   H.  Bradford,  secretary. 

Following  is  the  list  of  supervisors  of  Little  Falls  from  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  town  to  the  present  time  : 

George  Petrie,  1S29, '30 ;  Solomon  Petrie,  183], '32;  Peter  B.  Casler,  1833, '34; 
George  H.  Feeler,  1835,  '36  ;  Abraham  G.  Rosecrantz,  1837,  '38;  Jacob  Petrie,  1839, 


Town  of  little  palls. 


245 


'40  ;  William  L  Skinner,  1841,  '42  ;  Charles  Belong,  1843,  '44 ;  Richard  N.  Casler,  1845, 
'46;  Jorara  Petrie,  1847;  James  Moyer,  1848;  Harvey  D.  Colvin,  1849-54;  Henry 
Thompson,  1855;  Edmund  G.  Chapman,  1856;  Sylvenus  J.  Waters,  1857-59;  Leonard 
Boy.  r.  1860-62;  Zenas  C.  Priest,  1863-06;  George  Keller,  1867-69;  Peter  A.  Star- 
ing, 1870-72;  Albert  Story,  1873;  John  P.  Sharer,  1874-81;  Rugene  Walrath,  1882- 
88;  Hadley  Jones.  1889;  Joseph  W.  Baker,  1890,  '91  ;  Benton  I.  Cooper,  1892. 


THE   VILLAGE   OF   LITTLE   FALLS. 


The  lands  on  the  south  side  of  the  Mohawk  River  on  the  site  of  Lit- 
tle Falls  village  are  a  part  of  the  patent  granted  in  1752  to  Jchan  Joost 
Herchkeinier  (as  spelled  in  the  records)  and  one  other  person,  and  known 


as  the  Fall  Hill  patent.  The  lands  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  are 
embraced  in  Burnetsfield  patent  granted  in  1725  to  Johan  Joost  Petrie 
and  other  Palatines,  while  those  lands  farther  back  in  the  town  are  cov- 
ered by  the  patents  before  mentioned. 

The  site  of  the  village  was  evidently  not  adapted  by  nature  for  the 
purpose  to  which  it  has  been  devoted  by  man,  unless  we  consider  it 
solely  from  an  esthetic  standpoinL    The  Mohawk  River  breaking  through 


246  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

wh;it  was  once  a  mountainous  barrier  of  rock,  has  created  a  deep  gorge 
with  precipitous  sides,  at  the  bottom  of  which  the  clear  waters  of  the 
historic  stream  rush  and  tumble  over  rapids,  the  power  of  which  has 
been  utilized  to  turn  scores  of  wheels  and  which  have  really  led  to  the 
founding  of  the  village  in  such  a  romantic  spot.  As  a  consequence  of 
this  unfavorable  natural  condition,  the  village  has  been  forced  to  expend 
a  vast  amount  of  money  and  energy  in  the  creation  of  streets,  bridges, 
and  other  public  improvements  ;  but  these  obstacles  have  been  boldly 
met  by  the  inhabitants,  and  through  their  well-directed  efforts  the 
village  has  grown  into  one  of  large  proportions  and  picturesque  beauty 
not  often  found. 

Of  the  first  days  of  the  village  Mr.  Benton  wrote  as  follows: 

"  The  grist-mill  destroyed  during  the  Revolution  was  located  on  the  river  near  the 
bed  of  the  old  canal,  and  was  fed  by  Furnace  Creek  and  the  river.  The  dwelling  house 
(mentioned  below)  was  occupied  by  John  Porteous,  proprietor  of  the  mill,  and  his 
assistants,  and  probably  afterward  by  persons  occupied  at  the  carrying-place.  Tlie 
road  or  path  used  for  taking  boats  and  their  cargoes  by  the  river  falls  was  located  very 
nearly  on  the  site  of  the  old  canal.  The  red  grist-mill,  to  supply  the  place  of  the  one 
destroyed,  was  erected  in  1789,  and  the  old  yellow  house  west  of  Furnace  Creek  and 
near  the  north  bank  of  the  old  canal,  was  built  a  short  time  before  that  period.  John 
Porteous  came  to  this  place  in  1790  and  established  himself  in  mercantile  business. 
He  occupied  the  yellow  house,  then  the  only  dwelling  within  the  present  village 
limits." 

The  old  octagon  church,  a  description  of  which  is  given  a  little 
further  on,  was  erected  in  1796. 

The  destruction  of  the  little  settlement  at  Little  Falls  in  June,  1782, 
was  caused  by  a  party  of  Indians  and  tories,  and  was  of  the  same 
wanton  and  fiendish  character  which  marked  many  other  similar  out- 
rages committed  in  the  valley.  The  mill  was  of  great  importance,  not 
only  to  the  immediate  vicinity,  but  to  the  garrisons  at  Forts  Herkimer 
and  Dayton.  The  enemy  fell  upon  the  mill  in  the  night  and  found  in 
the  building  Peter  WoUeaver,  Christian  Edick,  Frederick  Getnian, 
Marks  Rasbach,  Thomas  Shoemaker,  Lawrence  Hatter,  Jacob  Petri, 
Daniel  Petri  (wlio  was  killed),  and  Peter  Orendorff;  Gershom  Skinner 
and  F.  Cox,  who  were  millers ;  and  a  sergeant  and  six  men  from  Cap- 
tain McGregor's  company.  Two  of  the  soldiers  escaped  and  five  were 
taken   prisoners.     There  does  not  seem    to  have   been  much  resistance 


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248  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

oflered  to  tlie  assault.  In  the  few  shots  fired,  Daniel  Petri  was  killed. 
When  the  Indians  entered  the  mill  the  occupants  made  their  best  efforts 
to  escape.  Cox  and  Skinner  secreted  themselves  in  the  raceway,  under 
the  water  wheel,  and  thus  escaped  captivity  and  probably  death. 
Christian  Edick  and  Frederick  Getman  jumped  into  the  raceway,  but 
the  light  from  the  burning  mill  disclosed  their  hiding  place  and  they 
were  captured. 

Among  the  persons  who  settled  at  Little  Falls  between  1790  and 
1 8 10  and  remained  permanently  were,  John  Porteous,  William  Alex- 
ander, Richard  Phillips,  Thomas  Smith,  Joel  Lankton,  Richard  Winsor, 
William  Carr,  William  Moralee,  Washington  Britton,  Alpheus  Park- 
hurst,  John  Drunimond,  Eben  Britton,  and  Josiah  Skinner.  In  this 
connection  the  accompanying  map  and  explanation  are  of  deep  interest. 
The  map  is  the  property  of  Watts  T.  Loomis,  and  the  references  were 
furnished  by  him  after  much  research. 

The  accompanying  map,  left  among  the  papers  of  John  Porteous,  the 
pioneer  of  Little  Falls  (now  in  possession  of  William  G.  Milligan), 
shows  the  lands  acquired  by  Mr,  Porteous,  and  other  interesting  feat- 
ures. Other  documents  left  by  him  show  that  he  came  from  Perth, 
Scotland,  in  1761.  He  passed  about  ten  years  in  the  Indian  trade  in 
the  vicinity  of  Detroit,  and  later  was  in  business  in  New  York  until 
1783.  He  then  went  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  had  acquired  land,  and 
in  1784  returned  to  Scotland.  A  \'ear  later  he  came  again  to  New 
York,  went  again  to  Nova  Scotia  and  soon  after  became  connected  with 
Alexander  EUice  and  settled  at  Little  Falls  about  1790.  Here  he  built 
the  red  mill  on  the  site  of  the  first  mill,  and  other  structures,  was  active 
in  the  construction  of  the  first  canal  and  in  making  early  roads  and 
bridges.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Herkimer  in  1791-96  and 
conspicuous  in  all  affairs  of  that  period.  He  was  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
William  G.  Milligan.  Mr.  Milligan  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  late 
Dudley  Burwell  some  years  ago  a  mass  of  the  papers  of  Mr.  Porteous, 
for  his  investigation.  In  1873  Mr.  Burwell  reported  to  Mr.  Milligan 
what  he  had  found  of  interest.  He  said  among  other  things:  "I 
think  he  [Mr.  Porteous]  was  somewhat  musical,  as  he  had  a  violin.  He 
seemed  to  have  read  many  books  and  to  have  profited  by  them.  From 
the  letters  addressed  to  him,  one  judges  that  he  was  very  amiable.      He 


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TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS. 


dressed  genteelly,  judging  from  his  wardrobe  —  swore  terrifically  —  en- 
tertained  itinerant   preachers,  drank   toddies,  etc.      He  died  t!ie  20th  of 


March,  1799"     He  left  a  will  appointing  Colonel  Hendrick  Frey  and 
William  Alexander  (who  married  his  daughter)  his  executors. 


250  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

William  Alexander  was  a  native  of  Schenectady  and  settled  at  Little 
Falls  soon  after  Mr.  Porteous,  at  whose  instance  he  became  a  clerk,  and 
was  several  years  connected  with  him  in  business.  He  was  an  intelli- 
gent and  honorable  merchant  and  labored  for  the  growth  of  the  place. 
He  married  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Porteous,  a  highly  educated  and  accom- 
plished young  lady,  and  died  January  13,  181 3.  William  Alexander 
left  a  daughter,  Mary  Porteous  Alejjander,  who  married  first  a  Mr. 
Bowen,  and  second  Robert  Lockwood,  of  Little  Falls.  William's  son, 
Henry  P.,  was  a  merchant  and  president  of  the  Herkimer  County  Bank. 
He  was  a  partner  of  William  Girvan  several  years,  and  died  February 
22,  1867.  His  son  Porteous  was  drowned  young,  and  William  second 
died  many  years  ago.  His  daughter,  Jane  G.,  married  Jesse  C.  Dann  ; 
Catharine  M.  married  Frederick  Lansing,  of  Little  Falls,  who  was  a 
prominent  merchant  and  at  one  period  agent  of  the  Ellice  property. 

Following  William  Alexander,  came  here  his  brothers,  Robert,  John 
and  James.  Robert  was  a  farmer  of  the  town  of  Fairfield,  and  father  of 
Robert,  \\  iliiam,  Samuel  H.  and  James,  and  had  two  daughters,  Jane 
and  Catharine.      Descendants  of  this  branch  still  live  in  Little  Falls. 

John  Alexander  had  a  son  Thomas.  The  former  was  a  merchant  on 
the  site  of  the  Cronkhite  Opera  House.  He  died  in  Little  Falls.  James 
Alexander  removed  west  and  became  wealthy. 

William  Girvan,  early  a  prominent  citizen  of  Little  Falls,  married 
the  widow  of  William  Alexander.  He  was  a  native  of  Scotland  and 
came  here  as  clerk  for  William  Alexander,  who  was  his  cousin.  After 
the  death  of  Mr.  Alexander  (1813)  Mr.  Girvan  carried  on  mercantile 
business  in  Little  Falls  for  many  years.  His  children  by  the  widow  of 
Mr.  Alexander  were  Charles  A.,  deceased  ;  Elizabeth  Ann,  who  became 
the  wife  of  William  G.  Milligan  and  is  deceased.  Mr.  Girvan  married 
second  Mrs.  Mary  Milligan,  widow  of  William  Kerr  Milligan,  father 
of  William  G.  Milligan  and  they  had  children  :  Mary,  living  and  un- 
married;  George  Frederick,  living  in  Little  Falls  ;  Edward,  living  in 
Lowville,  N.  Y.  ;  Agnes,  married  Charles  E.  Teal,  of  Little  Falls  ;  and 
Catharine,  married  George  Hewison,  of  New  York. 

Eben  and  Washington  Britton  were  brothers  and  came  from  West- 
moreland, N.  H.  Eben  settled  here  in  1792,  was  a  tanner  for  many 
years  and    died    August  28,  1832,   leaving  him  surviving:   Mary,  who 


fOWN  OP  LITTLE  FALLS.  251 

intermarried  with  a  Mr.  Hannas  ;  Sarah,  married  Judge  N.  S.  Benton  ; 
another  daughter,  who  became  the  wife  of  Judge  Elisha  P.  Hurlbut ; 
Rebecca,  married  Harmon  Ten  Eyck  and  is  Hving  in  Albany;  Susan, 
married  Henry  McKay,  an  early  merchant  of  Little  Falls.  Mr.  Britton 
was  owner  of  the  Girvan  House  site.  Skinner  Opera  House  site,  the 
Milligan  &  Wheeler  block  site  and  other  lands,  which  were  devised  to 
his  children.     Washington  Britton  died  many  years  earlier. 

William  Feeter  (formerly  Veeder)  was  one  of  a  family  who,  with  the 
exception  of  himself,  followed  Sir  John  Johnson  to  Canada.  He  was 
an  ardent  patriot  in  the  Revolution,  soon  after  which  he  settled  in  Little 
Falls,  cleared  a  large  farm  and  successfully  cultivated  it  more  than 
fifty  years.  He  had  a  family  of  five  sons  and  seven  daughters  and  his 
descendants  are  still  residents  of  the  town  and  county.  He  died  May 
5,  1844. 

Down  to  the  year  1800  the  village  of  Little  Falls  had  shown  little  prog- 
ress. Rev.  Caleb  Alexander  made  a  missionary  tour  through  the  State 
in  1 801  and  here  is  what  he  wrote  of  this  place  : 

November,  1801. — Monday  23d,  set  out  from  Fairfield  on  ray  journey  homewards. 
Cold  weather.  Rode  .south  seven  miles  to  the  Little  Falls  with  a  view  of  taking  a  boat 
at  falls  down  the  river  to  Schenectady.  Found  the  river  covered  with  ice  ;  then  rode  up 
the  river  seven  miles  to  German  Flats  to  take  the  stage.  Finding  that  the  stage  did  not 
run  until  to-morrow  I  crossed  the  Mohawk  to  Herkimer  Court-house,  two  miles. 
Around  the  Little  Falls  the  country  is  hilly  and  very  rocky  near  the  river.  On  the 
northern  bank  are  seven  locks  and  a  canal  for  the  conveyance  of  boats.  Here  is  a  vil- 
lage of  forty  houses,  several  merchant  stores,  mechanical  shops  and  a  new  meeting- 
house of  hexagonal  construction.  The  people  are  principally  English  and  they  seldom 
have  preaching.  The  place  abounds  in  vice,  especially  profanity.  Since  my  arrival  on 
the  river  I  have  heard  more  cursing  and  swearing,  horrid  oaths  and  imprecations  than 
in  ten  years  past.  They  fell  chiefly  from  the  lips  of  boatmen  [on  the  riverj.  In  some 
taverns  were  English  and  Dutch  farmers  drinking  and  swearing,  and  the  English 
appeared  to  be  the  most  abandoned.  They  regard  not  the  presence  of  a  clergyman,  for 
the  dominie  drinks  and  swears  as  much  as  the  common  people. 

It  is  proper  at  this  point  to  speak  of  the  titles  to  real  property  in  Lit- 
tle Falls,  which  were  for  many  years  in  a  peculiar  and  somewhat  un- 
fortunate condition.  Alexander  Ellice,  a  Scotch  merchant,  who  had 
been  friendly  with  Sir  William  Johnson,  obtained  a  patent,  through  the 
influence  of  the  baronet,  to  two  of  the  four  Burnetsfield  lots  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river,  and  to  the  whole  of  Vaughn's  patent,  granted  to  Col. 


252  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

John  Vaughn  in  1770.  The  titles  to  the  latter,  according  to  Mr.  Benton, 
were  derived  through  John  Porteous,  before  mentioned.  The  same 
authority  says:  "  One  of  the  two  lots  12  and  13  Burnetsfield,  embrac- 
ing ail  of  the  water  power  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  was  owned, 
before  the  Revolution  by  one  of  the  Petrie  family,  who  erected  the  first 
grist-mill  on  Furnace  Creek  and  was  engaged  in  the  carrying  business." 
Alexander  Ellice  died  about  the  year  1808  and  his  property  descended 
to  his  children.  Among  them  was  Edward  Ellice,  who  purchased  the 
shares  of  the  other  heirs,  and  continued  the  owner  of  the  property  here 
until  1 83 1.  The  policy  adopted  by  the  elder  Ellice  to  secure  a  revenue 
was  peculiarly  English,  was  successful  for  his  interests,  and  paralyzing 
to  advancement  at  Little  Falls.  It  consisted  in  a  steadfast  refusal  to  sell 
either  lands  or  water  power,  and  to  insist  on  leases  of  the  same,  gener- 
ally for  long  periods.  The  efifect  of  such  a  policy  upon  an  American 
town  and  American  energy  may  be  readily  inferred.  Men  of  means 
and  brains  in  this  country  are  unwilling  to  make  improvements  upon 
lands  they  do  not  own — absolutely — however  long  a  lease  or  how  low  a 
rate  of  rental  may  be  demanded.  Hence,  while  the  unrivaled  water 
power  could  and  did  prove  sufficient  attraction  to  some  enterprising 
men  (as  amply  shown  in  the  account  of  the  early  manufacturing  opera- 
tions a  few  pages  further  on),  there  still  existed  for  many  years,  and  until 
the  Ellice  title  was  extinguished,  a  sense  of  insecurity  that  put  the  place 
back  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Barent  and  John  R  Bleecker,  of  Albany, 
were  for  many  years  the  agents  direct  of  the  Ellice  estate,  and  in  Little 
Falls  George  H.  Feeter  acted  as  agent  for  the  Bleeckers  for  a  consider- 
able period.  It  was  not  a  very  enviable  office,  all  things  considered. 
The  agent,  in  order  to  do  justice  by  his  employers,  was  often  forced  in- 
to antagonism  with  his  fellow-citizens.  Up  to  the  year  1825  there  were 
some  seventy  or  eighty  lots  let  on  what  were  termed  "  durable  leases  " 
to  fifteen  or  twenty  individuals.  The  leases  were  in  perpetuity  and  for 
each  lot  60  x  lOO  feet  in  area,  a  rental  of  three  Spanish  milled  dollars 
a  year  was  charged.  In  the  earliest  of  these  leases  was  a  clause  pro- 
hibiting the  establishment  of  stores  for  the  sale  of  goods,  this  business 
being  reserved  as  a  perquisite  for  the  benefit  of  Ellice's  agents.  The 
water  power  was  also  held  under  restriction,  and  would  be  neither  sold 
nor  let.     The   Ellices  owned  the  grist-mill  and  saw-mill,  which   they 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  2S3 

leased  for  a  large  price,  and  wanted  no  competitors.  This  policy  could 
not  be  otherwise  than  detrimental  to  the  growth  of  the  village.  In  later 
years,  however  (about  1820),  a  lease  was  granted  for  a  site  for  a  fulling- 
mill,  and  in  1824,  another  to  Sprague  &  Dann  for  a  paper  mill,  both  on 
what  is  now  Mill  street ;  these  manufactures  and  others  are  described  a 
little  further  on.  In  1825  a  few  dwelling  sites  were  sold — one  to  San- 
ders Lansing,  one  to  Nathaniel  S.  Benton,  and  one  to  David  Petrie  ;  and 
occasional  lots  were  sold  from  that  time  onward.  Most  of  the  early 
lessees  had  several  lots.  The  principal  proprietors  before  the  year  1825 
were  Eben  Britton,  Thomas  Gould,  Thomas  Smith,  Robert  Hinchman, 
Samuel  Smith,  Solomon  Lockwood,  the  heirs  of  William  and  John 
Ale.x-ander,  and  those  of  John  Pr'otheroe  and  William  Morallee.  The 
accompanying  map  shows  the  condition  of  the  early  village,  its  streets, 
and  the  lessees  of  many  of  the  lots.  This  map  is  also  the  property  of 
Watts  T.  Loomis. 

The  Ellice  titles  were  almost  wholly  extinguished  in  i83i,as  indi- 
cated on  the  accompanying  map,  showing  leased  and  sold  lots  and  the 
names  of  many  of  the  owners.  This  map  was  made  in  1831  for  Peter 
Gansevoort,  James  Stevenson,  Charles  L.  Livingston,  Mordecai  Myers, 
James  Monroe,  Aaron  Remer,  and  John  H.  Webb.  The  lots  printed 
black  in  the  engraving  indicate  those  that  had  been  leased  or  sold  by 
the  Ellice  interest.  Those  printed  white  had  come  into  possession  of 
the  above  named  proprietors.  Of  these  white  lots,  sales  had  been 
made  at  the  time  the  map  was  drawn  (1831)  to  the  following  persons 
who  had  bought  the  numbers  accompanying  their  names: 

Lot.';  53-54,  to  P.  Eaton.     55,  J.  Petrie,  56-81-84-86-87,  Lansing.     57-82-83, 

B.  Galloon.     58-59,  Dr.  Green.    60-61-62,  D.  Burwell.     63-64, Shepard.     65  to 

68  inclusive  and  73-76-77,  C.  Sharer.     74-75,  Mordecai  Meyers.     72, Peak.     78- 

79,  and  15.5-6-7,  Ann  street,  Parley  Eaton.  88-89,  and  59  Church  street,  James 
Monroe.  90  to  93  inclusive,  Solomon  Petrie.  98  and  58  on  Church  street,  Peter 
Gausevoort.  7  Third  street,  and  No.  3,  corner  John  and  Fourth  street,  and  C  and  D 
John  street,  C.  L.  Livingston.  5  Third  street,  B  and  F  John  street,  161  Church  street, 
A.  Loomis.  3  Third  street,  A.  Case;  4,  corner  of  Third  and  John  street,  Mcin- 
tosh.    153-2  Ann  street, Beardsley.     154   Ann,  James  Monroe;  also  168-9  south 

side  of  John.  170-71  John,  John  H.  Webb.  172,  178-9,  183-84  John,  Aaron  Remer. 
174-5,  John  K.  Bremner.     -176-7  John,  C.  L.  Livingston.     182,  John  C.  Sharer.     13- 

17-19,  north  side  of  John,  Stevens,     21,   nortli   side  of  John,  James  Monroe. 

28-29,  John,  H.  P.  Alexander.     45-47  John,  and  41-42-44  and  40  Albany,  D.  Burwell. 


254  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

48  All)any,  J.,H.  Webb.  50  Albany,  A.  Remer.  17-19  Alljany,  north  side  and  ]i  .",, 
corner  of  William  and  Albany,  Peter  Gansevoort.  166-7  Albany,  A.  Remer.  38  run- 
ning through  from  Albany  to  Catherine  (now  Main),  B.  Lewis.  39  Albany,  C.  B. 
Griffin.     40  Albany,  Robert  Stewart.     35  Main,  A.  Loomis.     36  Main,  John  H.  Webli. 

9- 10-'_>9-l 9-20-21  and  115.  Bromner.     IIC  Garden,  M.  Myers.     122  Garden.  J,  II. 

Webb.    27  Garden,  John  Dygert.     13-14-15  Garden,  Burwell  &  Alexander. 

Mr  Benton  wrote:  "  The  paralyzing  policy  of  the  proprietor,  who 
was  an  alien,  in  limiting  his  alienations  to  leases  in  fee,  requiring  an 
annual  rent,  and  refusing  to  make  only  a  few  grants  of  that  description, 
to  whicli  he  affixed  the  most  stringent  conditions  and  restrictions  in  the 
exercise  of  trade  and  the  improvement  of  the  water  power,  kept  the 
place  nearly  stationary  until  1831,  excepting  that  part  of  the  present 
village  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  not  subject  to  the  dead  weight  of 
non-alienation.  Upon  the  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  in  1825,  the  only 
erections  in  that  part  of  the  village  were  a  bridge,  and  a  toll  house  at 
the  south  end  of  the  bridge;  the  Bellinger  grist-mill  and  a  small  dwell- 
ing, for  the  miller's  residence,  and  the  Vrooman  house."  As  bearing 
upon  the  condition  of  the  village  just  before  the  completion  of  the  canal, 
we  quote  as  follows  from  the  People  s  Friend,  one  of  the  early  news- 
papers of  the  village,  under  date  of  June  19,  1822  : 

•'This  [inland  navigation]  has  become  a  pleasant  subject.  The  general  liveline  ■ 
which  has  prevailed  on  our  streets  since  the  commencement  of  the  regular  trips  of  ti 
packets  between  tlii.'i  and  Utica  is  really  cheering.  But  the  interest  of  the  thing  is  1 
no  means  confined  to  these:  an  unaccountable  number  of  other  boats  of  various  fern 
and  dimen-sions  continue  to  crowd  both  the  river  and  Erie  Canal.  On  the  IGlh,  we  a; 
told,  thirty  boats  were  together  on  the  river  at  the  landing  place  half  a  mile  aboM' 
Little  Falls,  while  a  number  more  lay  in  the  canal  close  by." 

In  1 83  I,  as  before  noted,  Edward  Ellice  sold  out  his  real  estate  here, 
and  within  a  few  years  it  came  into  possession  of  Richard  R.  Ward  and 
James  Munroe,  of  New  York,  but  not  as  joint  owners.  No  sale  of  the 
water  power  in  separate  lots  or  privileges  was  made  before  Mr.  Ward 
became  the  sole  owner  of  all  that  portion  of  the  original  purchase  of  Mr. 
Ellice.  When  these  were  brought  into  market,  General  Bellinger,  the 
principal  owner  of  the  water  power  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
also  placed  his  property  in  market  and  numerous  mills,  factories  and 
other  industries  were  soon  established,  as  shown  further  on.  In  1830 
the  population  of  the  town  was  2,539,  about  1,700  of  which  were  with- 
in the  village  limits. 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  255 

Meanwhile,  in  1811,  a  village  charter  was  granted;  but  there  seem 
to  be  no  records  of  public  business  under  that  charter,  the  existing 
records  beginning  with  the  year  1827,  when  a  new,  or  amended  charter 
was  adopted.  Under  this  the  corporation  was  authorized  to  open 
streets  which  had  been  dedicated  to  public  use,  as  laid  down  on  a  map 
made  by  the  proprietor  in  181 1.     Mr.  Benton  says  : 

The  power  given  was  executed  in  the  first  instance,  by  opening  Albany,  Garden  and 
Second  streets,  at  the  expense  of  the  owners  of  the  adjoining  lots.  This  touched  the 
proprietor's  purse,  and  he  consented  to  sell  in  fee  the  lots  on  those  streets.  This,  how- 
ever, did  not  reach  the  water  power,  which  was  not  improved,  neither  would  the  pro- 
prietors on  either  side  of  the  river  consent  to  sell  lots  and  water  rights,  but  the  alien 
owner  adopted  the  plan  of  making  short  leases,  by  which  he  anticipated  a  rich  harvest 
on  the  falUng  in  of  the  reversions.  The  people  of  the  village  were  not  slow  to  per- 
ceive the  fatal  effects  of  this  policy,  and  applied  to  the  Legislature  for  the  passage  of 
an  act  to  prohibit  the  alien  proprietor  from  making  any  grants  or  leases,  except  in  fee. 
These  were  the  conditions  on  which  he  was  authorized  to  take,  hold  and  convey  lands 
in  this  State.  The  act  passed  the  Senate  at  the  session  of  1831,  and  was  sent  to  the 
Assembly  for  concurrence.  The  agents  offered  to  sell  the  whole  proprietary  interest  in 
the  village  for  $50,C00,  and  active  negotiations  were  set  on  foot  by  several  parties  to 
make  the  purchase.  The  bill  was  finally  acted  upon  in  the  House,  and  rejected.  Al- 
most simultaneous  with  that  rejection,  the  sale  was  effected  to  several  members  of  that 
body  and  other  parties,  and  the  purchasers  in  a  short  time  realizad  a  net  $50,000  on 
their  purchase,  or  very  nearly  that  sum.  Whether  there  was  any  connection  between 
the  defeat  of  tne  bill,  and  the  sale,  I  never  sought  to  know.  The  sale  accomplished  all 
that  the  village  desired,  because  we  believed  the  purchasers  had  bought  with  the  in- 
tention of  selling  out,  as  fast  as  they  could  ;  but  the  proprietor,  Mr.  EUice,  had  a  large 
interest  at  stake  ;  he  was  the  owner  of  other  considerable  tracts  of  land,  not  only  in 
this  county,  but  in  different  parts  of  the  State  ;  it  was  important  to  him,  therefore,  to 
get  rid  of  the  restrictive  provisions  of  the  bill  in  respect  to  his  other  lands.  His  agents 
in  this  country  were  well  satisfied  that  the  applicants  for  coercive  but  just  measures 
would  not  rest  quietly  under  one  defeat,  and  that  his  interest  would  be  damaged  in  pro- 
portion to  the  duration  of  the  controversy. 

The  new  proprietors  made  immediate  arrangements  to  bring  the  property  into 
market,  and  effected  large  sales  by  auction  and  private  sale,  in  the  year  1831,  and  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years,  what  remained  of  the  original  purchase,  with  other  lands  of 
Mr.  Ellice  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  came  into  the  hands  of  Richard  R.  Ward  and 
Col.  James  Munroe,  of  New  York. 

Going  back  to  the  little  village  in  1816,  we  learn  that  it  then  con- 
sisted of  only  two  streets.  These  were  the  turnpike,  now  known  as 
Main  street,  and  Western  avenue,  which  then  extended  on  the  present 
line  no  farther  than  to  cross  Furnace  Creek,  where  it  turned  down  east 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  Ihl 

of  the  yellow  house,  thence  over  the  old  canal,  and  along  between  the 
old  lock  canal  and  the  river,  to  the  head  of  the  falls.  The  other  road 
was  what  is  now  called  German,  Bridge,  Ann  and  Church  streets,  cross- 
ing the  river  from  the  south  and  leading  to  Eatonville.(  These  roads 
can  be  readily  followed  by  reference  to  the  maps.)  There  were  not  more 
than  forty  dwellings  in  the  village;  the  octagon  church  had  not  been 
finished;  there  were  the  stone  school  house,'  two  taverns,  two  black- 
smith shops,  five  or  six  stores  and  groceries  and  the  mills.  The  open- 
ing of  the  canal  of  the  Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company  in 
1795-96  gave  something  of  an  impetus  to  the  growth  of  the  village  ; 
but  the  resulting  growth  was  not  very  marked,  and  the  village  remained 
in  nearly  the  condition  above  described  until  about  1828. 

Under  the  charter  of  1827  the  amount  authorized  to  be  raised  by  tax 
for  all  purposes  could  not  exceed  $300  annually.  The  highway  tax 
was  left  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  town  authorities.  The  first  election 
held  under  that  charter  for  village  oflficers  resulted  as  follows : 

President,  Nathaniel  S.  Benton;  trustees,  Christopher  P.  Bellinger,  William  Girvan, 
Sanders  Lansing,  James  Sanders,  Gould  Wilson,  and  John  McMichael ;  fire  wardens, 
Robert  Stewart,  Jacob  Osborn,  and  John  Phillips ;  treasurer,  Henry  P.  Alexander ; 
collector,  Jeremiah  Eaton. 

Newspaper  files,  those  invaluable  records  upon  which  the  historian 
must  so  largely  depend,  are  very  incomplete  in  this  town  in  early  years. 
The  People's  Friend,  from  which  we  have  already  quoted,  was  in  ex- 
istence for  a  few  years  after  1820,  but  there  are  only  a  few  numbers  of 
it  now  accessible.  In  1824  it  was  published  by  Edward  M.  Griffing, 
who  doubtless  found  it  difficult  to  sustain  his  enterprise.  There  are 
a  few  advertisements  in  the  paper.  Gould  Wilson  was  a  cabinetmaker. 
William  Brooks  sold  groceries,  hardware,  paints,  crockery,  etc.,  on 
Catherine  street,  two  doors  west  of  the  store  of  A.  Fuller  (now  Geo.  H. 
Failing's  block).  He  appears  to  have  been  getting  desperate,  for  he 
announced  that  he  was  "  determined  to  discontinue  this  long-winded 
credit  business,"  and  called  for  40,000  bushels  of  ashes.  Charles  At- 
kinson had   lost   his  Newfoundland  dog.      William  Talcott  was  the  hat- 

'  The  old  school-house  is  still  standing  on  the  west  side  o£  Church  street  and  used  as  a  dwelling. 
The  bell  of  the  old  house  is  now  in  use  on  the  engine-house  on  Ann  street,  at  rear  of  the  Milligan 
&  Wheeler  block. 


258  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ter  of  the  place  one  door  west  of  Hinchman's  Inn  (W.  A.  Pepper  &  Co.), 
and  the  "  Green  Store "  (southwest  corner  Third  and  Main  streets) 
was  kept  by  Burritt  &  Tonilinson,  on  First  street.  D.  Petrie  and  J. 
Petrie  had  a  general  store  (southeast  corner  Main  and  Ann  streets)  and 
Mather  &  Waldo  were  tinners  and  sold  stoves.  D.  &  E.  Sprague  oper- 
ated the  paper-mill  and  also  carried  on  a  store  Chauncey  Marshall 
sold  dry -goods  and  J.  McComb  had  a  tobacco  factory  (Amos  Keller's 
block).  Wendell  &  Jenkins  were  merchants  and  E.  Hathaway  &  Co. 
carried  on  the  Little  Falls  bakery,  corner  of  Second  and  Garden  streets. 
Smith  &  Hamilton  had  a  drug  store  and  Martin  Bettinger  was  a  saddler. 
The  Union  Library  had  been  in  existence,  but  it  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  very  thriving,  as  the  books,  etc.,  were  offered  for  sale  at  auction 
by  David  Benseley  and  David  Petrie,  treasurer  and  librarian.  The 
"  Aquatic  Bookstore"  passed  through  the  place  on  the  canal,  a  unique 
evidence  of  enterprise  by  some  Yankee,  and  in  December  there  was  a 
call  in  the  paper  for  a  local  bank.  These  notes  give  a  glimpse  of  the 
business  interests  of  the  village  at  quite  an  early  day  ;  and  we  have  no 
files  to  which  to  refer  after  that  year  until  1836,  when  the  Mohawk 
Courier  was  in  existence.  From  that  paper  we  learn  that  the  Utica 
and  Schenectady  Railroad  was  in  process  of  construction.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  this  was  the  beginning  of  one  of  the  various  periods 
of  financial  stringency  from  which  the  country  has  suffered.  On  the 
30th  of  June  the  editor  wrote  : 

"  Notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the  times  our  village  is  enhvened  as  usual  by  the 
traffic  and  industry  of  our  enterprising  citizens.  From  recent  changes  in  proprietorship 
of  real  estate  we  have  reason 'to  believe  that  the  natural  and  artificial  advantages  of 
this  locality  will  be  improved,  as  our  people  have  long  and  patiently  hoped." 

The  editorial  then  alludes  to  the  unexcelled  water  power,  the  canal, 
the  railroad,  and  the  market  facilities  of  the  village.  On  the  25th  of 
July  the  paper  records  that  "  a  locomotive  and  two  beautiful  carriages 
in  train  passed  over  the  whole  line  of  the  road  from  Schenectady  to 
Utica  and  returned  the  same  day."  The  latter  trip,  we  are  informed, 
was  made  in  four  hours  and  fourteen  minutes. 

In  August  of  this  year  (1836)  the  paper  notes  that  the  water  lots  and 
real  estate  on  the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk,  bounded  north  by  Canal 
street  and  Western  avenue,  and  extending  from  the  head  of  the  falls  to 


fOWl'I  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  259 

the  foot  of  the  basin,  were  purchased  in  the  previous  week  by  A. 
Loomis  of  Richard  R.  Ward  for  $50,000.  A  flour- mill  was  then  in 
process  of  construction  by  "  Mr.  Durky  "  (Rodney  Durkee),  and  a 
woolen  factory  was  soon  to  be  started  by  S.  P.  Fuller.  These  are  evi- 
dences of  the  increasing  thrift  and  enterprise  which  were  beginning  to 
develop  in  the  village. 

Before  his  death  Hon  Arphaxed  Loomis  wrote  the  following  account 
of  how  the  aqueduct  and  basin  at  Little  Falls  came  to  be  built  : 

"  In  1 82 1,  when  the  Erie  canal  was  in  progress  of  construction  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  no  part  of  the  village  proper  existed  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  and  no  streets  were  on  that  side  except  the  road 
leading  from  the  river  bridge  to  German  Flats,  but  it  was  a  rocky  waste 
covered  with  shrubbery.  The  local  agent  of  Mr.  Ellice,  Mr.  George  H. 
Feeter,  and  the  citizens  of  the  village,  were  alarmed  and  feared  that  the 
business  of  the  village  would  be  seriously  impaired  for  want  of  im- 
mediate connection  with  the  canal.  A  feeder  at  Little  Falls  to  be  taken 
from  the  south  side  was  the  plan  then  in  contemplation.  The  canal 
commissioner  was  requested  by  Mr.  Feeter  and  other  citizens  to  take 
the  feeder  from  the  old  canal  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  which 
the  State  had  purchased  from  the  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company, 
and  connect  it  by  an  aqueduct  across  the  river  with  the  Erie  Canal. 
This  project  of  feeding  would  be  more  expensive  than  that  in  contem- 
plation by  the  canal  commissioners.  A  negotiation  was  had,  and 
finally  an  arrangement  was  made  by  which  it  was  agreed  between 
Henry  Seymour,  the  commissioner  on  the  part  of  the  State,  and  the 
agents  of  Mr.  Ellice  and  the  citizens  of  the  village,  that  the  State  would 
adopt  the  aqueduct  plan,  provided  the  stone  requisite  for  the  work 
should  be  furnished  and  delivered  free  of  expense  to  the  State  and  the 
work  of  construction  should  be  done  by  the  State.  The  Bleeckers,  the 
principal  agents  of  Mr.  Ellice  at  Albany,  were  seen,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  the  interests  of  the  proprietor  were  so  seriously  involved  that  by 
their  direction  Mr.  Feeter  entered  into  a  contract  with  Henry  Heath  to 
deliver  the  stone  required  for  forty- five  cents  a  perch.  The  contract 
was  performed  by  Mr.  Heath,  and  a  disagreement  as  to  the  quantity 
and  payment  having  arisen,  a  lawsuit  ensued,  in  which  the  history  of 
the  whole  transaction  was  placed  in    evidence,  and  thus  the  history  of 


2G0  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  building  of  the  aqueduct  at  the  joint  expense  of  the  State  and  of 
the  owners  of  the  land  and  citizens  on  the  north  side,  and  of  the  con- 
struction of  the  basin  on  Mr.  Ellice's  land  at  his  own  expense,  was  pre- 
served. The  basin  itself  was  the  private  enterprise  of  Mr.  Ellice  and 
the  citizens.  A  subscription  of  about  $2,000  was  raised  by  the  citizens, 
beside  a  contribution  of  Mr.  Ellice,  to  effect  what  was  then  deemed  an 
improvement  of  great  importance  to  the  interests  of  the  village.  Since 
that  time  long  ago  the  village  has  extended  across  the  river  and  the 
canal,  the  aqueduct  is  now  in  the  midst  of  it,  and  the  storehouses  and 
business  connected  with  it  are  now  its  borders," 

As  a  further  indication  of  the  growth  of  the  place  between  1824  and 
183S,  the  following  facts  from  advertisements  are  taken  from  the  Cou- 
rier : 

M.  Richardson  was  a  surgeon  dentist  and  jeweler  on  Catharine 
street,  opposite  Hinchman's  Hotel.  William  H.  Grant  announced  that 
the  Railroad  Exchange  "  near  .the  depot  of  the  railroad  is  now  open  for 
company."  The  Herkimer  County  Mutual  Insurance  Company  was  in 
existence,  with  James  M.  Gray  as  agent,  and  William  Chase  advertised 
village  lots  for  sale.  Franklin  Adams  was  a  bookseller  and  book- 
binder (and  is  still  vigorously  prosecuting  his  business),  and  Benjamin  A. 
Feeter  had  just  opened  a  saddle,  trunk  and  harness  shop  one  door  south 
of  William  Girvan's  grocery;  while  Benjamin  Snell  carried  on  the  same 
business  in  the  shop  formerly  occupied  by  John  Beardslee,  corner  of 
Catharine  and  Ann  streets.  Sylvanus  J.  Waters  had  just  taken  the  old 
stand  one  door  east  of  the  Little  Falls  Hotel  for  the  sale  of  groceries  and 
liquors.  The  "  Little  Falls  Cash  Store  "  was  situated  at  No.  i  Phoenix 
Row;  this  was  the  building,  a  part  of  which  is  now  (1892)  occupied 
by  Aldridge  &  Co.,  corner  of  Main  and  Second  streets,  the  middle  part 
standing  as  it  did  at  that  time,  and  now  occupied  by  L.  R.  Klock. 
James  Wilcox  carried  on  the  "  Cash  Store."  A  "  new  wholesale  stove 
establishment"  was  advertised  by  D.  &  J.  Petrie  &  Co.,  the  firm  being 
David  and  Joram  Petrie  and  Horace  H.  Johnson  ;  the  store  had  pre- 
viously been  occupied  by  Brown  &  Bradley,  corner  of  Catharine  and 
Ann  streets.  J.  H.  Prentiss  was  a  jeweler,  and  Dr.  D.  Belknap  was  a 
dentist,  as  well  as  a  physician.  Ezekiel  Morris  said  :  "  I  have  com- 
menced the  axe-making  business  at  the  west  end  of  the  village  near  the 


^^^^»^<-L    ^/^ 


TOWN  OP  LITTLE  FALLS.  261 

Mohawk  furnace."  T.  &  H.  M.  Burch  sold  stoves,  and  the  Rockton 
flour-mill  was  run  by  Durkee  &  Eaton.  Peter  Boyer  sold  stone  lime, 
and  L.  R.  French  had  begun  making  the  "  patent  screw  bedstead  "  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river.  H.  &  S.  Parnialee  had  a  general  store  on 
the  south  side,  and  O  W.  Couch  kept  the  Little  Falls  Hotel.  The 
Little  Falls  Temperance  Society  was  in  operation,  and  J.  C.  Dann,  P. 
Staring,  and  R.  N.  Casler,  who  were  the  town  committee,  advertised  a 
Republican  meeting  at  "  the  house  of  Leigh  &  Dygert  "  A  meeting 
was  called  for  February  19,  1838,  to  "re-establish  the  village  library." 
"  Previous  to  the  disastrous  fire  of  January,  1836,"  said  the  notice,  "  a 
successful  effort  had  been  made  to  organize  a  Library  Association  here." 
The  first  library  was  burned.  In  September,  1839,  President  Van 
Buren  visited  the  village  and  the  event  was  properly  celebrated.  An 
address  was  delivered  by  Arphaxed  Loomis,  and  Col.  A.  G.  Rosecrantz 
was  chief  marshal  of  the  parade.  The  assemblage  gathered  at  the 
Little  Falls  Hotel  at  8  A.  M,  and  proceeded  thence  to  Herkimer  as  an 
escort  for  the  distinguished  guest.  The  president  reached  Little  Falls 
on  the  1 2th;  a  hundred  guns  were  fired,  and  in  the  parade  he  was  es- 
corted in  a  barouche  and  four  white  horses,  in  company  with  N.  S. 
Benton,  George  H.  Feeter,  and  Solomon  Petrie.  In  the  same  year  a 
correspondent  wrote  of  the  visible  improvements  in  the  place;  that  the 
population  was  exactly  3,000;  that  there  were  the  academy,  a  paper- 
mill,  one  church,  one  furnace,  one  woolen  factory  and  seven  stores, 
which  had  been  added  during  the  year  1839.  New  streets  had  been 
opened,  and  there  were  also  in  operation  two  saw- mills,  two  flour- mills, 
one  custom  grist-mill,  three  paper  mills,  one  plaster- mill,  one  carding- 
mill,  two  furnaces,  one  sash  and  blind  factory,  one  machine  shop,  one 
distillery,  one  brewery,  two  malt  houses,  two  bakeries,  one  trip  ham- 
mer, two  tin  shops,  one  tannery,  and  another  woolen- mill,  a  paper-mill, 
and  a  furnace  in  process  of  construction.  There  were  twenty  mercantile 
establishments  and  one  bank,  A  Mechanics'  Association  was  organ- 
ized in  December,  which  continued  in  existence  several  years. 

A  glance  at  the  village  records  for  the  period  of  which  the  foregoing 
treats,  down  to  the  year  1840,  shows  that  public  improvements  had 
kept  pace  with  private  enterprise.  As  early  as  1829  a  committee  was 
appointed  from    the    trustees  to  locate  two  fire  cisterns;   Garden  and 


262  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Manheim  streets  were  opened,  and  the  committee  on  fire  department 
was  authorized  to  "  fix  on  a  suitable  location  as  nearly  central  as  may  be, 
pursuant  to  the  permission  of  the  Ellices,"  for  the  fire  engine  house. 
In  1830  Albany  and  William  streets  were  improved;  and  also,  Second, 
Mary,  Third,  Fourth,  Fifth,  and  Church  streets,  were  further  opened 
and  improved,  while  suitable  extensions  were  made  to  the  village  side- 
walks. In  1 83  I  Barent  and  John  R.  Bleecker  (agents  of  the  Ellice  in- 
terest) offered  to  file  a  bond  for  $1,000  and  to  make  and  complete  First 
street  according  to  the  ordinances.  The  offer  was  accepted.  Fifteen 
dollars  was  fixed  as  the  price  of  licenses,  and  R.  N.  Casler,  James  F. 
West,  J.  P.  Casler,  Margaret  McDonald,  Thompson  Parkhurst,  Orin 
Searl,  Jacob  Osburn,  John  Dygert,  Elisha  Bateman,  Richard  S.Thomp- 
son, Andrew  A.  Oliver,  Edward  Dann,  Nicholas  Harder,  Mrs.  Milligan, 
Franklin  Barnes  and  James  Plack,  took  out  licenses — sixteen  in  all. 
As  D.  Burwell  had  already  offered  a  resolution  that  $60  be  raised  for 
corporation  purposes,  it  would  seem  that  the  license  fund  of  $240 
would  have  left  a  considerable  profit.  A  special  meeting  was  held  in 
December  to  consider  the  extermination  of  prevailing  small  pox,  and 
Drs.  Lester  Green,  Hosea  flamiltoii,  and  Calvin  W.  Smith  were  ap- 
pointed a  board  of  health. 

During  the  period  from  1830  to  1835  extensive  improvements  were 
made  in  the  village  streets,  including  First  (now  Main),  Albany,  Mary, 
Catharine  (now  Main),  Canal,  John,  Ann,  Second,  Mohawk  and  Bridge 
streets  ;  and  German,  Jefferson,  Bellinger  and  Mohawk,  on  the  south  side, 
were  declared  public  highways.  The  cholera  raged  throughout  this 
country  in  1832-33,  and  attention  was  called  to  the  matter  in  the  board 
of  trustees,  by  ordering  thorough  cleaning  of  premises  and  abatement  of 
all  nuisances;  but  there  was  very  little  of  the  disease  in  this  village,  as  far 
as  shown  by  the  records.  A  census  was  ordered  in  1832,  which  showed 
that  there  were  246  families  in  the  village,  with  a  population  of  811 
males  and  791  females,  436  of  whom  were  on  the  south  side.  In  1834 
a  fire  company  was  organized  for  the  south  side,  an  engine  house  was 
built  at  a  cost  of  $192,  and  a  hook  and  ladder  company  was  attached 
to  engine  company  No.  i.  In  1835  Martin  W.  Priest  and  J.  C.  Dann 
were  authorized  by  the  trustees  to  purchase  two  new  engines  and  a 
hose,  and  to  dispose  of  the  apparatus  on  hand.      It  is  of  interest  to  pre- 


SS^'C^.i^i 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  263 

serve  the  names  of  tlie  early  fire  companies  about  this  period  on  both 
sides  of  the  river,  for  it  will  be  seen  that  many  of  the  leading  citizens 
were  members      They  were  as  follow  : 

Fire  company  o£  May,  1830:  Amos  Parkhurst,  James  Sanders,  Robert  Stewart, 
Andrew  Oliver,  Elijah  Case,  jr.,  William  Taloott,  diaries  Ellis,  James  Smith,  Charles 
Smith,  Moses  Drake,  Washington  Van  Driesen,  Thompson  Parkhurst,  Gordon  Steven- 
son, Samuel  Alexander,  Richard  S.  Thompson,  Hoiace  Johnson,  Henry  Meloy,  Josiah 
Lockwood,  John  Beardslee,  Henry  P.  Alexander,  Jesse  Styles,  Truman  Fox,  Harman 
G-.  Ten  Eyok,  Orange  Angell,  John  Phillips. 

Fire  company  on  South  side  in  1834  :  Henry  Thompson,  William  L  Skinner,  John 
J.  Taylor,  Amon  J.French,  Henry  Hastings,  Martin  W.  Priest,  William  Page,  Samuel 
Miller,  Martin  L.  Basterbrooks,  Charles  Ellis,  Henry  Secknor,  Barney  H.  Ellis,  Leander 
Britton,  J.  S.  Hayes,  Simon  Marcomb.  H.  H.  Petrie,  Eli  Holden,  David  Labau,  S.  W. 
Shepard,  Wra.  Walradt,  Robert  Casler,  Henry  C    Loucks,  Joseph  Lee,  Gaylord  Heath. 

Hook  and  ladder  company,  1834:  Ezra  C.  Southworth,  James  0.  De  Grush,  Samuel 
P.  Fuller,  Ferdinand  P.  St.  John,  Charles  B.  Eddy.  Jeremiah  Gurney,  Charles  A.  Gir- 
van,  Norman  Tryon. 

During  the  period  from  1S40  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war 
advancement  in  the  village  was  rapid  and  of  a  permanent  character. 
The  grievous  lease  system  had  been  wiped  out  and  a  greater  degree  of 
confidence  was  felt  by  investors  and  tradesmen.  New  streets  were 
opened  and  many  new  industries  established.  The  village  ran  in  debt, 
of  course;  that  seems  to  be  the  natural  result  in  all  corporations  of  a 
municipal  character.  By  1847  the  debt  had  reached  about  $6,000  and 
a  charter  amendment  meeting  was  called  at  the  stone  school-house  for 
April  12,  to  consider  means  for  the  extinguishment  of  the  indebted- 
ness The  result  was  the  raising  of  the  amount  of  annual  tax  in  1850 
to  $800,  $500  of  which  was  to  be  applied  annually  to  debt-paying  pur- 
poses. While  this  action  sufficed  for  that  time,  it  did  not  prevent  the 
after  accumulation  of  another  burden  of  a  similar  character. 

On  the  9th  of  June,  1848,  a  special  election  was  held  to  vote  on  the 
question  of  raising  and  appropriating  $950  to  pay  for  piping  water  from 
the  cistern  in  the  public  square  to  near  the  intersection  of  Catharine 
(now  Main)  and  Ann  streets  for  fire  extinguishing  purposes  ;  the 
measure  was  carried.  In  the  following  year  (1849),  the  inhabitants 
were  affected  by  the  prevailing  cholera  scare,  but  the  village  and  its 
vicinity  were  not  destined  to  suffer  severe  affliction  from  that  disease. 
In  185 1  $300   were    appropriated   for  improvement  of  the  fire  engine 


2G4  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

houses,  and  a  like  sum  for  an  addition  to  the  cemetery.  In  1852  a 
watch-house  was  ordered  built  on  the  north  side  of  Main  street,  about 
opposite  Fifth  street.  The  committee  were  Asa  Wilcox,  Joseph  K. 
Chapman,  arid  Thomas  Dale.  It  was  built  by  the  late  Col.  Leonard 
Boyer  for  $186,  and  the  materials  of  the  old  watch-house.  Gas  was 
introduced  in  the  village  in  1853  and  A.  G.  Story  was  given  the  ex- 
clusive privilege  of  laying  pipes  in  the  streets  for  that  purpose.  In  the 
same  year  $1,000  were  raised  for  improvement  of  the  fire  department. 
By  this  time  the  general  village  fund  had  reached  nearly  $3,000  an- 
nually, and  it  stood  near  tliat  for  a  number  of  years.  The  charter  was 
again  amended  in  1857,  making  the  trustees  the  assessors  and  commis- 
sioners of  highways,  fixing  compensation  of  the  clerk  and  street  com- 
missioner, etc. 

Among  the  prominent  residents  of  Little  Falls,  many  of  whose  names 
have  been  mentioned,  it  is  proper  at  the  first  to  give  a  brief  account 
of  the  careers  of  Zenas  C.  Priest,  Harry  Burrell,  and  William  I.  Skin- 
ner. 

Gen.  Zenas  C.  Priest  was  born  in  the  town  of  Fairiield,  April  18, 
1806.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  began  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count, remaining  in  his  native  town  until  1824,  when  he  removed  to  the 
village  of  Little  Falls  and  became  a  clerk,  and  acted  as  such  until  he 
acquired  an  independent  business  as  owner  and  manager  of  several 
bakeries  in  the  valley.  In  1835  he  was  deputy  sheriff,  and  in  that  and 
the  following  year  aided  in  acquiring  the  right  of  way  in  this  vicinity 
for  the  Utica  and  Syracuse  Railway  Company,  and  in  July,  1836,  he 
became  one  of  its  three  conductors,  acting  also  as  trackmaster  between 
Little  Falls  and  Utica  part  of  the  time.  From  1840  to  1847  he  had 
charge  of  the  western  department  of  the  road,  and  upon  the  consolida- 
tion of  the  several  roads  into  the  New  York  Central  in  1853,  he  was 
made  superintendent  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica  division;  in  1867  his 
division  was  extended  to  Albany.  Thereafter  his  division  included  the 
Troy  and  Athens  branch.  He  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  President 
Erastus  Corning,  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  President  William  H.  Van- 
derbilt  and  his  son,  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  and  other  executive  officers 
of  the  road  down  to  and  including  Hon.  Chauncey  M.  Depew.  Com- 
modore Vanderbilt  and  his  son  and  grandson  so  highly  appreciated  the 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  265 

general's  services  that  they  contributed  $500  every  six  months  extra 
compensation  in  each  year  down  to  and  including  the  year  of  his  death; 
the  last  $500  being  handed  over  to  the  executors  of  the  general's  es- 
tate, in  token  of  their  appreciation  of  his  faithful,  earnest  and  effectual 
services  to  the  road.  In  1835  1^^  was  appointed  major  in  a  Herkimer 
county  militia  regiment,  and  in  i860  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
brigadier  general.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  became  a  very  energetic 
war  Democrat,  and  by  voice  and  purse  and  numerous  efforts  aided  the 
Union  cause  like  the  consistent  patriot  that  he  was  during  the  whole 
struggle.  He  was  for  many  years  vice-  president  of  the  National  Herki- 
mer County  Bank,  and  subsequently  became  its  president,  which  office 
he  held  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  December  4,  1887,  when 
in  his  eighty-first  year,  having  been  ill  only  a  week.  Having  been  in 
the  service  of  the  railroad  for  more  than  fifty  years,  he  was  familiar  with 
all  its  needs,  and  was  distinguished  by  being  pre-eminently  a  good 
railroad  man.  He  was  a  kind,  liberal  man,  using  his  best  judgment  to 
protect  the  interests  of  the  employees  of  the  road.  He  was  at  one  time 
president  of  the  village,  and  several  years  represented  his  town  in  the 
board  of  supervisors ;  was  a  presidential  elector,  and  well  deserved  and 
received  the  confidence  of  the  community  in  which  he  was  so  long 
an  active  and  valuable  citizen.  For  many  years  he  was  a  conspicuous 
Mason,  Knight  Templar,  and  his  funeral  was  conducted  by  that  order 
and  attended  by  President  Depew,  the  directors  and  superintendents  of 
the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  and  a  large  concourse  of  j>eople,  the 
services  being  conducted  in  the  Baptist  church,  to  which  he  was  many 
years  attached  and  to  which  he  was  a  very  liberal  contributor. 

The  late  Harry  Burreli  was  so  long  and  so  conspicuously  connected 
with  the  farming  and  dairy  interests  of  the  county,  that  a  proper  defer- 
ence to  those  industries  demands  a  record  of  his  life  and  business  career. 
He  was  born  in  Sheffield,  Mass.,  November  28,  1797,  and  was  a  son 
of  Jonathan  and  Lucinda  Burreli.  His  parents  moved  into  the 
town  of  Salisbury  in  the  year  1804.  Upon  the  death  of  his  father 
he  succeeded  to  the  possession  of  the  old  homestead  known  as  the 
Hackley  farm.  About  that  period  the  business  of  dairying  began 
to  attract  the  attention  of  the  farmers  of  Herkimer  county,  and  when 
he  was  about  twenty  years  of  age,  at  the  solicitation  of  his   neighbors, 

31 


266  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

he  took  charge  of  their  dairy  products,  which  were  drawn  to  Albany  on 
wagons  and  thence  transported  to  New  York  in  sloops.  He  early  com- 
menced the  purchase  of  cheese  and  other  dairy  products  for  the  New 
York  market,  and  soon  after  engaging  in  that  enterprise  became  the 
largest  buyer  in  the  country.  As  his  business  increased  he  established 
a  house  in  New  York  city  under  the  firm  name  of  H.  Burrell  &  Co.  His 
son,  Seymour  Burrell,  was  at  one  time  connected  with  him,  and  sub- 
sequently his  son,  David  H.,  became  a  purchaser  for  the  house.  At 
the  suggestion  of  Erastus  Corning  and  others  he  commenced  the  busi- 
ness of  exporting  cheese,  having  formed  reliable  connections  with  for- 
eign houses,  and  he  was  probably  the  first  shipper  of  dairy  products 
from  this  country  to  foreign  markets  ;  he  continued  a  buyer  on  a  large 
scale  and  shipper  until  near  the  close  of  his  life.  Mr.  Burrell  acquired 
a  high  reputation  for  integrity  and  sagacity  and  met  with  exceptional 
success.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  owner  of  several  farms  in 
Salisbury  and  other  towns,  which  passed  by  virtue  of  his  will  to  his 
children,  who  still  continue  to  own  the  same.  In  1854  he  removed 
to  Little  Fails  where  he  built  a  handsome  residence  at  the  corner 
of  William  and  Main  streets,  which  he  occupied  until  the  time  of 
his  death,  and  the  same  now  remains  in  the  possession  of  his  widow, 
and  son  Edward  J.  Burrell.  His  sons,  David  H.  Burrell  and  Ed- 
ward J.  Burrell,  acquired  from  him  a  knowledge  of  the  business 
of  handling  dairy  products,  which  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  they 
have  continued  to  carry  forward  until  this  time;  Edward  J.  Burrell 
giving  especial  attention  to  that  branch  of  the  numerous  kinds  of 
business  carried  on  by  the  firm  of  D.  H,  Burrell  &  Co.  Harry  Bur- 
rell was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  from  the  early  years 
of  his  life  until  the  time  of  his  death,  and  contributed  largely  to 
its  success  in  Salisbury  and  Little  Falls  ;  he  was  for  many  years  presi- 
dent of  its  board  of  trustees,  and  was  several  years  a  trustee  of  the  Lit- 
tle Falls  Academy.     He  died  at  Little  Falls  March  5,  1879. 

William  L  Skinner  was  born  in  'the  town  of  Little  Falls  on  the  24th 
of  October,  181 2,  and  was  the  son  of  Josiah  H.  Skinner,  who  came 
from  the  State  of  Connecticut  some  years  prior  thereto.  Mr.  Skinner 
was  elected  sheriff  of  the  county  in  1848,  having  prior  thereto  served 
several  times  as  a  deputy.      In  1859  he  was  elected  canal  commissioner 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  267 

and  served  until  1866,  acquitting  himself  creditably  in  the  office,  as  he 
had  practical  knowledge  of  the  affairs  of  the  canal,  had  many  years 
been  a  contractor,  and  was  able  to  deal  with  many  of  the  practical  ques- 
tions arising  in  respect  to  the  canals  which  came  under  the  review  of 
the  canal  commissioners.  He  was  president  of  the  village,  on  sev- 
eral occasions  was  elected  one  of  its  trustees,  and  at  one  time 
cliief  of  the  fire  department.  He  was  a  member  of  the  memorable 
committee  of  twelve  citizens  who  investigated  the  facts  relating  to  and 
recommended  the  construction  of  the  present  system  of  water  works. 
He  was  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  named  as  one  of  the  Board  of 
Water  Commissioners,  was  elected  president  of  the  board,  and  his 
practical  judgment  and  industrious  attention  to  the  afifairs  of  the  system 
were  valuable  in  securing  the  proper  construction  of  the  works.  In 
1869  he  erected  the  Skinner  Opera  House  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Second  streets.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  director  of  the 
National  Herkimer  County  Bank.  In  all  the  relations  of  life  he  exhib- 
ited strong  common  sense  and  good  practical  judgment;  he  formed 
correct  opinions  of  men  and  measures,  and  during  his  seventy-nine 
years  residence  in  Little  Falls  contributed  largely  to  its  prosperity. 
He  died  February  13,  1891,  leaving  three  sons  and  two  daughters  sur- 
viving him. 

Turning  again  to  the  newspapers  of  the  period  from  1840  to  the 
war  we  learn  of  other  events  and  changes  which  deserve  mention.  The 
winter  of  1842  witnessed  a  great  temperance  agitation  in  this  section 
and  fifteen  hundred  signed  the  pledge  in  Little  Falls.  Early  in  Febru- 
ary of  this  year  (1842)  occurred  a  very  destructive  freshet  which  on  the 
first  day  swept  away  a  dwelling  below  the  "  Railroad  Hotel,"  and  on 
the  following  day  carried  off  the  new  paper-mill  of  A.  Loomis,  and  the 
saw-mill,  axe  factory,  grist-mill  and  flouring-mill  were  greatly  dam- 
aged. On  the  south  side  the  barn  of  S.  W.  Shepard  was  carried  away 
and  the  stalls  for  hogs  at  the  distillery  were  inundated.  Colonel  Leigh's 
mills  and  the  iron  works  of  Shepard,  Babbitt  &  Co.  were  badly  dam- 
aged. William  Paige's  large  paper-mill  was  wrecked  in  the  lower  story. 
The  damage  amounted  to  about  $8,000  ;  and  in  June  of  the  same 
year  this  disaster  was  followed  by  another  of  similar  nature  in  which 
the  creek  through  the  village  caused  damage  to  the  amount  of  $15,000. 
These  losses  caused  much  depression  among  the  inhabitants. 


2Gg  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtJNTt. 

In  1845  we  again  find  the  editor  expressing  congratulations  as  fol 
lows  :  "  The  constant,  rapid,  yet  sound  growth  of  our  village  must  be  a 
subject  of  high  gratification  to  its  citizens.  Our  prosperity  is  based 
upon  the  sure  foundation  of  capital,  labor  and  rational  enterprise. 
Fancy  stocks  have  never  been  in  demand  here."  He  wrote  further  of 
this  being  the  commercial  center  of  a  very  large  district  on  both  sides 
of  the  Mohawk,  with  great  thoroughfares  running  cast  and  west ;  its 
extensive  water  power,  etc.,  and  concluded  by  designating  Little  Falls 
as  "The  Lowell  of  the  Empire  State" — which  we  must  admit  was  de- 
cidedly bright. 

By  the  year  1850  the  debt  before  mentioned  had  become  a  decided 
bugbear  to  many  citizens,  and  its  payment,  with  other  charter  changes 
was  demanded.  The  newspaper  commented  freely  upon  the  folly  and 
burden  of  such  a  state  of  affairs,  spoke  of  the  former  small  debt  incurred 
mainly  for  the  fire  department,  and  deplored  the  fact  that  the  corpo- 
ration credit  had  become  depreciated  to  about  ninety  cents  on  the  dollar. 
These  conditions  led  to  prompt  and  radical  changes.  An  entire  new 
charter  was  adopted,  providing  for  raising  $5,300  on  village  bonds,  in- 
creasing the  annual  tax  to  $800  and  paying  off  the  debt  at  the  rate  of 
$500  annually  (as  before  described).  The  new  charter  was  a  great  im- 
provement on  the  former  ones,  and  most  of  its  important  provisions  are 
in  force  to-day.  It  being  on  record  in  numerous  places,  we  need  not 
quote  from  it  here.  Another  important  change  was  made,  which  in 
some  respects  seems  at  this  day  to  have  been  the  result  of  thoughtless 
folly,  although  many  good  citizens  advocated  it  at  the  time.  This  was 
the  changing  of  the  name  of  the  village  to  "  Rockton."  The  most  im- 
portant reason  advanced  for  the  change  was,  that  the  village  had 
become  of  sufficient  importance  to  have  a  name  of  its  own,  and  not 
longer  exist  under  the  title  of  the  whole  town.  The  name  was 
changed  ;  but  much  to  the  dissatisfaction  of  many  of  the  older  citizens, 
and  in  less  than  a  year  their  influence  was  such,  and  the  general  defer- 
ence to  their  wishes  so  pronounced,  that  the  old  name  was  restored. 

In  July  of  1850  a  terrible  flood  occurred  which  exceeded  that  of  1842. 
Buildings  were  inundated  by  the  overflowing  of  Furnace  Creek;  John 
Miller's  house  and  barn  were  swept  away,  with  the  dwelling  of  Joseph 
lioyer,  and  many  others  were  damaged.     The  loss  was  about  $15,000. 


f^c 


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tOWN  OP  LITTLE  FALLS.  26^ 

Meanwhile,  as  we  have  intimated,  the  business  interests  of  the  place 
increased  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner.  Plank  roads  had  been  built 
in  several  directions  from  the  village  between  1847  and  1851,  during 
which  period  almost  the  entire  State  was  covered  with  a  network  of 
those  useful,  but  short  lived  highways.  While  they  were  in  use,  at  a 
time  when  ordinary  roads  were  worse,  if  possible,  than  now,  they  gave 
the  farming  community  means  for  getting  their  produce  to  market  and 
were  certainly  instrumental  in  building  up  commercial  centers  like  Little 
Falls.  A  Hst  of  the  principal  business  houses  in  the  place  in  1850-51 
will  be  of  value  as  indicating  the  growth  of  the  village.  The  list  is  made 
up  from  the  advertising  in  the  newspapers,  and  probably  embraces  most 
of  the  principal  establishments  : 

S.  N.  Foote,  dry  goods  ;  H.  M.  Heath,  furnace  and  plows  ;  Mrs.  S. 
A.  Fox,  and  Miss  A.  J.  Swift,  milliners  ;  Jones  &  Hinds,  agents  for  rub- 
ber goods  ;  J.  C.  Kellogg,  dentist ;  Herkimer  County  Insurance  Com- 
pany; Reddy  &  Cunningham,  furnace;  Gordon  Stevenson,  cabinet 
maker;  B.  W.  Franklin,  dentist;  Henry  W.  Fox,  tailor  and  ready- 
made  clothing;  C.  P.  Hunt,  Little  Falls  drugstore;  A.  W.  Golden, 
cabinet  maker  in  the  green  store  ;  Harris  &  Houghton,  sash  and  blind 
factory  ;  F.  Adams,  bookseller  ;  Usher  &  Caswell,  flour,  etc.  ;  Cook  & 
Petrie,  hatters;  Pratt  &  Company,  boots  and  shoes;  Jones  &  Hine, 
tailors;  T.  Burch  &  Company,  stoves  and  general  merchants;  William 
Taylor,  clothing  and  tailor  ;  J.  C.  Clarke,  meat  market ;  J.  W.  Helmer, 
crockery,  etc.  ;  John  St.  John,  tailor ;  G.  B.  Young,  furniture  ;  W.  H. 
Cressy,  stoves  and  hardware  ;  Ford  &  Waterman,  John  H.  Wooster, 
Nolton  &  Lake,  Loomis  &  Griswold,  and  William  Brooks,  lawyers. 

In  1852  the  editor  of  the  local  paper  said  :  "  There  are  few  villages 
in  the  country  whose  streets  exhibit  a  busier  or  more  cheering  aspect 
than  this,"  and  followed  with  encouraging  comments  on  the  schools  of 
the  place,  its  churches,  etc.  The  fact  is,  the  village  enjoyed  a  good  de- 
gree of  growth  and  general  prosperity  between  1855  and  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war;  streets  were  opened  and  improved;  miles  of  sidewalks 
were  laid;  parks  were  improved;  the  academy,  incorporated  in  1844, 
was  in  full  and  successful  operation  ;  and  all  municipal  affairs  were 
prosperous.  In  i860  a  local  paper  said  that  in  no  time  in  a  number  of 
years  had  there  been  so  much  building,  repairing  and  general  activity. 


270  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

All  this  was,  of  course,  changed  by  the  opening  of  the  great  struggle 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  This  event  paralyzed  action  in  re- 
gard to  public  improvements  throughout  the  country  and  turned  uni- 
versal attention  to  war  and  its  hundreds  of  related  activities.  The  chief 
occurrences  in  connection  with  the  war,  as  far  as  this  county  is  con- 
cerned, are  sufficiently  noted  in  the  earlier  pages  of  general  history.  It 
is  sufificient  for  the  present  purpose  to  say  that  Little  Falls  was  the  cen- 
ter of  military  activity  for  the  county  during  tiie  momentous  contest, 
and  that  her  leading  citizens  gave  freely  of  their  time  and  means  and 
energy  for  the  success  of  the  struggle. 

The  major  portion  of  the  history  of  the  village  since  the  war  is  em- 
bodied in  the  immediately  following  pages  devoted  to  the  various  insti- 
tutions and  industries  of  the  place  ;  and  it  only  remains  to  sketch  briefly 
the  more  important  acts  of  the  village  authorities.  Business  activity 
was  renewed  at  the  close  of  the  rebellion ;  money  was  plenty  and  the 
guarantees  of  peace  inspired  all  men  with  hopefulness  for  the  future.  A 
somewhat  disastrous  fire  occurred  in  July,  1866,  burning  the  Hinchman 
House  and  the  stores  of  seven  merchants,  and  other  buildings ;  the  loss 
was  about  $45,000.  On  the  following  Sunday  what  was  known  as  the 
Valley  House  was  burned.  These  fires  led  to  an  earlj-  reconstruction 
and  improvement  of  the  fire  department.  The  general  fund  of  the  vil- 
lage had  now  reached  about  $6,000,  and  the  population  of  the  town  was 
nearl)'  6,000.  In  February,  1871,  a  movement  was  made  to  organize 
the  State  Dairymen's  Association  and  Board  of  Trade;  the  organiza- 
tion was  effected  on  the  27tli  ;  Judge  George  A.  Hardin  presided  at 
and  addressed  the  meeting  held  for  the  purpose.  A  steam  fire  engine 
had  been  recently  purchased,  and  in  August  a  meeting  was  held  and 
measures  adopted  for  the  purchase  of  a  second  one,  which  was  accom- 
plished. The  Union  Free  School  system  was  adopted  in  the  fall  of  this 
year  (1873),  and  street  improvements  were  numerous  about  this  period. 
In  1 88 1  the  fire  alarm  was  introduced,  and  in  the  following  year  a  be- 
ginning was  made  upon  the  present  complete  sewer  system.  At  the 
same  time  the  stone  crusher  was  purchased,  to  be  followed  in  1892  by 
one  of  the  first-class  steam  road  rollers,  and  under  the  present  policy  the 
streets  are  being  rapidly  and  effectively  improved.  The  village  debt  at  the 
present  time  is  about  $330,000,  and   the   annual   general  tax  reaches 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  271 

the  sum  of  about  $40,000.  To  the  progressive  citizens  of  the  vil 
lage  these  figures  are  not  at  all  appalling,  for  they  realize  that  owing  to 
its  peculiar  physical  situation,  Little  Falls  improvements  are  necessarily 
costly.  They  also  realize  that  in  order  to  keep  in  the  front  rank  in  the 
march  of  human  progress,  money  as  well  as  energy  must  be  expended. 
Following  are  the  trustees  of  the  village  from  the  year  1828  to  the 
present  time  : 

1828,  Sanders  Lansing,  James  Sanders,  John  McMichael. 

1829,  Thomas  Smith,  A.  Loomis,  Gould  Wilson,  Moses  Drake,  N.  S.  Benton,  Alanson 
Ingham. 

1830,  Thomas  Smith,  N.  S.  Benton,  Gould  Wilson,  A.  Loomis,  John  McKenster, 
Richard  N.  Casler. 

1831,  N.  S.  Benton,  Moses  Drake,  William  I.  Pardee,  Wm.  Brooks,  Lester  Green. 
Hosea  Hani'lton. 

1832,  Parley  Eaton,  Je.sse  0.  Dann,  Elisha  P.  Ilurlbut,  Daniel  Mcintosh,  Wm.  J.  Par- 
dee, Christopher  Smith. 

1833,  Christopher  P.  Bellinger,  E.  P.  Hurlbut,  Parley  Eaton,  Henry  Heath,  Joram 
Petrie,  George  Petrie. 

1834:,  Gould  Wilson,  C.  P.  Bellinger,  Martin  W.  Priest,  Tliomas  Burch,  John  Bartow, 
John  Beardslee. 

1835,  \M.  W.  Priest,  Jesse  C.  Dann,  Thomas  Barob,  John  Beardslee,  Parley  Eaton, 
Richard  N.  Casler. 

183G,  M.  W.  Priest,  J.  C.  Dann,  Albert  G.  Story,  James  T.  Smith,  Flavins  J.  Little- 
john,  Robert  Casler. 

1837,  M.  W.  Priest,  James  T.  Smith,  Christopher  Smith,  Henry  Heath,  Frederick 
Lansing,  Jarvis  N.  Lake. 

1838,  Jarvis  N.  Lake,  James  T.  Smith,  Noah  Stark,  George  B.  Young,  James  N. 
Baker,  Nicholas  Moyer. 

1839,  M.  W.  Priest,  James  N.  Baker,  Horace  M.  Burch,  Lauren  Ford,  Frederick 
Lansing,  Amos  A.  Beardslee. 

1840,  R.  N.  Casler,  W.  Van  Driesen,  George  H.  Feeter,  Nelson  Rust,  Henry  W.  Fox, 
James  N.  Baker. 

1841,  Hiram  Nolton,  Nelson  Rust,  George  G.  Hall,  Frederick  Lansing.  Moses  Drake, 
Henry  Heath. 

1842,  Henry  Heath,  M.  W.  Priest,  George  B.  Young,  James  Sanders,  George  Heath, 
William  Paige. 

1843,  M.  W.  Priest,  R.  N.  Casler,  Zenas  A.  Hall,  William  I.  Skinner,  Edmund  G. 
Chapin,  James  T.  Smith. 

1844,  William  Usher,  William  Ingham,  J.  N.  Baker,  Peter  P.  Bellmger,  Jamas  Feeter, 
H.  Nolton. 

1845,  John  Beardslee,  William  Brooks,  jr.,  Rodney  Durkee,  Wm.  Ingham,  William 
Page,  jr.,  Peter  P.  E.  Bellinger. 


272  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

184'i,  William  P.  Hall,  Joseph  Boyer,  Wra.  Brooks,  jr.,  James  N.  Baker,  Michael 
Reddy,  Henry  Thompson. 

1847,  R.  N.  easier,  Seth  M.  Richmond,  Nelson  Rust,  Henry  Link,  Wm.  B.  Poughton, 
Henry  W.  Fox. 

1848,  Seth  M.  Richmond,  A.  G.  Rosecrantz,  J.  N.  Lake,  Henry  Thomp.ion,  Robert 
Stewart,  Nelson  Rust. 

1849,  A.  G.  Rosecrantz,  Samuel  S.  Whitman,  Michael  Moyer,  Deles  Lake,  G.  S. 
Young,  Wm.  B.  Houghton. 

1850,  Re-incorporation  of  the  village  under  name  of  Rockton  :  President,  George  H. 
Feeter ;  trustees,  Morris  E.  Fuller,  Peter  B.  Gilder.sleeve,  Henry  Link,  Leonard  Boyer, 
A.  G.  Rosecrantz,  Alvan  Richmond,  John  Bielby,  Henry  M.  Heath. 

1851,  Joram  Petrie  J.  N.  Lake,  Philo  Reed,  John  Feeter,  Michael  Boothroyd,  Michael 
Reddy,  James  N.    Baker,  Thomas  Dale. 

1852,  Asa  Wilcox,  J.  0.  Cunningham,  Lorenzo  D.  Waite,  Shadrach  Sherman,  AVm. 
Fowler,  Levi  Casler,  Joseph  K.  Chapman,  Thomas  Dale. 

1853,  Henry  Link,  Thomas  Scott,  Aaron  Carver,  H.  Thompson,  Henry  Heath,  Ben- 
jamin R.  Jones,  Robert  M.  McChesney,  Leonard  Boyer. 

1854,  W.  B.  Houghton,  J.  N.  Barber,  Joseph  H.  Hinds,  S.  M.  Richmond,  Nicholas 
Moyer,  A.  Rathbun,  Samuel  F.  Bennett,  Thaddeus  R.  Brooks. 

1855,  George  Heath,  John  Satterly,  Henry  Burwell,  Eben  B.  Waite,  Ezekiel  Heath, 
Wm.  M.  Dorr,  J.  W.  Helraer,  Alvan  Richmond. 

1856,  George  H.  Carver,  Elijah  Wilds,  B.  R.  Jone.s,  Enoch  R.  Nelson,  Shadrach  Sher- 
man (to  fill  vacancy).  From  this  date  only  four  trustees  were  elected  annnallj',  four  of 
the  former  board  holding  over. 

1857,  Wells  Sponable,  George  Heath,  John  Satterly,  John  W.  Belhnger. 

1858,  James  Bellinger,  jr.,  George  H.  Feeter,   Mason  S.  Van  Slyke,  Harry  Burrell. 

1859,  George  Ashley,  John  W.  Bellinger,  J.  N.  Baker,  Gideon  Tillinghast. 

1860,  Henry  T.  Holmes,  Sylvester  Levee,  Wm.  S.  Tucker,  S.  T.  Smith. 

1861,  Robert  Casler,  Philander  G.  Potter,  J.  N.  Casler,  James  Boyer. 

1862,  Wm.  M.  Briggs,  Thomas  Dale,  Warren  C.  Southworth,  Nicholas  Moyer. 

1863,  Sylvester  Levee,  Philander  G.  Potter,  C.  B.  Leigh,  Darwin  B.  Chase. 

1864,  Thomas  Dale,  Thomas  W.  Dundas,  Peter  A.  Conyne,  Wra  Briggs. 

1865,  Henry  Root,  George  F.  Angel,  Sylvester  Levee,  R.  D.  Casler. 

18G6,  Thomas  Dale,  John  W.  Bellinger,  Wm.  H.  Weeks,  Nathan  Basterbrook. 

1867,  Henry  M.  P.  Uhlee.  P.  G.  Potter,  Charles  Benedict,  T.  A.  Burnham. 

1868,  Levi  Bellinger,  Esick  Buchanan,  Amos  Rankin,  Patrick  Nolan. 

1869,  Wm.  M.  Briggs,  Henry  M.  P.  Uhlee,  Robert  Casler,  jr.,  RoUin  H.  Smith. 

1870,  Frederick  H.  Phillips,  Wm.  Nelson,  Timothy  Comboy,  Jonah  May. 

1871,  Wm.  M.  Brigg.s,  S.  B.  Casler,  James  W.  Cronkhite,  Wm.  Clark. 

1872,  Albert  Story,  Thomas  Dale,  C.  B.  Leigh,  James  T.  Smith. 

1873,  Peter  A.  Conyne,  John  P.  Harvey,  John  A.  Woolever,  Charles  Benedict, 

1874,  Victor  Adams,  1.  B.  Richmond,  Amos  Keller,  Thomas  Sheridan. 

1875,  Daniel  W.  Ladue,  Peter  A.  Staring,  Wm.  M.  Briggs,  Charles  W.  Nellis. 

1876,  Alonzo  0.  Casler,  Edward  S.  Middlebrook,  Andrew  Foley,  Jacob  Stacy. 

1877,  John  F.  Leahy,  D.  W.  Ladue,  James  Wiswell,  Amos  Rankins. 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  273 

1878,  Irving  E.  "Waters,  Henry  Link,  George  Keller,  Thomas  Sheridan. 

1879,  Amos  Rankins,  Silas  W.  Boyer,  D.  W,  Lailue,  John  McCauley. 

1880,  Joseph  W.  Baker,  Henry  E.  Piper,  Richard  Levee,  Jacob  Stacy. 

1881,  John  Canaman,  James  McDonald,  John  Chester,  R.  Walrath. 

1882,  Victor  Adams,  Albert  Story,  John  L.  Palmer,  \V.  R.  Chappie. 
r883,  Irving  E.  Waters,  Amos  Keller,  Peter  E.  Rankins,  John  0.  Leahy. 

1884,  Chas.  J.  Palmer,  W.  Shall,  W.  R.  Chappie,  Charles  Bailey,  Asa  Bowen. 

1885,  Charles  Benedict,  D.  J.  Mesick,  Peter  A.  Staring,  Lyman  Timmerman. 

1886,  Thomas  Bf^iley,  K  Gr.  Lower,  Thomas  McDermott.  L.  R.  Klock. 

]    1887,  Eraorj' J.  Diefendorf,  Warner  Edick,  Fred  M.  Kenyon,  L.  Timmerman. 

1888,  Thomas  McDermott,  Fred  H.  Gowen,  John  H.  Kane,  George  H.  Goetchiiis. 

1889,  Charles  N.  Le  Bart,  David  P.  Broaghton,  Frank  W.  Smith,  Halsey  W.  Warren. 

1890,  H.  G.  Babcock,  N.  0.  Casler,  John  H.  Kane,  Hiram  Sharp. 

1891,  Richard  Levee,  J.  S.  Newell,  Halsey  W.  Warren,  Herbert  B.  demons. 

1892,  William  Dale,  Squire  Bailey,  Kenyon  A.  Bushnell,  Sylvanns  J.  Waters,  jr. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  presidents  of  the  village  of  Little  Falls  from 
1828  to  the  present  time: 

N.  S.  Benton,  1828;  John  Dygert,  1829-30;  Arphaxed  Looniis,  1831,  1833-36; 
Henry  P.  Alexander,  1834-3,5;  Jesse  C.  Dann,  183,";  Martin  W.  Priest,  1838-41, 
1844,1847,1862-60,1872-73;  Robert  Stewart,  1842;  George  B.  Young,  1843 ;  Fred- 
erick Lansing,  1845-46;  Richard  N.  Casler  (appointed  to  fill  vacancy),  1847 ;  Hiram 
Nolton,  1848;  George  H.  Feeter,  1849-50;  Nelson  Rust,  1851;  William  Brooks,  jr., 
1852;  Zenas  C.  Priest,  1853 ;  Henry  Link  (appointed  to  fill  vacancy),  1854;  Jarvis  N. 
Lake,  1854;  James  N.  Barber  (appointed  to  fill  vacancy),  1854-56;  Thomas  Burch, 
1855;  J.  W.  Helmer  (appointed  to  fill  vacancy),  1855;  James  Feeter,  1857;  Seth  M. 
Richmond,  1858-61 ;  Mount  M.  Abel,  1867  ;  John  P.  Sharer,  1868-71  ;  W.  A.  Staf- 
ford, 1874;  Watts  T.  Loomis  (appointed  to  fill  vacancy),  1874;  S.  Stewart  Lansing, 
1875-76;  Jonah  May,  1877;  Isaac  B.  Richmond,  1878-79;  Henry  Link,  1880;  Isaac 
B.  Richmond,  1881,  1883;  Kendrick  E.  Morgan,  1882;  J.  J.  Gilbert,  1384-85;  Joseph 
W.  Baker,  1886 ;  George  F.  Crumby  1887 ;  Isaac  B.  Richmond,  1888,  1890;  Charles 
L.  Petree,  1889;  Judson  J.  Gilbert,  1891 ;  1892,  Albert  Story. 

The  officers  of  the  village  for  1892  are  as  follow:  President,  Albert 
Story ;  treasurer,  Frank  B.  Wilcox ;  collector,  Calvin  Van  Alstine ; 
trustees,  "William  H.  Dale,  Squire  Bailey,  Sylvanus  J.  Waters,  jr.,  Ken- 
yon A.  Bushnell ;  clerk,  Wilbur  D.  Newell  ;  attorney,  H.  A.  De  Coster ; 
street  commissioner,  James  M.  Smith  ;  board  of  health,  John  R.  Taylor, 
Milton  Tryon,  Frank  W.  Smith. 

THE   CHURCHES   AND   SCHOOLS   OF   LITTLE   FALLS. 

Tlie  Octagon  Church. — This  historic  building  was  erected,  says  Mr. 
Benton's   history,  about   the   year    1796,  and  "  attracted   the  admiring 


276  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtJNTlT. 

were  Abraham  Neeley  and  wife,  Daniel  Talcott  and  wife,  Mrs.  Henry 
Rartlett  and  Mrs.  James  Kennedy.  The  first  elders  of  the  church, 
chosen  May  i6,  1813,  were  Abraham  Neeley  and  Thomas  Smith.  In 
the  early  part  of  18 1 3  the  church  entered  into  ecclesiastical  connection 
with  the  Presbytery  of  Oneida,  and  so  remained  until  1842,  when  it 
transferred  its  connection  to  the  Presbytery  of  Albany.  In  the  re- 
construction of  synods  and  presbyteries  in  1870,  after  the  reunion,  this 
church  was  included  within  the  bounds  of  the  synod  of  Central  New 
York  by  act  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  by  act  of  synod  was  attached 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Utica,  with  which  it  has  since  been  connected. 
The  congregation  originallj'  worshiped  in  the  old  Octagon  church  be- 
fore described,  which  was  erected  about  1796.  In  1832  a  brick  church 
was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Ann  and  Albany  streets  (now  occupied  by 
D.  H.  Burrell  &  Co.).  This  building  served  the  congregation  for  nearly 
fifty  years,  and  was  several  times  remodeled  and  enlarged.  In  1879 
the  present  beautiful  and  and  costly  stone  edifice  was  completed.  It  is 
one  of  the  finest  church  structures  in  Central  New  York  and  cost  more 
than  $40,000. 

Tlie  Sabbath-school  was  probably  organized  soon  after  the  church  organization,  and 
Rev.  H.  N.  Woodruff  was  the  first  superintendent,  with  the  following  teachers:  Hon. 
N.  S.  Benton,  Ephraim  Garter,  Josiah  Pierson.  Mrs.  H.  N.  Woodruff,  Maria  John.son, 
Sarah  Lockwood,  and  Elizabeth  Carpenter.  The  following  per.^ons  have  served  as  su- 
perintendents of  the  school:  Rev.  H.  N.  Woodrufl",  William  Hammill,  Hosea  Hamil- 
ton, John  Dygert,  Rev.  T.  B.  Jervis,  Thomas  Burch,  William  Rossiter,  Jarvis  X.  Lake, 
J.  S.  Aldridge,  D.  H.  Burrell,  Amos  King,  Charles  King,  L.  Timmerman,  and  E.  J. 
Burrell. 

The  following  have  served  either  as  pastors  or  stated  supplies  of  the 
church : 

Rev.  James  Joyce,  1812-1813  ;  Rev.  Hezekiah  N.  Woodrufl;  1813-1822;  Rev.  Stephen 
W.  Burritt,  1822-1827;  Rev.  Jacob  Helffenstein,  1827-1828;  Rev.  David  M.  Smith, 
1828-1829;  Rev.  J.  Barton,  1830-1831;  Rev.  J.  H.  Martyn,  1831-1832;  Rev.  James 
F.  Warren,  1832-1833;  Rev.  James  I.  Ostrom,  1833-1835;  Rev.  Arthur  Burtis,  1836- 
1837  ;  Rev.  L.  P.  Blodgett,  1837-1839  ;  Rev.  A.  L.  Bloodgood,  1840-1841 ;  Rev.  J.  H. 
Mcllvaine.  1841-1843;  Rev.  A.  G.  Vermilye,  1845-1849;  Rev.  H.  W.  Morris,  1850- 
1860;  Rev.  M.  L.  P.  Hill,  1860-1868;  Rev.  W.  B.  Parraalee,  1869-1872;  Rev.  Walter 
Condit.  1873-1875  ;  Rev.  Arthur  Potts,  1875-1881 ;  Rev.  F.  A.  M.  Brown,  D.  D.,  1882- 
1887 ;  Rev.  C.  S.  Richardson,  1888. 

The  elders  of  the  church  are: 


Town  of  little  falls.  277 

J.  S.  Aldridge,  E.  D.  Evans,  Andrew  Van  Valkenburgh,  D.  H.  Burrell.  The  trustees 
are  W.  G.  Milligan,  president;  E.  J.  Burrell,  C.  L.  Petree,  L.  Carryl,  F.  L  Small,  J.  H. 
Ives,  A.  W.  Shepherd,  W.  T.  Loomis,  George  G.  Stebbins. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — Methodism  in  the  M3hawk  valley  dates 
from  a  very  early  period,  certainly  previous  to  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century;  and  while  details  of  the  early  history  are  extremely 
meager,  we  know  that  Freeborn  Garretson  and  some  of  his  colaborers 
were  in  Schenectady  in  1789,  and  probably  preached  as  far  west  as 
Utica.  Starkville  in  this  county  had  a  class  between  1790  and  1795, 
and  Brockett's  Bridge  (Dolgeville)  had  one  about  1800.  Little  Falls 
was,  of  course,  visited  by  those  early  preachers.  William  Morrallee 
came  to  this  country  from  England  in  1801  and  preached  here,  and 
Bishop  Asbury  visited  Little  Falls  in  1807,  and  baptized  Mrs.  Phoebe 
Lewis,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Morrallee.  A  legal  church  organization  was 
not,  however,  effected  until  November  19,  1832.  At  the  meeting  held 
for  that  purpose  in  the  old  stone  school- house,  Henry  Heath  presided 
and  E.  S.  Edgerton  was  secretary.  The  following  persons  were  elected 
the  first  trustees  :  Edmund  L.  Shepherd,  Gilbert  Robinson,  George 
Warcup,  E.  S.  Edgerton,  and  Henry  Heath.  Rev.  Darius  Simmons 
was  then  one  of  the  circuit  preachers,  and  eight  days  later  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  visit  Troy,  Albany  and  New  York  and  solicit  funds  with 
which  to  build  a  church.  He  probably  failed  in  his  purpose,  as  only 
$400  were  pledged  and  the  project  was  abandoned  until  1837.  Again, 
after  considerable  effort,  it  was  given  up  on  account  of  the  financial 
stress  of  that  time.  Finally,  in  1838,  through  the  efforts  of  Rev. 
Charles  L.  Dunning,  a  powerful  preacher  and  a  man  of  indomitable  will 
and  energy,  a  building  was  erected,  which  was  dedicated  September  28, 
1839.  Bishop  Hedding  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon.  The  mem- 
bership at  that  time  was  fifty- three.  Since  Mr.  Dunning's  pastorate 
the  following  have  served  the  church: 

Revs.  C.  W.  Leet,  Charles  L.  Dunning,  S.  Orvis,  B.  L  Diefendorf,  0.  C.  Cole,  C.  L. 
Dunning,  R.  B.  Stratton,  W.  L.  Tisdale,  M.  G.  Bullock,  J.  V.  Ferguson,  Aaron  Adams, 
I.  L  Hunt,  Benjamin  Phillips,  D.  Simons,  D.  M.  Rogers,  John  Loveys,  J.  D.  Adams,  J. 
L.  Humphrey,  W.  Jones,  J.  L.  Humphrey,  M.  R.  Webster,  James  Coote,  Samuel  Call, 
J.  B.  Hammond,  who  came  in  the  spring  of  1888. 

The  church  membership  is  now  about  500.  The  trustees  are  S. 
Newell,  Titus  Sheard,  William   Dale,  C.  T.   Pooler,   S.   Cross,  William 


280  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Revs.  J.  H.  Harter,  T.J.  Whitcomb,  engaged  in  Septeml)er.  1851 ;  J.  H.  Hobbs,  Sep- 
tember, 18.33;  George  W.  Skinner,  November,  1854;  B.  B.  Halleck,  June,  1857;  J.  R. 
Sage,  May,  1859;  0.  Cone,  1863;  A  Tibets,  December,  1865;  Lucius  Holmes,  Octo- 
ber, 1867;  George  P.  Hibbard,  June,  1871 ;  H.  D.  L.  Webster.  May,  1873  ;  H.  A.  Han- 
aford,  April,  1875;  E.  F.  Pember,  December,  1877;  Selden  S.  Gilbert,  closed  Septem- 
ber, 1884;  R.  E.  Sykes,  the  present  pastor,  came  in  April,  1885.  The  membership  is 
about  100.  Following  are  the  present  trustees:  Charles  Benedict,  George  S.  Ransom, 
Nelson  E.  Ransom,  John  P.  Harvey,  Addison  Eaton,  Oscar  Taylor. 

Si.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church. — Previous  to  the  building  of  the 
Utica  and  Schenectady  Railroad  and  the  enlargement  of  the  Erie  Canal, 
Little  Falls  was  visited  by  various  Catholic  clergymen,  but  during  the 
improvements  mentioned  Rev.  Father  Burke  was  appointed  pastor  in 
this  place.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Father  Shanahan.  They  oc- 
cupied the  old  Octagon  church.  For  some  time  after  the  completion 
of  the  railroad  and  the  consequent  removal  of  many  Catholic  families, 
the  village  was  without  a  resident  pastor.  During  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
Father  Stokes  over  St.  John's  church  in  Utica,  his  assistant,  Rev.  John 
Menomy,  a  young  clergyman,  was  appointed  by  the  bishop  as  pastor 
of  Herkimer,  Montgomery,  Fulton,  Otsego,  and  Schoharie  counties. 
He  purchased  a  lot  on  John  street  and  erected  the  first  Catholic  church 
of  Little  Falls.  It  was  a  comfortable-  frame  building  and  was  finished 
in  1847  and  dedicated  the  same  year  under  the  name  of  St.  Mary's 
church.  About  the  year  1S52  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  B.  F.  Mc- 
Loughlin,  who  built  the  brick  parsonage.  During  his  administration 
the  church  was  burned.  The  pastor  was  succeeded  in  June,  1867,  by 
Rev.  F"rancis  Von  Campenhoudt.  He  erected  the  brick  church  on  the 
corner  of  Alexander  and  Petrie  streets,  which  was  dedicated  in  1869 
by  Bishop  Lynch,  of  Charleston,  S.  C.  He  was  succeeded  in  1872 
by  Rev.  James  Ludden,  who  remained  more  than  ten  years  and 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  P.  Ludden,  the  present  pastor.  During  the 
first  Father  Ludden's  pastorate  the  church  building  was  condemned  as 
unsafe,  and  in  1874  the  new  stone  church  corner  of  John  street  and 
Eastern  avenue  was  begun  and  completed  in  1878.  In  1889  the  sub- 
stantial stone  school  building  was  erected,  and  in  1892  the  stone 
deanery  was  built.     The  property  is  now  very  valuable. 

German  Evangelical  Church. — In  the  year  1849  Rev.  P.  Herlan 
began  labor  here  for  the  establishment  of  a  church  of  this  faith,  which 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  281 

he  continued  about  two  years.  The  place  was  then  included  in  a  cir- 
cuit extending  from  Albany  to  Syracuse.  In  1852  Rev.  E  Greuzebach 
and  a  Mr.  Scharfe  came  to  the  charge,  and  in  1855  Rev.  L.  Herman 
came,  and  during  his  ministrations  the  church  was  built  on  Gansevoort 
street.  The  society  was  incorporated  January  29,  1857.  The  list  of 
pastors  cannot  be  given  complete,  in  the  absence  of  records. 

Schools. — In  foregoing  pages  the  stone  school -house  has  often  been 
mentioned.  It  is  said  that  Elijah  Case  taught  the  first  school  in  that 
historic  structure,  and  for  many  years  it  was  the  only  educational  in- 
stitution in  the  village.  Mr.  Case  called  his  scholars  to  study  by  blow- 
ing a  long  tin  horn.  There  was  little  advancement  in  the  schools  at 
Little  Falls  until  the  incorporation  of  the  academy  by  the  Regents  of 
the  University  of  this  State  October  17,  1844.  The  trustees  named  in 
the  charter  were  : 

Nathaniel  S.  Benton,  Frederick  Lansing,  William  0.  Grain,  Henry  Heath,  Harry 
Burrell,  Albert  G.  Story.  Thomas  Burch,  Solomon  Petrie,  Henry  Bysaman,  Arphaxed 
Loomis,  George  H.  Feeter,  David  Petrie,  Martm  W.  Priest,  Richard  N.  Casler,  Zenas 
C.  Priest,  Nathan  Brown,  Stephen  W.  Brown,  William   Ingham. 

The  citizens  of  the  village  contributed  liberally  to  a  fund  for  the 
erection  of  a  necessary  building  and  the  result  was  the  substantial  stone 
structure  which  has  so  long  served  its  purpose.  In  December,  1845, 
the  reported  value  of  the  academic  property  entire  was  $14,849.38. 
The  school  was  opened  by  Merritt  G.  McKoon,  A.  M.,  as  principal. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  following : 

Daniel  Washburne,  1845;  Josiah  A.  Priest,  1848;  James  H.  Maguffin,  1849;  Philo 
S.  Casler,  1850 ;  Avery  Briggs,  1851  ;  Lawrence  Mercerreaux,  1854 ;  W.  H.  W^alker, 
1858;  Alonzo  Phelps,  1860;  John  Bell,  1861  ;  Levi  D.  Miller,  1863;  Hannibal  Smitli, 
1867;  D.  P.  Blackstone,  1869;  Eugene  E.  Sheldon,  1870;  W.  F.  Bridge,  1871. 

This  academy  subsequently  became  a  part  of  the  free  school  system 
of  the  village. 

A  resolution  was  adopted  on  the  14th  of  October,  1873  "That  a 
union  free  school,  with  an  academical  department,  be  established  in 
this  school  district,"  the  Board  of  Education  to  consist  of  six  trustees, 
two  of  whom  were  to  be  elected  annually.  The  existing  Little  Falls 
Academy  was  adopted  as  the  academical  department.  The  first  Board 
of  Education,  elected  October  15,  1873,  was:  Arphaxed  Loomis,  Jonah 


282  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

May,  Seth  M.  Richmond,  Charles  G.  Burke,  James  Hart,  James  W. 
Magill.  Arphaxed  Loomis  was  chosen  president,  and  James  Hart  sec- 
retary of  this  first  Board  of  Education.  The  school  was  divided  into 
primary,  intermediate,  preparatory  and  academic  departments. 

On  the  2d  of  September,  1879,  the  graded  school  system  was 
adopted,  and  under  the  law  of  that  year  W.  S.  Hall  was  appointed  the 
first  superintendent  of  schools.  The  schools  were  then  divided  into  the 
Eastern,  Western,  and  Southern  Divisions,  the  academical  department 
being  continued  in  the  academy  building  in  the  Eastern  Division. 
The  schools  are  under  the  supervision  of  the  Regents  of  the  University 
of  the  State,  and  the  course  of  study  conforms  to  the  requirements  of 
that  body.  Pupils  are  not  admitted  to  the  academical  department  upon 
examinations  by  the  teachers,  but  upon  the  fact  of  the  applicant  hold- 
ing a  regent's  preliminary  certificate,  obtained  upon  a  regent's  exam- 
ination. On  completion  of  the  course  of  study  and  satisfactory  exam- 
ination a  graduating  diploma  is  awarded. 

In  1884  a  new  brick  school-house  was  erected  for  the  Southern  Di- 
vision, on  the  south  side  of  the  Mohawk,  at  a  cost  of  $12,000,  and  in 
1889  a  new  brick  school  building  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  old  struct- 
ure, corner  of  Prospect  and  Church  streets,  at  a  cost  of  $22,000. 
This  latter  building  is  a  model  one  in  its  heating  and  ventilating  sys- 
tem and  interior  arrangement. 

The  present  Board  of  Education  is  composed  of  the  following  per- 
sons: 

Rollin""J-I.  Smith,  president ;  Alonzo  H.  Green,  secretary  ;  William  R.  Chappie, 
Horace  A.  Tozer,  John  Chester,  Ivan  T.  Burney ;  superintendent  of  schools,  Thomas 
A.  Caswell. 

Academical  Department.  Marcelhis  Oakey,  principal  ;  Miss  Mary  L.  Mills,  precep- 
tress;  Miss  Mary  E.  Vaughn,  as,sistant. 

Eastern  Division,  Miss  Adelaide  A.  Appley,  Miss  Ennly  A.  Oyston,  Miss  Minnie 
Evans,  Miss  Maggie  D.  Ferguson,  Miss  Mildred  B.  VanAlstine,  Miss  Anna  P.  Hutchins. 

Western  Division,  J.  K.  Abrams,  principal ;  Miss  Helena  J.  Ballard,  Miss  Julia  S. 
Beach,  Miss  Mary  E.  Van  Deusen,  Miss  Bertha  I.  Hagedorn,  Miss  Ella  M.  Lewi.s,  Miss 
B  la  R.  Groom,  Miss  Cora  M.  Sharp,  Miss  Maggie  E.  Walcott. 

Southern  Division,  J.  F.  Steward,  principal;  Miss  Gertrude  Brown,  Miss  Lucy  H. 
Clancy,  Miss  Lora  Houpt. 

The  Press  of  Little  Falls. — The  first  newspaper  in  Little  Falls  was 
called  the  People's  Friend,  a  Democratic  paper,  started  by  Edward  M. 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  PALLS.  283 

Griffing  in  September,  1821.  After  about  ten  years  of  existence  sev- 
eral leading  Democrats  of  the  village  purchased  the  establishment  to 
prevent  a  forced  sale  and  discontinuance  of  the  paper.  Its  name  was 
then  changed  to  the  Mohatvk  Courier',  and  its  publication  continued  by 
Charles  S.  Benton  &  Co.;  from  them  it  passed  to  Josiah  A.  Noonan, 
who  sold  it  to  Horatio  N.  Johnson.  He  transferred  it  to  Elias  G. 
Palmer,  but  subsequently  bought  it  back,  and  associated  with  himself 
Allen  W.  Eaton.  In  1856  Mr  Eaton  purchased  his  partner's  interest 
in  the  establishment,  and  the  paper  became  the  county  organ  of  the 
then  young  Republican  party,  Mr.  Eaton  acting  as  editor.  In  March, 
1861,  Mr.  Eaton  sold  the  paper  to  William  Ayer  and  T.  S.  Brigham, 
who  conducted  it  until  January  i,  1864,  when  it  was  purchased  by 
Jean  R.  Stebbins,  then  proprietor  of  the  Journal,  and  the  two  papers 
were  consolidated  under  the  name  of  the  Journal  and  Courier. 

The  history  of  the  Journal  down  to  its  consolidation  with  the  Courier 
begins  in  1849,  when  the  Herkimer  County  Journal  was  removed  to 
Little  Falls  from  Herkimer  by  Orlando  Squires.  In  1858  X.  A. 
Willard  assumed  editorial  control  of  the  paper,  as  far  as  its  political  and 
literary  features  were  concerned,  and  Daniel  Ayer  conducted  the  local 
columns  and  the  business  management.  Mr.  Willard  continued  as  editor 
about  two  years.  Mr.  Ayer  injured  his  health  by  arduous  labor  and 
died  January  i,  1861.  On  the  i8th  of  the  same  month  the  establish- 
ment was  purchased  of  Mr.  Ayer's  widow  by  Jean  R.  Stebbins,  who 
continued  as  its  proprietor  until  the  consolidation  above  described. 

In  September,  1866,  George  G  Stebbins  purchased  an  interest  in  the 
Journal  and  Courier,  2Lnd  from  that  time  until  May,  1883,  the  paper 
was  conducted  and  edited  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  R.  &  Gr  G.  Steb- 
bins. On  the  date  last  named  Ivan  T.  Burney  was  admitted  to 
the  firm  and  the  business  continued  under  the  firm  name  of  Stebbins  & 
Co.  until  November  i,  1886,  when  J.  R  Stebbins  sold  his  interest  to  his 
partners,  after  a  continuous  connection  with  the  paper  of  more  than 
twenty-five  years.  Mr.  Stebbins  was  a  forcible  and  vigorous  writer, 
especially  on  political  subjects,  and  in  the  broad  field  of  Republican 
politics  his  journal  exerted  a  wide  and  powerful  influence.  Its  circula- 
tion was  extended  and  its  character  and  prosperity  built  up  under  his 
able  administration.     Soon   after  the  disposing  of    his  interest   to   his 


284  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

partners,  Mr.  Stebbins  removed  to  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  to  assume  the  du- 
ties of  president  of  the  Agricultural  Insurance  Company  of  that  city. 
The  Journal  and  Courier  since  then  has  been  ably  couducted  by  Steb- 
bins &  Burney. 

The  Herkimer  County  Neius  was  started  in  Mohawk  as  an  independ- 
ent paper  in  1868  by  Williams  &  Perkins.  In  the  fall  of  1 870,  at  the 
solicitation  of  many  Democrats  in  Little  Falls,  the  News  was  removed 
to  this  village.  In  the  spring  of  1871  it  was  transferred  to  L.  W. 
Flagg,  and  in  August  of  the  same  year  was  purchased  by  T;  M  Chap- 
man, of  Canandaigua,  N.  Y.,  and  W.  R.  Chappie,  of  Cleveland,  O., 
under  the  firm  name  of  Chapman  &  Chappie.  The  establishment  was 
enlarged  and  the  paper  given  a  new  impetus.  In  September,  1874,  Mr. 
Chapman  sold  his  interest  to  H.  A.  Tozer  (Chaf«»afi  &  Tozer).  In  De- 
cember, 1877,  failing  health  impelled  Mr.  Tozer  to  retire,  and  since  that 
time  the  paper  has  been  ably  conducted  on  Democratic  lines  by  Mr. 
Chappie. 

The  Little  Falls  Evening  Times  is  the  only  daily  newspaper  pub- 
lished in  Herkimer  county.  It  was  founded  May  10,  1876,  by  the  Co- 
operative Printing  Company,  composed  of  Robert  Currie,  Thomas  and 
G.  H.  Highland,  J.  R.  McGuire,  and  Henry  Langdon.  The  type  and 
other  materials  were  purchased  of  C.  A.  Tucker,  who  had  previously 
published  the  Mohaivk  Independent.  John  F.  Devlin  was  the  first 
editor  of  the  new  daily.  In  November,  1886,  the  establishment  was 
sold  to  a  syndicate  and  E  W.  Pavey  was  appointed  editor.  Mr.  Pavey 
continued  in  the  editorial  chair  about  one  year,  and  was  succeeded  by 
John  M.  Lee  as  editor  and  manager.  Mr.  Lee  held  the  position  until 
August,  1889,  when  Jay  E.  Klock,  of  Albany,  purchased  an  interest  in 
the  paper  and  became  editor  and  manager.  Mr.  Klock  retired  June 
15,  1 89 1,  to  become  editor  of  the  Kingston  (N.  Y.)  Freeman.  He  was 
succeeded  on  the  Times  by  John  Crowley,  jr.  Mr.  Crowley  purchased 
the  interest  of  his  partners  in  July,  1892,  and  is  now  editor  and  sole 
proprietor.  The  Times  is  independent  in  politics,  and  a  bright  and  ably 
conducted  paper. 

The  death-roll  of  newspapers  in  Herkimer  county  is  a  long  one,  as 
it  is  in  all  other  districts  where  numerous  journals  have  been  started  by 
ambitious  publishers  and  editors.  The  brief  careers  of  many  of  these 
wrecks  are  noted  in  the  history  of  other  towns  in  this  volume. 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  28o 

The  Republican  Farmer's  Free  Press  was  removed  to  Little  Falls  from 
Herkimer  (see  history  of  Herkimer)  and  its  name  changed  to  the  Her- 
kimer County  Whig.  It  was  published  by  Larned  W.  Smith,  and  died 
young. 

In  1839  Edward  M.  Griffing  established  The  Enterprise  and  con- 
tinued its  publication  about  two  years.  He  then  started  the  Mohazvk 
Mirror,  a  semi-monthly  paper,  which  expired  in  1844 

The  Herkimer  Freeman  was  started  in  Little  Falls  by  O.  A.  Bowe, 
about  1844,  after  he  had  left  the  Herkimer  County  Journal,  at  Herki- 
mer.    The  Freeman  was  an  abolition  organ  and  lived  about  six  years. 

The  Catholic  Telegraph  was  first  issued  at  Little  Falls  June  8,  1878. 
It  was  edited  by  Rev.  James  M.  Ludden  and  M.  J.  Ludden.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1 88 1,  the  paper  was  removed  to  Albany  and  was  discontinued  a 
few  years  later. 

T\\&  Dairyman  s  Record,  &  semi-monthly,  was  started  February  15, 
1859,  by  A.  W.  Eaton.  In  May,  i860,  its  name  was  changed  to  the 
Dairy  Farmer  and  issued  monthly.  In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Eaton  sold 
the  paper  to  Ayer  &  Brigham,  and  it  was  discontinued  about  a  year 
later. 

Water  Works. — Little  Falls  had  little  water  supply  in  which  it  could 
reasonably  feel  pride  until  very  recent  years.  With  pipes  in  some  of 
the  streets  and  indifferent  sources  to  rely  upon,  the  village  for  many 
years  seriouslj'  felt  the  need  of  a  better  supply  of  water  for  domestic 
and  fire  extinguishing  purposes.  The  reason  given  for  this  state  of 
affairs  was  chiefly  the  apparently  insurmountable  engineering  difficulties 
to  be  encountered  in  the  construction  of  new  works,  with  the.attendant 
expense.  For  several  years  previous  to  1885  the  subject  of  a  better 
water  supply  had  been  agitated,  and  finally  on  tlie  2ist  of  May,  18S5, 
the  trustees  appointed  a  committee  of  twelve  prominent  citizens  to  act 
with  them  in  investigating  the  subject.  The  members  of  the  com- 
mittee were  Hon.  George  A.  Hardin,  chairman  ;  Michael  Reddy, 
Titus  Sheard,  J.  D.  Feeter,  R.  Walrath,  D.  H.  Burrell,  S.  M.  Richmond, 
Lorenzo  Carryl,  Watts  T.  Loomis,  Z.  C.  Priest,  William  I.  Skinner,  and 
J.  R.  Stebbins.  This  committee  visited  and  inspected  all  the  practi- 
cable sources  of  supply  and  procured  analyses  of  the  waters.  The  result 
of  these  investigations    was  the   selection  of  Beaver  Brook   as  the   best 


286  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

and  most  available  source.  The  committee  reported  unanimously  in 
favor  of  the  corporation  owning  the  works  and  on  the  source  selected. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  1885,  the  Board  of  Trustees  organized  themselves 
into  a  Board  of  Water  Commissioners  as  follows  :  J.  J.  Gilbert,  presi- 
dent;  C.  J.  Palmer,  secretary;  Lyman  Timmerman,  treasurer;  Victor 
Adams,  W.  R.  Chappie,  Charles  Benedict,  George  W.  Shall,  Charles 
Bailey,  D.  J.  Mesick,  commissioners.  This  board  was  temporary  and 
to  be  succeeded  by  a  permanent  one  when  the  necessarj'  legislation 
should  have  been  procured. 

An  election  was  ordered  for  August  20,  1885,  to  decide  whether  the 
village  was  in  favor  of  adopting  the  plans  of  the  committee,  at  which 
429  tax  payers  voted  in  favor  and  iio  against  the  plans;  and  864 
electors  voted  in  favor  and  141  against.  Upon  the  announcement  of 
this  result  a  popular  jubilee  was  held  at  which  the  inhabitants  gener- 
ally expressed  their  satisfaction  after  the  customary  American  pro- 
gramme. October  6,  188.5,  the  commissioners  secured  the  services  of 
Stephen  E.  Babcock,  civil  engineer,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  a  contract  was 
made  with  him  to  superintend  the  construction  of  the  proposed  works 
at  a  salary  of  $3,000  per  annum.  Mr.  Babcock  and  his  assistants  com- 
pleted the  surveys  of  the  entire  system  by  December  25,  1885.  An 
act  was  then  prepared  to  transfer  the  duties  of  the  water  commissioners 
of  the  village  to  a  Board  of  Water  Commissioners,  whicli  became  a  law 
on  the  1 1  th  of  February,  1886.  Under  this  act  the  following  commis- 
sioners were  chosen  :  Watts  T.  Loomis,  five  years  ;  William  I.  Skin- 
ner, four  years;  Charles  J.  Palmer,  three  years;  David  H.  Burrell,  two 
years  ;  all  dating  from  January  i,  1886.  An  act  to  authorize  the  issue 
of  $250,000  in  bonds  was  passed  March  8,  1886.  Sealed  proposals 
were  received  up  to  May,  1886,  for  constructing  the  Beaver  Creek 
conduit,  eight  miles  long,  dam  and  inlet  chamber ;  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  distribution  reservoir  and  about  one  mile  of  open  canals; 
for  trenches  and  laying  the  system  of  distribution  complete,  about 
sixteen  miles  ;  and  for  the  valves  and  hydrants  complete.  All  of  these 
contracts  were  successfully  let  to  responsible  persons.  The  reservoir 
and  conduit  were  brought  into  use  July  15,  1887;  the  distribution 
reservoir  was  not  fully  completed  until  October,  1888;  but  the  pipe 
lines    were    so    arranged  temporarily  that    water    was    delivered    after 


I 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  287 

October  28,  1886.  An  additional  feed  pipe  line  was  subsequently 
constructed  to  connect  at  William  street  at  a  cost  of  $15,000,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  possibility  of  ever  being  without  water  for  a  day  or  two 
through  the  breakage  of  the  original  line.  For  the  completion  of  the 
great  work  an  act  was  passed  April  18,  1887,  authorizing  the  raising  of 
a  further  sum  of  $25,000.  This  sum  was  still  found  inadequate,  and  on 
the  8th  of  May,  1888,  an  act  was  passed  authorizing  the  issue  of  bonds 
to  the  further  amount  of  $30,000,  making  in  all  $305,000.  The  cost 
of  the  works  averaged  $11,115  P^""  rnile,  which  was  lower  than  the 
average  cost  of  water  works  in  cities  and  villages  throughout  the 
country.  The  commissioners  and  the  citizens'  committee  estimated 
that  the  sum  of  $21,500  per  annum  would  have  to  be  realized  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  works  and  meeting  the  assumed  obligations,  as 
follows:  Fixed  charges  of  interest,  $10,000;  cost  of  maintenance, 
$5,500;  for  sinking  fund,  $6,000.  A  system  of  rates  was  established 
in  accordance  with  this  estimate,  charging  $5  each  for  ordinary  stores 
and  dwellings. 

No  public  improvement  can  be  conceived  that  would  confer  a  greater 
benefit  upon  Little  Falls  than  has  this  system  of  water  works,  and  while 
it  has  created  a  considerable  debt,  the  burden  is  generally  cheerfully 
assumed.  The  present  commissioners  are  :  Chas.  J.  Palmer,  president ; 
Hadley  Jones,  secretary;   Rollin  H.  Smith,  Rugene  Walrath. 

The  Fire  Department. — The  early  action  of  the  village  toward  pro- 
viding for  the  extinguishment  of  fires  has  been  noticed.  The  first 
company  "  No.  I  "  was  organized  in  1808  by  Captain  Solomon  Lock- 
wood,  and  in  181 1  the  following  persons  were  members  of  this  company: 

Solomon  Lockwood,  captain  ;  Rufiis  Sawyer,  Amos  Parkhurst.  Josiah  Hazen,  Isaac 
Stevenson,  Felix  Dutoher,  Josiah  Perry,  Thomas  Battle,  Benjamin  Carr,  Thomas  Gould, 
Henry  Frey,  Benjamin  Bowen,  John  O.  Mclntyre,  Matthias  B.  Bellows,  Thomas  Smith, 
William  Girvan,  Brayton  Buckland,  John  Protheroe,  John  Phillips,  Washington  Brit- 
ton,  George  W.  Angel,  Charles  Hinkley,  Wiliiam  T.  Dodge,  Henry  Holmes,  James 
Beattie,  George  Plato.  The  engine  liouse  then  stood  a  little  west  of  the  Girvan  Hou-se 
site. 

The  organization  of  Protection  Fire  Company  No.  2  took  place  June 
19.  1835,  and  its  headquarters  were  on  the  north  side  of  German  street. 
The  first  engine  was  a  "  goose-neck  "  hand  machine,  and  later  a  Button 
steamer.     Cascade  Fire  Company  No.    i    was   organized  October   11, 


288  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

1853,   and    reorganized    November    29,  1873.     The   original    members 
were  as  follows : 

Henry  P.  Alexander,  Horace  M.  Burch,  James  Feeter,  William  Usher,  James  R 
Fisher,  Stephen  Farnhain,  Hiram  McChesney,  William  T.  Wheeler,  William  Beattit-, 
Henry  Wiegand,  James  Strossman,  William  Ellison,  William  H.  Anable,  George  Ash- 
ley, John  Shaunberg,  James  Roe,  S.  J.  Galpin,  Nelson  Rust,  John  Feeter,  A.  Rathbun, 
M.  E.  Fuller,  William  H.  Cressey,  Joseph  Boyer,  jr,  James  G.  Reals,  James  Churchill, 
James  Levee,  William  Ingham,  William  Genett  and  S.  Sherman. 

General  Herkimer  Company  No.  3  was  organized  Jul}'  3,  1857,  with 
the  following  officers : 

J.  Satterlee,  foreman  ;  J.  B.  Eysaman,  first  assistant ;  J.  Yosburgh,  second  assistant : 
H.  Fralick,  secretary;  P.  G.  Potts,  treasurer. 

The  fire  department,  as  it  exists  at  the  present  time,  was  organized 
under  special  act  of  the  Legislature  May  i,  1886,  which  authorized  a 
commission  to  take  control  of  both  the  fire  and  the  police  departments. 
The  property  of  the  fire  department  consisted  of  three  steam  fire  engines, 
one  hook  and  ladder  truck  and  appurtenances,  and  one  chemical  engine. 
These  continued  in  use  until  1888,  when  the  construction  of  the  present 
water  works  rendered  the  engines  almost  wholly  unnecessary.  The 
companies  which  had  been  connected  with  the  steamers  were  reorgan- 
ized into  hose  companies,  while  the  hook  and  ladder  and  chemical  com- 
panies remained  as  they  were. 

Previous  to  the  construction  of  the  water  works  each  company  con- 
sisted of  a  maximum  of  sixty  men.  This  number  is  still  retained  in  the 
hook  and  ladder  and  the  chemical  companies,  while  the  maximum  of 
the  hose  companies  was  reduced  to  thirty  men  each.  There  is  a  chief 
engineer  and  first  and  second  assistant  engineers,  all  subject  to  the  con- 
trol of  the  Board  of  Fire  and  Police  Commissioners.  The  first  board  was 
composed  as  follows : 

S.  M.  Van  Alstine,  chairman :  S.  W.  Petrie,  M.  G.  Bronner,  J.  P.  Sharer ;  W.  S. 
Shepard,  clerk.  The  present  board  is:  M.  G.  Bronner,  chairman;  D.  F.  Herlehey,  F. 
Senior,  J.  S  Barnet. 

The  cost  to  the  village  of  the  fire  department  is  $4,000  annually. 
An  electric  fire  alarm  is  in  use,  comprising  twenty  alarm  boxes  placed 
at  as  many  proper  points.  The  alarm  is  sounded  by  a  steam  whistle  in 
the  electric  light  works,  opposite  the  New  York  Central  depot. 


"TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  .  289 

Police  Department. — Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Police 
and  Fire  Commissioners,  as  above  described,  the  poHce  department 
was  controlled  by  the  village  trustees,  and  changed  with  almost  every 
change  of  administration.  The  creation  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners 
corrected  this  evil  and  gave  to  the  department  much  greater  efificiency. 
The  police  force  now  consists  of  six  officers  including  the  chief  and  as- 
sistant cliief.  The  present  chief  of  police  is  Earl  W.  Harris,  with 
Daniel  O'Brien  assistant  chief  The  cost  of  the  department  is  $4,000 
annually. 

Streets  and  Sewers. — The  control  of  the  streets  and  sewers  of  the 
village  is  vested  in  the  Board  of  Trustees,  through  a  street  commis- 
sioner. Marked  improvements  have  been  inuagurated  in  this  de- 
partment in  recent  years.  In  1882  a  steam  stone  crusher  was  purchased 
and  broken  stone  was  thenceforth  used  to  a  considerable  extent  in  im- 
proving the  roadways.  In  June,  1892,  a  Springfield  steam  roller  was 
secured,  and  a  beginning  has  been  made  upon  a  system  of  macadamiz- 
ing which  it  is  intended  shall  cover  all  the  streets  of  the  village. 

The  natural  drainage  of  Little  Falls  is  exceptionally  good  and  sewer 
construction  was  not  begun  until  1882.  Since  that  date  about  fifteen 
miles  of  sewerage  have  been  constructed  in  the  principal  streets. 

Street  Lighting. — The  first  gas  for  illumination  made  in  Little  Falls 
was  by  the  Little  Falls  Woolen  Company  and  the  Saxony  Woolen 
Company,  who  built  a  plant  and  made  gas  from  rosin  with  which  to 
light  their  own  factories.  This  gas  plant  was  purchased  by  John  W. 
and  S.  B.  Stitt  and  A.  G.  Story,  and  in  1853  pipes  were  laid  by  them 
in  the  principal  streets  of  the  village  and  the  gas  supplied  to  consumers. 
In  1863  the  works  were  enlarged  and  the  manufacture  of  coal  gas  was 
begun.  In  1869  the  Little  Falls  Gaslight  Company  was  formed  under 
the  general  State  law  with  a  capital  of  $25,000. 

The  directors  were  G.  A.  Hardin,  S.  M.  Richmond,  W.  G.  Milligan,  W.  M.  Dorr, 
Lorenzo  Carry),  J.  J.  Gilbert,  James  Feeter,  W.  T.  Wheeler,  and  J.  R.  Stebbius. 

In  1886  a  new  Board  of  Directors  consisting  of  William  Henry 
White,  V.  S.  Watrous  and  M.  J.  Leyden,  was  elected ;  William  Henry 
White,  president.  The  capital  stock  was  increased  to  $50,000.  A 
modern  system  of  retorts  with  a  capacity  of  20,000,000  cubic  feet 
annually,  a  large  telescopic  holder,  and  some  five  miles  of  new  street 
37 


290  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

mains  were  added  to  the  plant ;  public  lamps  were  placed  on  all  the 
thoroughfares  of  the  village.  In  the  same  year  electricity  was  also  sup- 
plied for  lighting  purposes.  The  present  price  of  gas  is  based  upon  a 
sliding  scale  regulated  by  the  volume  used,  so  that  the  net  rates  range 
from  $1.75  to  $2.25  per  thousand  cubic  feet. 

Little  Falls  Electric  Light  and  Pozver  Co. — This  company  was  or- 
ganized February  29,  1892,  with  the  following  officers  : 

Watts T.  Loorais,  president ;  Elijah  Reed,  vice-president;  William  F.  Lansing,  sec- 
retary, treasurer,  and  manager;  directors,  Watts  T.  Loomis,  William  F.  Lansing,  Nel- 
son R.  Gilbert,  Elijah  Reed,  James  H.  Ives. 

The  capital  stock  is  $30,000,  which  is  paid  up.  The  Thompson- 
Houston  direct  current  system  and  the  alternating  incandescent 
system  are  in  use.  The  steam  power  employed  is*  350  horse  power, 
and  more  than  lOO  two-thousand-candle  power  arcs  and  about  500 
sixteen-candle  power  incandescent  lights  are  in  use,  and  the  number  is 
rapidly  increasing. 

Herkimer  County  Batik  (now  National  Herkimer  County  Bank). — 
This  is  the  first  regularly  organized  banking  institution  in  Little  Falls, 
though  the  oldest  citizens  remember  what  was  called  the  Aqueduct 
Association  which  was  in  existence  in  1806,  and  issued  scrip  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  business  operations  of  that  period.  The  Herki- 
mer County  Bank  as  a  safety  fund  bank  was  incorporated  on  the  14th 
of  March,  1833,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $200,000  and  began  business 
in  August  of  the  same  year,  with  the  following  named  directors  : 

N.  S.  Benton,  Standish  Barry,  S.  W.  Brown,  Dudley  Burwell,  A.  Loomis,  F.  Lansing, 
P.  F.  Bellinger,  F.  B.  Spinner,  Benjamin  Carver,  David  Petrie,  H.  P.  Alexander,  John 
Stillwell,  and  Abijah  Mann,  jr.,  with  Standish  Barry  as  president  and  Watts  Sherman  as 
cashier. 

At  the  expiration  of  its  charter  in  1863,  the  institution  was  reorgan- 
ized as  an  associate  bank  under  the  law  of  1838,  with  the  same  amount 
of  capital. 

Tlie  directors  were  H.  P.  Alexander,  V.  S.  Kenyon,  A.  Loomis,  Hiram  Nolion,  Wm. 
Ingham,  G.  N.  Willard,  Z.  C.  Priest,  James  Feeter,  and  A.  G.  Story,  with  H.  P.  Alex- 
ander as  president,  and  A.  G.  Story,  cashier. 

In  1865  the  bank  was  converted  into  the  Herkimer  County  National 
Bank  of  Little  Falls,  with  the  same  amount  of  capital  as  before. 


■2011  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

mains  were  added  to  the  plant ;  pub:  re  placed   on 


-;ik!: 

b\-   tllr    \ 

froii 

Der  thousa 

Li:.:.  ;-u.7. 

QZ\\\7.fd.  Febrii  , 

\\ 

rct-H: 

son  R.  GiUjerL,  KlijaU  lU 

The  capital  stock    _ 
Houston    direct    current 
system  are  in  use.     t'''- 
and  more  than    lOO 
sixteen-candle  power 
rapidly  increasing. 

Herkimer  County  Haitic  (nc 
This  is  the  first  regularly  organ- 
though   the   oldest   citizens   ren 
Association  which  was  in  exi-!! 
accommodation  of  the  bn^' 
mer  County  Bank  as  a  sai- 
of  March,  1833,  with  a  capital 
in  AutriHi  of  t!ie  same  \-car,  v.' 


•J  rciccr  Cf.— ibis   cunipany  'A 
the  following};  officers : 

;   William  F.   Lansii. 
■i,  William  K.  Lansinj 

)aid    up.     The   Thomns 
'ernating  incanci'- 

>  ,.d  is"  350  horse  y- 
power  arcs  and  aboiM 

■  use,  and  the  numuci 

County  Ben:  " 
u    in   Littl- 
called  the  Aq: 

■i   issued  scrip   1 
iod.     The 
iiated  on  ti 

o  and  began  bi. 

:  ;nied  directors 


Ki)llu'ell,  and  Abijah  Mann,  jr., 

cBiiiier. 

At  the  expiration  of  its  charter  in 
ized  as  an  associate  bank  i-''  -  *'  — 
of  capital. 


istitution  was  reorgan 


:;ul:on.  \Vf. 


H.  p.  Alt- 


I, 
Bank  of  Little  Falls,  with  ilie  -. 


ity  Nation^ 
fore. 


^^■,yr^K...r.frf 


Town  of  little  falls.  291 

Its  directors  were  H.  P.  Alexander,  V.  S.  Kenyon.  Wm.  Ingham,  G.  N.  Willard, 
James  Feeter,  Z.  0.  Priest,  W.  Starr,  George  A.  Hardin,  and  A.  G.  Story,  with  the 
same  president  and  cashier  as  above  mentioned. 

On  the  31st  of  October,  1878,  a  circular  was  issued  by  the  bank  an- 
nouncing its  going  into  liquidation,  and  its  immediate  organization  on 
the  following  day  as  the  National  Herkimer  County  Bank,  with  the 
same  officers  and  management,  and  $250,000  capital.  The  bank  con- 
ducted its  business  in  the  old  Beattie  building  until  the  completion  of 
its  own  structure,  corner  of  Albany  and  Ann  streets  in  1833,  when  it 
removed  thereto. 

The  present  directors  are  Wm.  G.  Milligan,  A.  G.  Story,  Lorenzo  Carryl,  Sclmyler  R. 
Ingham,  Geo.  A.  Hardin,  David  H.  Bnrrell,  Titus  Sheard,  Alex  W.  Shepard,  Jacob  Zoller. 

Following  are  the  names  of  the  successive  presidents  and  cashiers  of 
the  bank : 

Presidents,  Standish  Barry,  N.  S.  Benton,  H.  P.  Alexander,  A.  G.  Story,  Z.  C. 
Priest,  Wm.  G.  Milligan.  Cashiers,  Watts  Sherman,  A.  G.  Story,  William  G.  Milligan, 
Albert  Story. 

The  present  vice-president  is  David  H.  Burrell ;  S.  J.  Waters,  jr.,  tel- 
ler;  George  D.  Smith,  Gilbert  Lyon,  E.  B.  Waite,  jr.,  bookkeepers. 
This  is  now  the  largest  banking  institution  in  Herkimer  county,  and  has 
adopted  a  liberal  policy  toward  the  business  interests  of  the  community. 
Its  deposits  amount  to  more  than  $1,000,000,  and  it  has  not  failed  to 
make  regular  dividends  in  the  sixty  years  of  its  existence. 

Litiie  Falls  National  Bank. — This  bank  was  organized  in  December, 
1878,  and  business  was  begun  early  in  the  year  1879  in  the  block  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Ann  streets,  with  the  following  officers: 

President,  Seth  M.  Richmond;  vice-president,  E.C.Rice;  cashier,  Amos  A.  Bradley  ; 
teller  and  assistant  cashier,  W.  S.  Feeter ;  directors,  S.  M.  Richmond,  James  Feeter, 
Isaac  Small,  B.  C.  Rice,  J.  H.  Ives,  R.  H.  Smith,  A.  L.  Eaton,  William  Beattie,  George 
Nelson. 

The  capital  of  the  bank  is  $100,000  and  it  now  has  surplus  and  prof- 
its of  $42,000.  This  has  been  a  prosperous  institution  since  its  organ- 
ization. The  chief  officers  of  the  bank  remain  as  at  first,  with  the 
exception  of  cashier,  in  which  J.  D.  Feeter  succeeded  W.  S.  Feeter, 
who  had  succeeded  Amos  A.  Bradley.  L.  O.  Bucklin  is  the  present 
assistant  cashier,  and  the  following  are  the  directors: 


292  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

S.  M.  Richmond,  Isaac  Small,  James  H.  Ives,  E.  C.  Rice,  J.  D.  Feeter,  J.  H.  Bucklin, 
A.  L.  Eaton,  George  Nelson,  R.  H.  Smith. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The  Stotie  Mill. — It  is  known  that  a  grist  mill  and  saw-mill  were  in 
operation  at  Little  F"alls  durin^^  the  Revolutionary  War  and  were  de- 
stroyed by  the  tories  and  Indians.  The  old  stone  mill  was  erected  early 
in  the  present  century,  the  exact  date  being  now  unknown.  It  passed 
through  the  hands  of  many  proprietors,  and  was  often  repaired  and 
improved.  It  stands  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Mohawk  River,  about  fift\- 
rods  below  the  head  of  the  falls.  Among  the  more  recent  proprietors  wa.s 
George  A.  Feeter.  It  was  for  a  while  in  use  as  a  manufactory  of 
wooden  packing-boxes  for  knit  goods.  In  November,  1892,  VV.  Staf- 
ford &  Co.  leased  the  building  and  equipped  it  with  machinery  for 
building  the  Snyder  &  Fisher  rib  knitting  machine,  which  they  are  now- 
manufacturing. 

Another  ancient  manufactory  was  the  paper-mill,  the  site  of  which 
was  sold  by  General  Bellinger  in  1828  to  Sprague  &  Dann.  It  stood 
just  below  the  grist-mill  on  the  south  side  of  tlie  river,  was  built  of 
wood  and  the  power  was  supplied  by  water  from  the  same  dam  used  for 
the  grist  and  saw- mills  adjoining  it.  Among  those  who  at  various  peri- 
ods occupied  the  mill  were  Ezra  Sprague,  David  Paige,  M.  VV.  Priest, 
John  Satterly,  and  Philo  and  Elijah  Reed  ;  the  latter  continued  the 
manufacture  of  paper  until  about  1862,  when  the  building  was  pur- 
chased by  the  owners  of  the  cotton  factory  and  converted  into  dwellings. 

The  Henry  Cheney  Hammer  Company. — Occupies  'the  site  of  the  Will- 
iam Ingham  Fulling  and  Carding  Mill,  the  first  mill  site  sold  in  Little 
Falls.  In  the  spring  of  1856  Henry  Cheney  came  to  Little  Falls  from 
Otsego  county  and  began  the  manufacture  of  hammers,  the  factory  be- 
ing situated  on  Mill  street.  About  the  year  1874  he  began  the  manu- 
facture of  axes  also,  and  carried  on  an  extensive  business.  After  Mr. 
Cheney's  death  in  1879  hammers  only  were  made.  In  July,  i88i,a 
stock  company  was  organized  under  the  above  name,  which  bought  the 
property  and  business  from  the  Cheney  estate,  largely  increased  the 
facilities,  and  added  late  and  improved  rnachinery.  The  capacity  of 
the   factory  is  about  sixty  dozen  hammers  per   day.     The  officers  of 


TOWN  OP  LITTLE  FALLS.  293 

the  company  are  :     S.  R.  Ingham,   president;    George   D.   Waterman, 
secretary  and  treasurer. 

Rockton  Knitting- Mills. — A  few  rods  below  the  head  of  the  falls,  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river,  General  Christopher  P.  Bellinger  erected, 
about  1810,  a  small  grist-mill,  and  some  years  later  a  saw-mill.  These 
two  mills  were  operated  until  1844.  In  1837  a  distillery  was  connected 
with  the  grist-mill  by  Moses  Drake,  and  they  were  in  operation  until  they 
were  demolished  to  make  room  for  a  large  stone  cotton  manufactory, 
four  stories  in  height.  It  was  erected  by  a  company  of  citizen  stock- 
holders, incorporated  under  the  State  laws,  and  was  named  the  "  As- 
torogan  Cotton  Mills."  After  several  years  the  company  failed,  and 
the  property  passed  into  possession  of  non-resident  proprietors.  Gar- 
ner &  Co.,  of  New  York,  were  the  last  to  operate  it  as  a  cotton  factory. 
They  manufactured  about  1,500,000  yards  of  print  cloths  annually. 
On  the  death  of  Mr.  Garner  the  mill  was  idle  for  a  while.  W.  W.  Whit- 
man purchased  the  property  in  1885,  and  since  that  time  has  success- 
fully operated  it  as  a  knitting- mill  for  manufacturing  knit  underwear 
for  men,  women  and  children.  Mr.  Whitman  was  formerly  of  the  mer- 
cantile firm  of  Burrell  &  Whitman.  January  i,  1891,  R.  S.  Whitman 
became  a  member  of  the  firm.      From  150  to  175  hands  are  employed. 

The  saw-mill  now  run  by  Benton  I.  Cooper,  who  leased  the  property 
of  D.  W.  Ladue  in  1892,  stands  on  a  small  island  near  the  north  shore, 
a  few  rods  above  the  grist-mill,  and  has,  like  the  grist-mill,  had  a  succes 
sion  of  proprietors  and  tenants.  The  business  carried  on  by  Mr.  Cooper 
at  present  consists  in  the  running  of  a  saw- mill,  cheese  box  factory  and 
a  cider-mill.  Mr.  Ladue  had  worked  in  Ingham's  cheese-box  factory 
until  he  had  obtained  a  knowledge  of  the  business,  when  he  bought  out 
Mr.  Ingham  in  1855,  and  in  1867  he  purchased  the  saw-mill  of  William 
I.  Skinner.  Thus  the  business  was  combined  and  has  been  successfully 
carried  on  since.  In  the  year  1875  he  commenced  manufacturing  cider. 
In  December,  1868,  Harvey  Schuyler  was  admitted  to  partnership,  and 
the  firm  was  known  as  Ladue  &  Schuyler.  Mr.  Schuyler  subsequently 
retired,  and  Mr.  Ladue  continued  the  business  until  1892,  when  he 
leased  to  Mr.  Cooper,  as  above  mentioned. 

Dettinger  &  Draper's  box  factory  is  the  successor  of  the  Little  Falls 
box  factory,  which  was  purchased    in    1890.     Wooden   boxes  for   knit 


294  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

goods  are  largely  made,  and  planing,  matching  and  general  carpenter 
work  done. 

Sask  and  Blind  Factory. — In  the  fall  of  1846  A.  G.  Harris,  of  Little 
Falls,  and  Clark  Houghton,  of  Eatonville,  erected  a  building  and  put  in 
machinery  for  the  manufacture  of  sash  and  blinds.  In  the  ensuing  win- 
ter they  failed  and  in  the  spring  of  1847  the  building  was  rented  by  W. 
B.  Houghton,  who  afterwards  purchased  it.  He  and  his  brother,  J.  G. 
Houghton,  conducted  the  business  until  about  1855,  when  Byron  K. 
Houghton  was  admitted  to  the  firm,  the  style  becoming  Houghton  & 
Son,  which  it  continued  until  1863.  Between  1863  and  1868,  Guilford 
N.  Houghton  had  an  interest  in  the  business.  In  1885  Newell  &  Little 
rented  the  property  from  the  estate  of  B.  K.  Houghton  and  conducted 
the  business  until  1892,  when   Mr.  Newell  retired. 

Valley  Flouring  Mills. — These  mills  were  built  in  the  year  1836,  by 
Rodney  Durkee,  the  machinerj'  being  from  Utica,  where  it  was  manu- 
factured. They  have  always  been  operated  as  flour  and  feed  mills,  have 
passed  through  various  hands,  and  have  been  idle  part  of  the  time.  In 
1886  they  were  purchased  by  William  A.  Ingham,  and  in  recent  years 
have  been  greatly  improved.  They  are  operated  by  water,  contain 
three  runs  of  stone  and  all  the  machinery  requisite  for  a  first-class  mill. 
The  capacity  is  1,000  bushels  per  day. 

The  extensive  Mohawk  Mills,  for  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods, 
were  once  an  industry  of  considerable  importance.  The  buildings  are 
on  Mill  street.  The  plant  began  by  the  erection  of  buildings  by 
the  Little  Falls  Woolen  Company  in  1842;  they  were  succeeded  by 
the  Wool  Growers'  Manufacturing  Company,  whose  business  was 
closed  in  1852.  J.  W.  Stitt  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  purchased  the  factory 
and  operated  it  twelve  or  fifteen  years  and  more  than  doubled  the  ex- 
tent of  the  plant.  It  finally  passed  into  possession  of  A.  T.  Stewart  & 
Co.,  the  celebrated  New  York  merchants,  and  is  now  owned  by  Albert 
B.  Hilton.      The  buildings  have  been  unoccupied  for  some  time. 

Little  Falls  Box  Factory. — In  the  year  1872  Victor  Adams  began  the 
manufacture  of  paper  boxes  with  one  assistant,  at  the  corner  of  Main 
and  Ann  streets.  The  present  factory  on  East  Mill  street  was  built  in 
1879,  and  comprises  a  four-story  brick  building  and  a  two-story  build- 
ing, equipped  with  all  requisite  machinerj'  for  the  manufacture  of  paper 


I{^c-/y^  Wat/XL 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  295 

and  wooden  boxes.  A  forty  five  horse  power  engine  and  one  hundred 
horse  power  water  wheel  furnish  the  power.  Over  lOO  operatives  are 
employed. 

Saxony  Woolen-Mills. — This  establishment  is  situated  on  East  Mill 
street  a  little  below  the  bridge.  The  buildings  were  erected  about  1850 
by  TiumbuU,  French  &  Co  ,  the  firm  being  composed  of  Earl  Trum- 
bull, Joseph  French,  Washington  Van  Driesen,  J.  N.  Lake,  Dexter  Al- 
den,  and  J.  S.  Aldridge.  They  first  began  the  manufacture  of  ingrain 
carpet,  which  they  continued  for  some  years.  The  property  came  into 
possession  of  Seth  M.  Richmond  and  Amos  and  Charles  King  in  1882, 
and  the  manufactured  product  now  consists  of  high  grade  woolen 
underwear  ;  about  225  hands  are  employed.  The  immediate  manage- 
ment is  in  the  hands  of  Charles  King,  son  in  law  of  Mr.  Richmond. 

The  MacKinno7i  Knitting- Mill. — In  February,  1881,  Robert  Mac- 
Kinnon came  from  Cohoes,  and  in  company  with  Robert  Ablett  and 
Walter  Hume,  purchased  the  knit  goods  business  of  Greene  &  Girvan 
and  began  business  under  the  style  of  Ablett,  MacKinnon  &  Co.,  in  the 
Loomis  building  on  Mill  street.  The  business  grew  rapidly,  and  in 
1887  Mr.  MacKinnon  withdrew  from  the  firm  and  purchased  the  site  he 
now  occupies,  then  including  wooden  buildings,  wherein  he  began  the 
manufacture  of  knit  goods.  His  success  was  remarkable,  and  the  de- 
velopment of  his  business  was  such  that  in  September,  1889,  he  began 
the  erection  of  his  present  large  brick  mill  on  the  same  site.  The 
building  is  four  stories  and  a  basement  and  129x62  feet  in  area.  This 
mill  was  started  in  the  spring  of  1891,  and  the  business  under  Mr. 
MacKinnon's  energetic  and  sagacious  management  has  continued  in  ex- 
ceptional prosperity.  The  mill  is  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  equipped 
in  the  State,  lighted  by  electricity,  furnished  with  automatic  sprinklers, 
speaking  tubes,  etc  About  1,000  dozen  garments  are  manufactured 
daily,  and  the  product  has  an  annual  value  of  about  $800,000.  On  the 
pay-roll  are  550  names.  (See  biography  of  Mr.  MacKinnon  in  later 
pages  of  this  work.) 

Riverside  Ktiitting-Mills. — In  the  year  1881  Robert  Ablett  came  to 
Little  Falls  and  began  the  manufacture  of  knit  underwear,  as  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Ablett,  MacKinnon  &  Co.  This  firm  was  reorganized 
in  1884  as   Ablett  &   MacKinnon,  and  in  1886  Mr.  MacKinnon  with- 


296  HISTORY  OP  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

drew.  Mr.  Ablett  continued  alone  for  a  time,  after  which,  until  1891, 
the  mill  remained  idle.  In  that  year  Rugene  Walrath  fitted  the  mill 
with  new  machinery  and  began  manufacturing  men's  fine  Balbriggan 
underwear,  with  success.  About  100  hands  are  employed  and  125 
dozen  garments  are  made  daily. 

Pork  Packing,  Etc. — One  of  the  extensive  industries  of  the  village  is 
that  of  Jacob  Zoller,  on  East  Mill  street,  who  is  engaged  in  packing 
pork  and  dealing  in  cheese,  butter,  eggs,  etc.  He  began  in  i860,  and 
has  since  steadily  increased  his  business.  In  1883  he  erected  his  pres- 
ent extensive  building,  of  stone,  three  stories  high,  which  is  fully 
equipped  with  all  necessary  facilities  for  cold  storage  and  packing. 

J.  S.  Barnet  &  Bro. — A  tannery  has  been  in  existence  on  the  site 
now  occupied  by  this  firm  for  many  years,  and  was  built  and  carried  on 
by  Nelson  Rust.  He  was  followed  by  Van  Vechten  &  Weeks,  and 
later  by  Gilbert  &  Weeks,  who  sold  to  the  present  proprietors  in  1885. 
In  1887  the  capacity  of  the  tannery  was  doubled,  and  the  product  is 
now  about  i  ,000  wax  calf  skins  per  day.  The  firm  has  a  salesroom  at  27 
Spruce  street,  New  York,  and  another  in  Boston.  They  also  operate  a 
large  tannery  at  Gloversville  and  one  at  Canisteo.  (See  biography  of 
J.  S.  Barnet  in  later  pages  of  this  volume.) 

The  Little  Falls  Paper  Cotnpatiy — In  1857  the  firm  of  S.  M.  &  A. 
Richmond,  associated  with  E.  B.  Waite,  built  a  paper-mill  on  the  lower 
falls,  which  they  operated  until  1888,  when  it  was  sold  out  to  the  Little 
Falls  Paper  Company.  The  members  of  this  company  are  chiefly  non- 
residents. 

Titus  Sheard  Company. — On  the  site  and  in  the  building  once  occu- 
pied by  D.  &  J.  Petrie's  foundry,  corner  of  Furnace  and  Main  streets, 
is  now  situated  the  prosperous  knit  goods  manufactory  of  the  Titus 
Sheard  Company.  In  1880  Mr.  Sheard,  who  was  then  manufacturing 
woolen  yarns  on  Loomis  Island,  across  the  river,  converted  the  old 
foundry  into  a  knitting  mill  and  began  the  manufacture  of  knit  goods. 
The  business  increaseil  and  in  1881  he  built  a  new  mill.  In  18S4  George 
White  and  Frank  Senior  were  admitted  to  partnership,  the  firm  name 
being  Titus  Sheard  &  Co.  In  1886  a  large  store- house  was  built  oppo- 
site the  mill,  on  John  and  Main  streets.  In  January,  1888,  a  stock  com- 
pany was  organized,  known  as  the  Titus  Sheard  Company,  with  the  fol- 


y/U^^^^^r:^^  ^^^^: 


£'v;V-^5-'^-"-"=''^ 


^^,^^:^^£  ^^^^^^^>^^^ 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  297 

lowing  officers  :  Titus  Sheard,  president ;  George  Wliite,  superintendent ; 
Frank  Senior,  treasurer  ;  Wallace  Hose,  secretary.  The  company  man- 
ufactures knit  shirts  and  drawers,  and  the  mill  has  a  capacity  of  60,000 
dozen  annually,  of  an  approximate  value  of  $500,000.  About  300 
hands  are  employed.  The  annual  pay  roll  is  $1 10,000,  and  the  mijjl 
consumes  about  750,000  pounds  of  clean  wool  per  year.  The  produ(it 
is  sold  directly  to  the  wholesale  trade.  / 

The  Little  Falls  Knittitig  Company — Was  organized  in  October,  1872, 
with  Titus  Sheard  as  president,  D.  H.  Burrell,  vice-president,  and  J.  J. 
Gilbert,  secretary.  The  original  capital  stock  was  $60,000.  They 
purchased  their  building  of  Mitchell  &  Bailey,  who  erected  it  in  1872, 
and  began  the  manufacture  of  knit  underwear  in  March,  1873.  The 
company  now  operates  twelve  sets  of  cards  and  employs  250  hands. 
The  factory  is  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  at  the  head  of 
the  old  canal  of  the  Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company.  The 
officers  are  Charles  Bailey,  president;  J.  J.  Gilbert,  vice-president;  Eli- 
jah Reed,  secretary  and  treasurer;  Squire  Bailey,  superintendent. 

The  Pike  Knittiftg- Machine  Co^npany — Is  located  on  Elizabeth  street. 
This  business  was  begun  with  the  late  Michael  Reddy  as  a  partner  in 
the  fall  of  1886.  Mr.  Reddy  died,  and  in  the  spring  of  1888  Mr.  Pike 
purchased  his  interest.  The  business  is  prosperous  and  an  industry 
of  growing  importance. 

Chris.  Hansen's  Laboratory. — This  is  a  branch  of  the  main  house  in 
Copenhagen,  Denmark,  which  has  a  world-wide  reputation.  The 
branch  was  first  established  in  New  York  in  1878,  but  in  1881  was  re- 
moved to  Little  Falls,  the  center  of  a  great  dairying  industry.  The 
products  of  the  laboratory  are  Hansen's  Butter  Color,  Danish  Rennet 
Extract,  Cheese  Color,  Rennet  Tablets,  etc.  The  establishment  was 
located  opposite  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  depot  until  1891,  when 
Lock  Island,  in  the  Mohawk  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  village,  was  pur- 
chased of  the  Benton  estate  and  its  name  changed  to  Hansen's  Island. 
A  heavy  retaining  wall  was  constructed  to  protect  the  western  side  of 
the  island  against  high  water,  and  a  commodious  stone  building  erected. 
The  factory  is  reached  by  the  iron  bridge  which  was  built  by  the  town 
in  1892,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  This  branch  was  founded  by  and  is  un- 
der the  management  of  J.  D.  Fredericksen,  a  native  of  Denmark.     The 


298  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

products  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  this  country,  to  New  Zealand,  Aus- 
tralia and  many  parts  of  Europe. 

On  Southern  avenue  is  situated  the  planing- mill,  saw- mill  and  furni- 
ture factory  of  P.  W.  Casler,  which  was  established  in  1884.  A  large 
business  is  carried  on  and  from  fifteen  to  twenty- five  hands  are  employed. 

Superior  Furnace  Company. — This  company  was  organized  in  1889 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $40,000,  and  the  following  officers:  Watts  T. 
Loomis,  president ;  Walter  W.  Whitman,  vice-  president ;  William  G. 
Milligan,  treasurer ;  William  H.  Switzer,  secretary  and  manager.  The 
works  and  office  are  on  Mohawk  street,  occupying  a  large  portion  of 
the  foundry  and  machine  shop  of  M.  Redd}',  to  which  large  additions 
have  been  made.  Three  styles  of  heating  furnaces  are  made — for  hot 
air,  a  combination  of  hot  air  and  steam,  and  hot  water. 

Reddys  Machine  Shop  and  Foundry. — A  paper-mill  was  erected  in 
Little  Falls  in  1 830  by  William  J.  Pardee,  and  after  operation  for  some 
time  was  conducted  by  M.  W.  Priest  and  William  Paige,  and  was 
burned  in  1839.  It  was  rebuilt  by  S-  M.  &  A.  Richmond  of  wood. 
It  was  again  burned  July  13,  1853,  and  was  rebuilt  in  brick  in  the  same 
year.  The  Richmonds  sold  it  to  Butcher,  Lamb  &  Senior,  who  used 
the  building  as  a  shoddy  mill.  It  was  next  owned  by  Owens  &  Petrie, 
who  manufactured  starch  there.  Mr.  Petrie  sold  it  to  J.  J.  Gilbert,  and 
he  transferred  it  to  Michael  Reddy.  Early  in  the  history  of  the  village 
General  Bellinger  sold  to  Alanson  Ingham  a  site  for  a  felting  and  cloth- 
ing works..  Mr.  Ingham  erected  a  wooden  building  and  carried  on  the 
business  several  years.  The  building  was  then  converted  into  a  ma- 
chine shop,  and  a  foundry  was  established  in  connection.  After  pass- 
ing through  several  hands^it  was  purchased  in  1839  by  Michael  Reddy. 
This  site  and  the  paper-mill  property  above  described,  purchased  in 
1886  by  Mr.  Reddy,  has  been  converted  by  rebuilding  and  additions 
into  the  present  extensive  works.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Reddy  the 
property  passed  to  his  sons,  Robert,  James,  and  P-dward  Reddy.  Cast 
gearings  and  other  foundry  work  are  now  produced,  and  thirt\-  hands 
employed. 

Yarn-Mill. — The  old  yarn  factory  on  Loomis  island,  near  the  Reddy 
foundry,  was  built  by  Earl  Trumbull  between  1845  and  1848,  on  the 
site  of  Heath    &    Barber's  foundry,  which   was   one  of  the   very  early 


TOWN  OF  LITTLE  FALLS.  299 

manufacturing  establishments  of  the  place.  It  was  erected  originally 
by  Henry  Heath  and  James  N.  Barber,  who  had  leased  the  site  and 
power  from  General  Bellinger.  Trumbull's  lease  was  from  A.  Loomis, 
who  succeeded  General  Bellinger.  The  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1853,  and  Mr.  Loomis  rebuilt  it  the  same  year.  From  1851  to  1868 
the  mill  was  operated  by  Gay  &  Barber.  It  was  then  sold  to  John  C. 
Cunningham,  who  sold  it  at  the  end  of  a  year,  and  in  1870  it  came  into 
the  possession  of  Titus  Sheard.  He  successfully  operated  the  factory 
for  a  number  of  years.  It  is  now  used  as  a  store-house  by  the  Superior 
Furnace  Company. 

Rock  Island  Paper  Mill — This  mill  is  situated  on  Mohawk  street, 
south  side  of  the  river.  It  was  erected  by  Arphaxed  Loomis  on  the 
site  of  a  woolen- mill  which  was  built  by  Erastus  Hovey  in  1845.  It 
was  also  used  as  a  flax-dressing  mill,  and  finally  as  a  woolen  mill.  In 
1877  William  Kingston  &  Co.  leased  the  mill  of  Mr.  Loomis  and  began 
the  manufacture  of  paper,  which  was  continued  until  i88i.  From  that 
year  until  1883  the  mill  was  idle,  and  in  the  latter  year  it  was  burned. 
Mr.  Loomis  erected  a  new  building  on  the  site,  and  Mr.  Kingston 
equipped  it  with  new  machinery  and  again  began  manufacturing  paper. 
The  product  is  now  building  paper,  and  the  capacity  of  the  mill  three 
and  one-half  tons  per  day. 

A  few  rods  below  the  paper-mill  on  Loomis  Island,  above  men- 
tioned, was  in  early  times  a  small  machine  shop  which  was  carried  on 
by  James  Tillinghast  and  was  destroyed  by  the  flood  of  1865.  On  the 
site  was  erected  a  last  factory  which  was  operated  by  Kingston  &  Co. 
It  has  been  unoccupied  for  several  years. 

The  Warrior  Mower  Cojnpany. — This  is  one  of  the  once  prosperous 
industries  of  Little  Falls  that  has  gone  out  of  existence.  The  company 
was  incorporated  in  1868  for  the  manufacture  of  mowing  machines 
under  patents  to  Frank  Bramer.  A  large  manufacturing  plant  was 
erected  and  business  at  once  begun.  The  machines  were  successful  and 
for  many  years  found  a  market  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Three  thou- 
sand or  more  were  made  annually.  The  business  was  given  up  in  1891 
and  the  buildings  are  now  used  for  storage. 

Astoroiiga  Knitting- Mills. — In  1858  J.  J.  Gilbert  built  a  stone  fac- 
tory on  Seeley  Island,  south  bank  of  the  Mohawk,  in  the  eastern  part  of 


300  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

the  village  and  began  manufacturing  starch.  Connected  with  the  fac- 
tory was  an  elevator  on  the  canal  about  twenty  rods  distant,  which  re- 
ceived grain  from  boats  and  conducted  it  to  the  factory.  The  business 
was  continued  until  1884,  Mr.  Gilbert  in  the  mean  time  having  died. 
In  1885  the  building  was  remodeled  by  the  estate,  and,  with  the  Wood- 
bridge  ])aper-mi!l,  converted  into  a  knitting  mill ;  it  was  operated  b\- 
(lilbert  &  Walrath  until  1891  when  the  copartnership  expired  by  limit- 
ation, Mr.  Walrath  retired,  and  the  business  was  continued  by  J.  J. 
Gilbert,  a  son  of  the  founder  of  the  original  factory.  He  manufactures 
a  variety  of  knitted  underwear.  The  elevator  alluded  to  above  is  now 
in  use  for  elevating  and  storing  grain. 

Shoddy  and  Wool  Extract. — This  business  was  established  by  Smith 
&  Bushnell  in  1882,  on  a  small  scale,  the  works  being  situated  on 
Loomis  Island.  In  1887  the  business  had  so  much  increased  that  a 
new  mill  was  built  on  Moss  Island,  and  at  present  fifty-five  hands  are 
employed,  and  the  product  is  sold  throughout  the  country. 

Hotels. — In  early  times,  on  the  then  famous  Mohawk  turnpike,  where 
the  old  building  now  occupied  by  Ransom  &  Wilcox  still  stands,  on 
Main  street,  one  Morgan  kept  a  stage-house,  and  was  succeeded  by 
John  McKinster.  A  handsome  gilt  buck's  head  and  horns  projected  from 
the  lintel.  Here  the  four-horse  post  coaches  halted  to  change  teams 
and  for  meals  and  other  refreshment.  After  the  Erie  Canal  was  com- 
pleted these  coaches  gradually  disappeared  from  the  turnpike  road,  as 
travelers  went  mostly  by  canal.  The  taverns,  which  were  quite  numer- 
ous in  the  village  at  that  period,  were,  one  by  one,  discontinued,  the 
buildings  being  converted  into  dwelling  houses  or  stores.  A  few  of  the 
best  public  houses,  however,  remained,  some  of  which  have  been  kept 
as  such  up  to  the  present. 

The  Girvan  House,  corner  of  Main  and  Ann  streets,  is  one  of  the 
landmarks  of  the  village,  and  was  originally  erected  for  a  dwelling  by 
Eben  Britton,  father-in-law  of  Nathaniel  S.  Benton.  Subsequently  Mr. 
Benton  raised  the  building  one  story  and  added  to  it  on  the  eastern 
and  western  ends.  It  has  been  kept  by  various  proprietors,  and  is  now 
under  the  management  of  James  ZoUer. 

A  hotel  long  known  as  the  Hinchman  House  stood  on  the  ground 
where  is  now   situated   the    Hardin  &  Wheeler   block    on   Main  street. 


TOWN  OF  FAIRFIELD.  301 

This  was  burned  in  March,  1S77,  and  George  W.  Shall,  who  was  popu- 
lar as  a  landlord,  converted  two  stores  in  the  Hinchman  property  into  a 
hotel,  and  successfully  conducted  it  until  1 891,  when  Messrs.  Lasher  & 
Weatherwax  leased  the  property  of  Mr.  Shall,  and  changed  the  name 
to  Hotel  Rockton.  On  the  i6th  of  March,  1892,  Mr.  Lasher  retired 
from  the  firm  and  A.  G.  Weatherwax  became  sole  proprietor. 

The  Metropolitan  Hotel,  corner  of  Main  and  Mary  streets,  now  kept 
by  Joseph  MuUin,  stands  on  a  site  that  has  long  been  used  for  hotel 
purposes.  In  1882  Mr.  Mullin  purchased  the  property,  then  known  as 
the  Bradford  House,  of  Mr.  N.  A.  Bradford,  and  rebuilt  it  into  a  hand- 
some structure  of  four  stories. 

The  Grand  Central  Hotel  was  erected  in  1875  on  the  site  formerly 
occupied  by  the  dwelling  of  the  late  George  H.  Feeter,  which  was 
owned  and  occupied  by  Peter  J.  Casler  in  1866.  Mr.  Casler  kept  the 
house  several  years,  but  it  is  now  used  for  other  purposes. 

There  are  several  other  less  important  public  houses  in  the  village 
which  do  not  call  for  special  mention. 


CHAPTER  XHL 

THE   TOWN   OF   FAIRFIELD. 

THIS  town  is  situated  near  the  center  of  Herkimer  county,  as  far  as 
relates  to  the  thickly  settled  southern  part,  and  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Norway  ;  on  the  east  by  Salisbury  and  Manheim  ;  on  the  south 
by  Little  Falls  and  Herkimer,  and  on  the  west  by  Newport  and  Herkimer. 
It  was  set  off  from  Norway  February  10,  1796,  and  from  it  a  part  of 
Newport  was  taken  in  1806,  and  a  part  of  Little  Falls  in  1829.  The 
surface  of  the  town  is  a  hilly  upland,  the  center  rising  into  a  ridge  nearly 
one  thousand  feet  above  the  West  Canada  Creek.  The  soil  on  the  up- 
lands is  mostly  clay  and  in  the  valleys  it  is  gravelly.  It  is  quite  well 
watered  with  small  streams,  and  West  Canada  Creek  flows  along  the 
southwest  border.  The  town  comprises  the  nortii  half  of  Glen's  pur- 
chase and  the  first  allotment  of  the  Royal  Grant. 


502  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Fairfield  was  first  settled  in  1770  by  three  German  families  named 
Maltanner,  Goodbrodt,  and  Shaver,  who  located  on  the  Royal  Grant, 
about  half  a  mile  northeast  of  the  site  of  F'airfield  village  and  near  to- 
gether. From  the  first- named  family  Maltanner  Creek  received  its 
name.      Quoting  from  Judge  Benton  : 

These  people  were  sent  there  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  to  make  an  opening  in  his 
Royal  Grant.  They  had  never  been  suspected  by  the  Americans  of  being  friendly  to 
their  cause;  nor  could  they  be  charged  with  disloyalty  to  the  king.  In  17^9  a  party 
of  Indians  came  to  this  little  settlement,  but  one  of  their  number  being  sick,  they  kept 
shy,  as  an  Indian  can,  about  ten  days,  to  allow  their  comrade  to  recover,  when,  with  a 
yell  and  a  whoop,  and  brandishing  their  tomahawk.'!,  they  fell  upon  Sir  John  Johnson's 
tenants!,  captured  two  of  the  Maltanners,  father  and  son,  killed  a  little  girl  sixteen  years 
old.  of  the  Shaver  family,  and  then  burned  up  all  Sir  John's  houses  and  buildings  in 
the  settlement.  The  Goodbrodt  and  Shaver  families  and  some  of  the  Maltanners  es- 
caped to  tell  the  sad  story  of  their  bereavement  and  los.ses  to  their  rebel  neighbors. 
The  Maltanners  were  taken  to  St.  Regis  by  the  Indians,  where  they  remained  three 
years,  and  returned  in  1782.  His  majesty's  officials  in  Canada  might  well  suppose  the 
two  captives,  if  allowed  to  return,  would  not  be  very  hearty  and  zealous  in  the  royal 
cause,  after  such  treatment;  and  therefore  concluded  to  detain  them.  The  elder  Mal- 
tanner, when  he  came  back,  said  he  met  Sir  John  in  Canada,  and  told  him  what  had 
happened,  whereat  the  gallant  knight  was  exceedingly  wrathful,  and  fulminated  big 
words  and  strong  language  against  the  d — d  savages,  for  their  conduct  in  killing,  tak- 
ing captive  and  dispersing  his  tenants,  and  burning  his  houses.  He  had  other  tenants 
on  the  grant,  loyal  and  true,  who  might  be  treated  m  the  same  way.  Sir  John  no 
doubt  felt  hurt,  not  because  any  tender  feeling  towards  his  fellow  man  had  been 
touched,  or  any  law  of  humanity  outraged ;  but  because  tlie  same  rule  of  warfare  he 
had  applied  to  others,  had  been,  and  might  again  be,  visited  upon  himself. 

There  was  a  German  settlement  in  the  town  before  the  Revolution 
near  the  Manheim  line,  about  four  miles  north  of  Little  Falls,  where 
the  Keller,  Windecker,  Fickert,  and  other  families,  who  were  not  of  the 
Burnetsfield  patentees,  settled  under  the  patronage  of  some  of  the  own- 
ers of  the  Glen's  purchase.  Cornelius  Chatfield  came  into  Fairfield  on 
the  24th  of  March,  1785,  and  settled  near  the  site  of  the  village.  He 
is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  New  Englander  to  arrive  after 
the  close  of  the  war.  Abijah  Mann,  father  of  Abijah  Mann,  jr.,  came 
in  the  following  May  and  settled  a  little  west  of  the  village  site.  These 
were  followed  by  Josiah,  David  and  Lester  Johnson,  who  came  from 
Connecticut  in  1786;  John  Bucklin  and  Benjamin  Bowen,  from  Rhode 
Island;  John  Eaton,  Nathaniel  and  William  Brown,  from  Massachusetts, 


TOWN  OF  FAIRFIELD.  303 

and  Samuel  Low  in  1787;  David  Benseley,  from  Rhode  Island,  and 
Elisha  Wyman  and  Comfort  Eaton,  from  Massachusetts  in  1788  ;  Jere- 
miah Ballard  from  Massachusetts  in  1789  ;  William  Bucklin,  the  Arnold 
families,  Daniel  Fenner,  Nathan  Smith,  and  Amos  and  James  Haile, 
mostly  from  Massachusetts,  in  1790;  Peter  and  Bela  Ward,  from  Con- 
necticut, in  1791.  A  large  part  of  these  settled  southwesterly  from 
Fairfield  village  ;  while  the  Eatons,  Browns,  Hailes,  Arnolds,  Bucklins 
and  Wards  located  at  what  became  known  as  Eatonsville.  Jeremiah 
Ballard  settled  about  two  miles  northeast  of  Fairfield  village.  Moses 
Mather,  father  of  Dr.  William  and  Jairus  Mather,  settled  on  Bartow 
Hill,  but  removed  to  Poland  in  1806,  where  he  remained  nine  years, 
and  then  returned  to  this  town  Jairus  Mather  is  still  an  influential 
resident  of  Fairfield.  John  and  Edward  Griswold  came  into  the 
town  soon  after  Mr.  Chatfield  and  purchased  land  on  the  west  of 
the  village  site.  Joseph  Teall  came  in  1788  and  bought  land  of  Mr. 
Chatfield,  which  extended  into  what  is  now  the  village.  Robert  Nolton, 
father  of  Judge  Hiram  Nolton,  settled  just  west  of  the  village.  John  B. 
Fenner  came  into  the  town  in  1806.  Samuel  Green  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  and  probably  erected  the  first  grist  and  saw- mill.  Many 
of  these  pioneers  have  descendants  living  in  the  town,  as  will  appear. 

On  Maltanner's  Brook  there  is  a  picturesque  water-fall.  In  that 
vicinity  Daniel  Marvin  was  an  early  settler  and  had  a  small  grist-mill 
the'-e  at  a  very  early  date.  Richard  Bushnell  succeeded  Marvin.  Mer- 
rell  Hudleston  came  into  possession  of  the  farm  on  which  the  water- fall 
is  situated  and  improved  the  grounds  about  the  falls  for  a  picnic  resort. 
He  gave  the  place  the  name  of  "  Cupid's  Retreat,"  which  has  ever 
since  clung  to  it.  Daniel  and  Amasa  Bushnell  were  prominent  citizens 
and  had  at  one  time  a  fulling-mill  just  west  of  where  the  cheese  factory 
is  located. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  April  6,  1796,  when  the  following 
officers  were  chosen  : 

Supervisor,  John  Comins;  town  clerk,  Stephen  Carpenter;  commissioners  of  high- 
ways, Henry  Neely,  Abijah  Mann,  Joseph  Willard ;  assessors,  Roger  Kinne,  Isaiah 
Johnson,  Amos  Graves  ;  overseers  of  the  poor,  Abijah  Mann,  John  Eaton  ;  school  com- 
missioner.'!, Nathan  Smith,  Wilham  Lapham,  Joseph  Mason;  constables,  Luther Britton, 
John  McMichael ;  poundmasters,  David  Brown,  Roswell  Buell  ;  fence  viewers,  David 
Brown,  Cornelius  Chatfield,  Joseph  Teall ;   collector  of  rates,  Moses  Mather. 


304  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

At  the  same  meeting  the  town  was  divided  into  twenty-eight  road 
districts,  and  the  simple  government  of  the  community  was  established. 

During  a  considerable  period  after  the  first  settlement  of  this  town 
the  population  was  greater  in  number  than  at  the  present  time.  The 
farms  were  smaller,  and  grain  raising  for  market  at  Albany  was  the  chief 
agricultural  occupation.  Butter  and  cheese  were  made  for  home  use, 
but  not  much  more.  If  grain  crops  failed,  or  if,  as  often  happened 
after  the  canal  was  opened,  prices  were  very  low,  money  was  scarce, 
and  the  farmers  suffered.  But  the  time  came  to  this  town,  as  to  many 
others  in  Herkimer  county,  when  farmers  awoke  to  the  importance  of 
dairying  as  a  means  of  bettering  their  condition.  They  are  among  the 
most  enterprising  to  be  found  anywhere,  and  embraced  the  comparative- 
ly new  occupation  with  energy.  The  result  is,  that  no  town  in  the 
county  now  excels  Fairfield  as  a  dairy  center,  and  years  ago  it  had  ac- 
quired the  reputation  of  being  the  best  in  the  world. 

Joseph  Teall  has  already  been  mentioned  as  the  first  settler  on  the 
site  of  Fairfield  village.  He  purchased  his  land  of  Abijah  Mann,  and 
built  his  dwelling  in  rear  of  the  old  chapel  of  the  academy.  The  first 
merchants  in  the  village  were  Nahum  Daniels  and  William  Smith,  who 
had  a  store  in  1796  ;  they  were  succeeded  by  Norman  Butler,  who  kept 
a  store  thirty  years  or  more.  Butler  also  built  a  saw-mill,  and  owned 
a  grist  mill  and  a  distillery,  in  which  Gilbert  Dean  had  preceded  him. 
Major  Jonathan  and  Stephen  Hallett  were  early  merchants  ;  Stephen  ac- 
quired Jonathan's  interest  about  1 820,  and  carried  on  an  extensive 
business  both  in  Fairfield  and  Norway.  He  was  appointed  sheriff  of 
the  county  by  the  Council  of  Appointment  in  1821,  reappointed  in 
1822,  and  in  November  of  the  latter  year  elected  to  that  office,  which 
he  held  until  1826.  He  died  at  Fairfield  November  19,  1827,  aged 
forty  years,  leaving  a  wife  and  two  daughters,  only  one  of  whom,  Mrs. 
X.  A.  Willard,  of  Little  Falls,  survives.  Mr.  Hallett  was  succeeded  by 
Alexander  JI.  liuell,  who,  at  the  death  of  the  former,  assumed  the  sole 
proprietorship  of  the  business  at  Fairfield.  In  connection  with  differ- 
ent persons,  Mr.  Buell  extended  his  mercantile  business  into  the  neigh- 
boring towns  and  villages  of  the  county,  and  his  commercial  operations 
extended  to  various  parts  of  the  country.  He  was  elected  to  the  As- 
sembly in    1845,  and  to  the  Thirty- second   Congress  from  the  seven- 


TOWN  OF  FAIRFIELD.  305 

teenth  congressional  district,  composed  of  Herkimer  and  Montgomery 
counties,  in  1850.  He  died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  January  31,  1853, 
aged  fifty-two  years.  F.  A.  Morey  and  M.  A.  Barnes  are  at  present 
merchants  in  the  village.  The  first  frame  building  in  the  place  was  the 
one  in  which  Daniels  &  Smith  had  their  store.  The  first  tavern  was 
kept  by  Cornelius  Chatfield,  the  pioneer,  who  was  succeeded  by  John 
D.  Waterman;  and  Israel  Jones  had  a  public  house  which  John  E. 
Drake  now  keeps.  The  first  lawyer  in  the  town  was  William  Lapham, 
a  native  of  Ireland,  who  was  here  in  1796 ;  he  became  prominent  in  the 
affairs  of  the  town  and  combined  farming  with  his  legal  labors.  William 
D.  Ford  was  an  early  lawyer  and  became  member  of  Congress ;  and 
Hiram  Nolton  practiced  here  at  an  early  day,  and  afterwards  rose  to 
the  bench.  A.  sketch  of  his  career  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  the 
Bench  and  Bar.  Arunah  C.  Smith  was  an  early  attorney  and  first 
judge  of  the  county  in   1840. 

Col.  Charles  Willard  came  with  his  father  from  Saybrook,  Conn.,  in 
1793,  and  settled  in  that  part  of  the  town  of  Fairfield  known  as  the 
Platform,  where  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  In  the  War  of 
1 812  he  held  a  commission,  and  was  on  duty  at  Sackett's  Harbor  when 
peace  was  declared.  Active,  energetic  and  public- spirited,  he  was 
widely  known  and  identified  with  movements  for  the  improvement  and 
well-being  of  the  town.  He  died  at  Newport,  July  14,  1862,  leaving 
a  large  family  of  children.  His  son,  George  N.  Willard,  about  sixty 
years  ago,  was  a  prominent  merchant  of  Herkimer  county.  He  was 
associated  in  business  with  the  late  Hon.  Alexander  H.  Buell  at  Fair- 
field and  Norway  for  several  years.  In  1848  he  removed  to  Newport, 
and  subsequently  to  Utica  and  Oriskany  Falls,  continuing  in  mercantile 
trade  at  each  place.  He  died  at  Newport,  November  26,  1888.  His 
son,  Charles  P.  Willard,  is  a  prominent  manufacturer  of  Chicago. 

Drs.  Eastman,  Taft  and  Sherwood  practiced  medicine  here  in  early 
years,  and  were  followed  by  Dr.  Moses  Johnson,  Dr.  William  Mather, 
Dr.  Griffin  Sweet,  Dr.  I.  N.  Willard,  and  Dr.  C.  W.  Nichols,  who  is  now 
in  practice.     The  present  postmaster  is  W.  Lamberson. 

The  village  of  Fairfield  has  a  national  reputation  as  the  site  of  the 
oldest  medical  college  in  the  United  States,  and  of  the  oldest  academy, 
histories  of  both  of  which  are  found  herein. 

39 


306  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Fairfield  Seminary. — In  the  autumn  of  1801  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander, 
a  Presbyterian  minister  residing  at  Mendon,  Mass.,  came  into  what  was 
then  called  Western  New  York,  to  visit  the  churches  and  Indians  as  a 
missionary.  He  visited  and  preached  at  Norway,  Salisbury  and  Fair- 
field, and  during  his  stay,  suggested  to  the  people  of  the  latter  place 
the  idea  of  establishing  a  school  of  academic  grade.  The  people  were 
favorably  impressed  with  the  proposition  and  immediately  set  about 
raising  the  necessary  funds.  Mr.  Alexander  removed  his  family  from 
Mendon  to  Fairfield  in  the  spring  of  1802,  and  in  connection  with 
Captain  Moses  Mather,  became  actively  engaged  in  circulating  the 
subscription.  Sufficient  funds  were  soon  procured  and  on  the  Fourth 
of  July,  1802,  the  academy  building  was  raised,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1803  was  ready  for  occupancy.  The  school  was  chartered  by  the  Re- 
gents of  the  University  March  15,  1803.  The  first  meeting  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  was  held  April  6,  and  the  school  organized  April  13, 
with  Mr.  Alexander  as  principal.  He  was  an  accomp'ished  scholar, 
a  man  of  commanding  presence  and  possessed  of  great  tenacity  and 
perseverance,  and  consequently  the  school  was  successful  and  popular 
from  the  start. 

The  Alexandrian  Society,  an  association  of  students  for  mutual  im- 
provement and  practice  in  extemporaneous  speaking,  was  organized  in 
1806,  and  at  the  same  time  the  foundation  of  a  library  was  laid. 

In  order  to  increase  the  usefulness,  and  extend  the  sphere  of  the 
institution,  a  building  called  the  "  Wooden  Laboratory  "  was  erected  in 
1808,  and  Dr.  Josiah  Noyes  employed  to  give  lectures  on  chemistry 
and  the  theory  and  practice  of  medicine.  This  course  of  lectures  was 
so  largely  attended  that  the  building  was  found  too  small. 

It  was  then  thought  best  to  erect  a  larger  building  and  establish  a 
medical  and  anatomical  school,  so  in  1809-10  the  stone  laboratory  was 
built.  The  new  department  so  increased  the  number  of  students  in  at- 
tendance that  another  building  was  required  for  their  accommodation, 
and  in  181 1  a  stock  company  was  organized  which  erected  the  "  North 
Building."  This  building  was  rented  for  many  years  by  the  trustees  of 
the  academy  and  finally  purchased  by  them. 

In  January,  18 1 2,  Mr.  Alexander  resigned  as  principal  of  the 
academy  and  Rev.  Bethel  Judd  was  elected  in  his  place.      During  this 


f '  i' 


TOWN  OF  FAIRFIELD.  307 

year  the  Alexandrian  Society  was  reorganized  and  tlie  name  changed 
to  Calliopean  Society. 

About  this  time  an  arrangement  was  made  with  Trinity  Church,  N.  Y., 
by  which  the  academy  was  to  receive  the  sum  of  $750  annually,  on  con- 
dition that  the  principal  employed  should  be  an  Episcopal  clergyman, 
and  that  four  divinity  students  should  be  instructed  free.  From  this 
fact  the  school  was  sometimes  referred  to  as  a  "  Divinity  School."  In 
18 1 3  the  laboratory  was  transferred  to  the  Medical  College,  which  had 
been  lately  chartered. 

In  1 8 14  Rev.  Virgil  H.  Barber  was  made  principal.  After  about 
two  years  it  was  ascertained  that  this  gentleman  had  changed  his  re- 
ligious opinions  and  had  become  a  Catholic.  To  retain  him  as  prin- 
cipal being  therefore  in  violation  of  the  agreement  with  the  vestry  of 
Trinity  Church,  he  was  dismissed  by  the  trustees.  This  Mr.  Barber 
was  a  portly  man  of  fine  presence  and  affable  manners,  and  a  classical 
scholar  of  great  acquirements.  He  had  several  children,  and  the  Latin 
language  was  the  common  medium  of  conversation  in  his  family. 

The  next  principal  was  Rev.  Daniel  McDonald,  under  whose  ad- 
ministration the  school  was  attended  by  an  unusual  number  of  stu- 
dents who  afterwards  became  eminent  in  their  several  professions. 
In  1820  the  school  received  a  grant  of  $5,000  from  the  State,  and  with 
this  money  the  stock  of  the  North  Building  was  purchased,  the  scrip 
being  bought  up  at  the  rate  of  seventy  cents  on  the  dollar.  Dr.  Mc- 
Donald left  in  1 82 1  to  become  principal  of  Geneva  Academy,  and  the 
branch  Theological  School  at  F"airfic]d  was  transferred  to  Geneva.  He 
is  said  to  have  been  a  remarkable  man  ;  was  prominent  in  the  organ- 
ization of  Hobart  College,  and  for  several  years  its  acting  principal. 
With  Dr.  McDonald's  departure,  the  connection  of  F"airfield  Academy 
with  Trinity  Church  was  ended. 

Previous  to  this  time  frequent  efforts  had  been  made  to  obtain  a 
charter  for  a  college  at  Fairfield,  and,  in  1816,  the  Regents  granted  the 
charter  on  condition  that  $50,000  should  be  raised  ;  but  with  the  most 
strenuous  efforts  only  about  one-half  of  that  amount  could  be  obtained, 
and  no  college  was  established. 

A  short  time  before  Dr.  McDonald's  resignation  Bishop  Hobart  was 
earnestly  requested  to  locate  at  Fairfield  a  college  and  theological  school 


308  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

which  he  had  in  contemplation,  and,  as  an  inducement,  the  whole 
academic  property  was  offered  free.  The  bishop  did  not,  however, 
consider  the  location  sufficiently  far  west,  and  the  proposition  was  not 
accepted.  The  academy  had  now  been  in  operation  eighteen  years, 
and,  as  an  educational  institution,  had  acquired  a  reputation  unrivaled 
by  that  of  any  similar  school  in  the  country  ;  but  its  financial  affairs  had 
not  been  managed  in  accordance  with  strict  business  principles,  the  ac 
counts  had  been  carelessly  kept  and  many  bills  remained  uncollected, 
so  that  the  Board  of  Trustees  resolved  to  try  a  new  method  of  con- 
ducting the  school.  In  the  spring  of  1821  Rev.  David  Chassell  took 
charge  of  the  school  on  the  following  terms,  viz.  :  He  was  to  receive 
all  money  arising  from  tuition  and  all  received  from  the  Regents,  ex- 
cept what  was  necessary  to  keep  the  buildings  in  repair.  He,  virtually, 
had  the  whole  management  of  the  school,  having  the  use  of  the  build- 
ings free  of  rent.  After  remaining  three  years  Mr.  Chassell  left,  and 
Charles  Avery  took  the  school  on  similar  terms.  At  the  end  of  three 
years  he  retired  to  accept  the  professorship  of  mathematics  in  Hamilton 
College,  when  Dr.  Chassell  again  took  the  school  and  retained  the  sole 
management  until  1840. 

During  all  this  period  of  twenty  years,  since  the  retirement  of 
Dr.  McDonald,  the  school  had  kept  the  even  tenor  of  its  way,  main- 
taining its  reputation  as  one  of  the  very  best  secondary  schools  in  the 
State.  Mr.  Chassell  was  an  accomplished  scholar,  an  enthusiastic  teacher 
and  a  rigid  disciplinarian  ;  he  inspired  his  pupils  with  a  love  of  correct 
and  thorough  scholarship,  encouraged  them  in  their  ambitious  hopes 
and  a.spirations,  and  aided  them  in  every  way  consistent  with  his  ability. 
He  was  something  of  a  terror  to  the  idle  and  mischievous  boys,  but 
was  always  regarded  with  respect  and  reverence  by  the  energetic  and 
industrious  students. 

Mr.  Chassell  left  the  school  in  the  spring  of  184O  and  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  assuming  control,  employed  Rev.  Henry  Banister  as  principal 
During  this  year  the  "  Waterman  Building,"  known  afterward  as  the 
"  Wood  Building,"  was  hired  and  fitted  up,  and  in  the  fall  term  a  female 
department  was  organized,  with  Miss  Julia  A.  Baldwin  as  preceptress. 

In  the  summer  of  1844,  the  trustees  of  the  Medical  College  granted 
the  use  of  the  college  buildings  to  the  academy,  and  the  "South  College" 


TOWN  OK  FAIRFIELD.  309 

was  occupied  as  a  Female  Seminary  at  the  beginning  of  the  fall  term. 
From  this  time  the  academy  continued  its  usual  course  without  the 
occurrence  of  any  important  events  to  mark  its  history  until  1852. 
During  its  whole  existence  no  boarding  department  had  been  connected 
with  it ;  the  teachers  obtained  board  where  they  could,  the  principal  resid- 
ing with  his  family  in  the  village.  The  students  obtained  board  at  private 
houses,  formed  clubs  or  brought  food  from  home,  cooking  it  in  their 
rooms.  These  rooms  were  unfurnished  and  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year  often  untidy,  presenting  a  cheerless  and  forbidding  appearance 
to  the  newcomer.  In  1852  the  "  Laboratory  Building"  was  remodeled 
and  the  first  floor  converted  into  a  dining  hall  and  parlors,  with  kitchen 
in  the  rear;  the  two  floors  above  being  made  into  two  large  recitation 
rooms. 

In  1854,  inspired  by  the  enthusiastic  talk  of  Rev.  L.  D.  Stebbins,  the 
Board  of  Trustees  resolved  to  erect  a  new  building  on.  the  academy 
grounds,  provide  facilities  for  boarding  a  large  number  of  students  and 
advertise  the  school  as  a  boarding-school,  under  the  name  of  "Fairfield 
Classical  Academy  and  Female  Collegiate  Institute,"  and  also  make 
several  changes  in  the  methods  of  conducting  its  affairs.  By  extensive 
advertising  and  a  thorough  canvass  of  a  large  portion  of  the  State,  many 
students  were  secured,  and  on  November  8,  what  is  known  as  the  "  Big 
School "  opened.  The  buildings  were  filled  to  overflowing  and  the  ex- 
pectations of  Mr.  Stebbins  fully  realized,  but  the  low  prices  that  had 
been  fixed  for  board  and  tuition  were  insufficient  to  pay  expenses,  so  the 
rates  were  necessarily  raised,  which  caused  a  decrease  in  the  number  of 
students,  yet  it  was  still  large. 

On  account  of  the  large  school,  the  students  found  the  opportunities 
for  society  work  too  limited,  and  during  the  fall  term  of  1854  a  debating 
club  was  organized,  which,  after  a  few  weeks,  developed  into  the  Philo- 
rhetorean  Society. 

Mr.  Stebbins  soon  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  Rev.  J.  B. 
Van  Petten  became  principal.  Under  him  the  school  continued  large 
and  prosperous  until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  when  several  of 
the  teachers,  and  many  of  the  students  enlisted.  From  this  time  the 
academy,  though  the  numbers  were  less,  continued  its  usual  course  for 
many  years,  and  until  the  high  school  departments  of  the  union  schools 
so  reduced  the  number  of  students  that  its  prosperity  began  to  decline. 


310  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

In  1882  it  was  decided  to  obtain  money  on  subscription,  pay  up  all 
debts,  repair  the  buildings  and  entirely  reorganize  the  school.  A  stock- 
company  was  formed,  about  $5,000  were  raised  and  expended  and 
a  new  charter  obtained,  in  which  the  name  "  Fairfield  Seminary  "  was 
substituted  for  that  of  "Fairfield  Academy."  The  institution  was  first 
rented  to  Gen.  Van  Petten  and  afterwards  to  others  at  a  nominal  rent, 
but  for  various  reasons  the  school  was  not  a  success. 

In  1885  the  present  proprietors,  D.  D.  &  F.  L.  Warne,  obtained  pos- 
session of  the  school,  and  by  the  application  of  untiring  energy  and 
business  ability,  have  restored  it  to  its  former  standing  and  popularity. 
Every  means  has  been  employed  to  keep  the  school  in  line  with 
modern  methods  of  education  and  render  it  as  efficient  and  useful  as  of 
old.  In  1 89 1  the  War  Department  detailed  an  officer  to  Fairfield  for 
the  purpose  of  military  drill ;  a  fine  new  armor}'  was  built  and  a  military 
department  organized,  which  promises  to  add  to  the  success  and  pros- 
perity of  the  school.  Many  persons  have  been  educated  here,  who 
subsequently  became  prominent;  among  them  are  exjudge  Addi- 
son Gardner,  ex -Judge  Denio,  Prof  Foster,  of  Union  College,  ex- Senator 
A.  M.  Mills,  and  Jean  R,  Stebbins. 

Churches.  —  Fairfield  Central  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  was  organized  P'ebruary  i,  1836,  with  Amos  Sherwood,  Thomas 
A.  Rice,  Lina  E.  Ford,  John  Green  and  William  Lamberson  as  trustees. 
Rev.  E.  W.  A.  Allen  was  the  pastor.  The  present  house  of  worship  was 
dedicated  in  July,  1837,  and  about  the  same  time  F"airfield  was  set  off 
from  Herkimer  circuit,  and  made  a  station.  Rev.  George  Gary  was 
presiding  elder,  and  Rev.  Aaron  Adams  was  pastor  at  that  time,  and 
the  same  persons  that  composed  the  board  of  trustees  were  also  elected 
a  board  of  stewards.  The  following  named  clergymen  have  served  as 
pastors  of  Fairfield  station  and  in  the  order  named  : 

Rev.  Messrs.  Aaron  Adams,  Isaac  L.  Hunt,  Albert  D.  Peek,  John  Loveys,  A.  W. 
Cummings,  F.  H.  Stanton,  L.  D.  Stebbins,  Aaron  Adams,  J.  F.  Dayan,  Isaac  Turney, 
J.  C.  Vandercook,  George  G.  Hapgood,  W.  I.  Hunt,  C.  H.  Austin,  B.  E.  Whipple,  J. 
F.  Dayan,  Lewis  Meredith,  Pomeroy  Wright,  W.  H.  Anable,  Harlow  Skeele,  W.  F. 
Tooke,  C.  W.  Parsons,  T.  H.  McClenthan,  J.  C.  Stewart,  Mr.  Babcock,  M.  G.  Wads- 
worth,  L.  B.  Gray,  J.  L.  Short,  and  H.  M.  Church.  The  present  trustees  are :  E.  C. 
Rice,  Milton  Ford,  Morgan  A.  Reese,  James  W.  Ford,  E.  B.  Fairchild,  D.  C.  Reese,  and 
M.  A.  Barnes. 


,'^-xn 


TOWN  OF     FAIRFIELD.  311 

A  meeting  of  a  number  of  Episcopalians  of  Fairfield  was  held  on  the 
5th  of  January,  1807,  and  the  following  persons  were  chosen  as  officers 
of  a  society  :  Wardens,  Andrew  A.  Bartow  and  Jonathan  Hallett ; 
vestrymen,  Stodard  Squires,  Charles  Ward,  Elijah  Blanchard,  William 
Wal<ley,  Peter  Ward,  Philip  Paine,  Joseph  Teall  and  Abiel  Burnett. 
The  name  of  "  Trinity  Church  of  the  Town  of  Fairfield  "  was  adopted. 
The  lot  on  which  the  church  stands  was  purchased  of  Richard  Smith  in 
September,  1808,  and  the  house  was  consecrated  October  28,  1809. 
The  list  of  pastors  is  not  available. 

The  Village  of  Middleville  —  Is  situated  on  West  Canada  Creek,  on 
the  western  border  of  the  town,  and  extends  across  the  creek  into  New- 
port; but  a  large  share  of  the  business  portion  is  in  the  town  of  Fairfield. 
The  land  on  which  this  village  stands  was  owned  in  early  times  by 
Richard  Kimball,  and  was  sold  by  him  to  Sheffield  Kinyon  (or  Ken- 
yon)  John  McMichael,  an  early  settler,  erected  the  first  building  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Spellman  House;  it  was  kept  as  a  public  house, 
and  another  was  kept  in  1807  by  Samuel  Stevens,  nearly  opposite  where 
George  Griswold  now  lives.  In  1808  a  Mr.  Streeter  had  a  blacksmith 
shop  on  the  site  of  the  dwelling  and  store  of  W.  W.  Mosher  (the  store 
now  occupied  by  H.  E.  &  D.  G.  Jackson),  and  about  that  time  Eber 
Stevens  also  had  a  shop.  The  first  bridge  across  the  West  Canada 
Creek  was  built  in  1810  by  Jacob  Wiltsie,  and  in  the  same  year  he 
erected  a  saw- mill  on  the  site  where  a  mill  has  stood  for  many  years. 
In  the  same  year  a  grist- mill  was  also  built  on  the  site  of  the  present 
one,  by  a  stock  company.  The  first  school-house  was  built  in  1813. 
Under  the  union  free  school  system  the  present  commodious  house  was 
erected.     The  school  is  now  a  graded  one,  with  A.  B.  Crim  as  principal. 

Kanata  Knitting- Mills. — The  subscription  list  for  a  manufacturing 
company  was  started  January  10,  1814,  the  company  to  be  known  as 
the  Herkimer  Manufacturing  Company,  capital  $40,000,  divided  in  400 
shares  of  $iOO  each,  to  be  paid  in  installments  of  $8.50  every  three 
months  until  paid  in  full.  The  company  was  organized  to  manufacture 
wool,  cotton,  flax,  and  iron; -the  money  subscribed  to  be  used  in  pur- 
chasing six  acres  of  land  at  $50  per  acre,  widening  canal,  repairing 
dam,  erecting  buildings,  buying  machinery  and  stock.  The  certificate 
of  incorporation   was  dated  January  27,  1814,  and  was  filed  in  the  sec- 


312  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

retary  of  state's  office  February  i,  1814,  with  the   following  as  stock- 
holders: 

James  Haile,  George  Kretsinger,  Bela  Ward,  Roland  Sears,  Jed  Baldwin,  Joseph 
Lawton,  Oliver  Ellis,  John  Burton,  Clark  Smith,  Linus  Evarts,  Richard  Buslinell,  Wy- 
inan  Eaton,  Nathaniel  Carpenter;-  and  the  following  were  named  as  trustees  for  one 
year:  George  Kretsinger,  Oliver  Ellis,  James  Haile,  Bela  Ward,  Clark  Smith,  John 
Burton  and  Nathaniel  Carpenter. 

The  dam  across  the  West  Canada  Creek  was  already  built  b\'  the 
grist-mill  company,  and  a  raceway  leading  from  the  dam  to  grist- mill 
furtlier  down  the  creek.  The  Herkimer  Manufacturing  Company 
widened  the  raceway  to  their  property  to  about  double  its  former  width 
and  erected  a  stone  building  of  five  stories  60  by  ^6  feet,  and  a  wing  60 
by  28  feet  of  two  stories,  the  end  of  the  wing  being  used  as  a  store. 
They  put  in  machinery  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  sheeting,  bed- 
ticking,  ropes,  and  bunting;  they  also  made  scythes,  axes,  pitchforks, 
and  hoes.  The  above  continued  in  existence  imtil  March  18,  1834, 
when  it  was  dissolved  by  the  chancellor  of  New  York  State,  bj'  peti- 
tion of 

William  H.  Gordon,  Varnum  S.  Kenyon,  Alexander  H.  Buel,  Samuel  Griswold,  and 
John  Farmer  as  trustees;  Zina  Kelsey,  Clark  Smith,  John  Green,  Caleb  Sheldon,  Ste- 
phen Ayres,  David  Ford,  Henry  Ellison,  Edward  T.  Cheever,  Benjamin  Jenks,  Silas 
Thompson,  Norman  Butler,  William  M.  Cheever,  John  Farrington,  executor  of  Amos 
Farrington's  estate;  Truman  Cole,  administrator  of  John  Cole's  estate;  Stephen  F. 
Carpenter,  administrator  Nathaniel  Carpenter's  estate ;  Catherine  Kretsinger,  adminis- 
tratrix, and  Abijah  Mann,  jr.,  administrator  of  George  Kretsinger's  estate;  and  Aaron 
Griswold,  executor  of  Benoni  Ford,  stockholders. 

James  B.  Hunt  was  appointed  receiver,  and  the  property  was  sold  by 
him  at  auction  July  5,  1834,  to  Henry  Ellison,  J6hn  Farrington,  and 
Simeon  Osborne,  for  $8,850.  John  Farrington  purchased  the  interest 
of  his  partners  about  the  year  1836,  and  sold  out  to  Varnum  S.  Ken- 
yon April  8,  1844.  The  business  was  now  confined  to  the  manufacture 
of  cotton  cloth  exclusively,  and  in  1865  the  mill  was  enlarged  by  an  ad- 
dition to  the  main  building  of  50  by  36  feet,  five  stories;  also  an  addi- 
tion to  the  wing,  increasing  the  output  about  double.  Mr.  Kenyon 
conducted  the  business  very  successfully  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1873,  and  the  business  was  continued  by  the  executors  of  his  estate 
for  two  years  after,  and  May  5,  1880,  the  property  was  sold  by  them  to 


'      ^  TOWN  OF  FAIRFIELD.  313 

B.  W.  Nichols  and  W.  W.  Montgomery.  June  29,  1881,  Nichols  sold 
his  interest  to  Montgomery.  September  18,  1886,  the  property  was 
purchased  by  Etlwin  J.  Nelson  and  Wm.  F.  Lansing,  and  the  cotton 
machinery  was  taken  out,  and  after  many  alterations  and  repairs,  the 
mill  was  fitted  up  for  a  knitting- mill,  with  woolen  cards  and  all  the 
necessary  machinery  for  the  manufacture  of  knit  goods.  October  6, 
1890,  Edwin  J.  Nelson  purchased  the  interest  of  Wm.  F.  Lansing  and 
is  now  conducting  the  knitting  business.  The  knitting- mills  have  three 
sets  of  60-inch  cards,  1,300  spindles,  eighteen  knitting  machines,  thirty 
sewing  machines,  and  employ  100  hands. 

One  of  the  early  industries  of  Middleville  was  the  tannery  built  in 
1 8 14  by  John  Wood.  It  was  operated  by  him  until  about  1840,  when 
it  passed  to  possession  of  George  M.  Thomas.  He  continued  its  oper- 
ation until  his  death  in  1865,  when  his  son,  George  H.  Thomas,  became 
the  proprietor,  and  has  continued  as  such  to  the  present  time.  During 
this  long  period  the  establishment  has,  of  course,  passed  through  many 
changes  and  been  greatly  enlarged.  The  annual  product  is  now  about 
125,000  calf-skins. 

The  post-office  was  established  at  Middleville  in  18 16  with  William 
H.  Gordon  as  postmaster.  C.  L.  Earl  is  the  present  postmaster.  The 
first  store  was  built  by  Varnum  S.  Kenyon  where  H.  E.  &  D.  G.  Jack- 
son now  carry  on  trade.  In  1828  R.  G.  Marvin  started  a  clothiery 
where  the  railroad  machine  shops  are  located.  The  village  of  Middle- 
ville was  incorporated  in  1890  with  Wallace  W.  Mosher  as  the  first 
president;  he  was  succeeded  by  Edwin  J.  Nelson,  and  he  by  Dr.  Irv- 
ing S   Edsall. 

Churches. — The  "  Union  Religious  Society  of  Middleville"  was  organ- 
nized  April  5,  1825,  with  the  following  trustees:  Sheffield  Kenyon,  Will- 
iam H.  Gordon,  Asahel  Harris,  Varnum  S.  Kenyon,  and  David  Ford. 
During  that  and  the  succeeding  year  the  society  erected  a  wooden  church 
which  was  dedicated  in  July,  1827.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  de- 
cide on  a  time  during  which  the  church  should  be  occupied  by  the  vari- 
ous denominations.  This  church  was  used  as  a  union  church  until 
about  1880,  services  in  the  latter  years  being  held  only  at  intervals. 
The  building  finally  passed  to  possession  of  the  Methodists  in  1880. 
40 


314  HISTORY  OP  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  First  Universalist  Society  of  Middleville  was  organized  Febru- 
ary lo,  1835,  by  Rev.  Joshua  Britten,  and  a  coristitution  and  articles  of 
membership  were  adopted.  The  subscribers  were  Climena  Scott,  Daniel 
Post,  Betsey  Post,  Jonathan  Potter,  Jeremiah  Potter,  John  and  Ira 
Farmer,  Bela  Ward,  Abigail  Farmer,  Benjamin  Keeler,  Daniel  H. 
Eastman,  and  W.  Weeden.  The  society  had  a  share  in  the  union 
church  until  it  was  sold  to  the  Methodists.  In  1882  the  new  church 
was  dedicated,  its  cost  being  about  $10,000. 

The  pastors  who  have  served  this  church  are  Rev.?.  Joshua  Britton,  M.  B.  Smith, 
H.  Hathavray,  T.  J.  Whitconib,  D.  C.  Toralin8on.  Dolphus  Skinner,  George  W.  Skinner, 

0.  D.  Haynes,  T.  D.  Cook,  L.  Holmes,  H.  K.  White,  H.  L.  Webster,  S.  R.  Ward,  R.  H. 
Aldrich,  E.  F.  Pember,  E.  B.  Burgess,  G.  W.  Powell,  Herbert  Wliitney,  and  Mary  T. 
Whitney,  who  was  the  last  regular  pastor.  The  church  for  a  few  years  has  been  sup- 
plied. The  officers  are:  Wardens.  A.  W.  Ford,  A.  L.  Petrie,  Henry  L.  Ward,  H.  J. 
Hildreth ;  treasurer,  A.  W.  Ford ;  clerk,  M.  C.  Crist. 

Episcopal  services  were  formerly  held  in  the  Union  church,  as  a  mis- 
sion of  the  Fairfield  church.  As  an  outgrowth  of  this  a  church  was  or- 
ganized in  1872  under  the  name  of  the  Church  of  the  Memorial.  A 
handsome  church  was  erected  in  187 1-2  at  a  cost  of  about  $10,000, 
and  the  rectory  has  a  value  of  about  $2,000.  The  same  rectors  have 
usually  served  this  church  and  the  Fairfield  society,  the  present  rector 
being  Rev.  Clarence  M.  Conant.  The  wardens  are  John  Molineux, 
treasurer,  C.  W.  Hamlin,  M.  D.,  secretary,  and  Geo.  W.  Griswold. 

The  Methodist  church  of  Middleville  was  organized  January  16, 
1836,  and  incorporated  February  i,  i88i.  In  1880  the  society  pur- 
chased the  old  Union  church  building,  which  they  removed,  remodeled 
and  thoroughly  repaired.     Services  are  now  conducted  in  it. 

The  trustees  are  James  F.  Whiting,  I  S.  Edsall  and  V.  S.  Farrington.     Stewards, 

1.  S.  Edsall,  "V.  S.  Farrington,  Lansing  Chase,  D.  R.  Martin,  W.  W.  Dickens,  Edward 
Reese,  Herman  Stroble.     The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  H.  M  Church. 

The  substantial  iron  bridge  across  West  Canada  Creek  was  built  in 
1888;  there  had  been  three  preceding  wooden  ones. 

The  grist-mill  is  owned  by  Dr.  D.  M.  Devendorf,  who  leases  it  to 
Wolcott  G.  Farmer.  The  population  of  the  village  is  about  800  and  is 
steadily  increasing. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  supervisors  of  Fairfield  from  its  organization 
to  the  present  time  : 


^^Vr*^       ^  (^^ 


TOWN  OF  SALISBURY.  315 

1790-97,  John  Comins,  jr.;  1798,  Nathan  Smith;  1799,1801-4,  David  Biown; 
ISOO,  William  Lapham  ;  1805-10,  An  o.s  Haile ;  1811-12,  Willianj  f  miih  ;  181c-14, 
James  Haile  ;  1815,  John  Eaton  ;  1816-25,  1830-32,  William  Giiswold  ;  1826-29,  Nor- 
man Butler;  1833-34,  Hiram  Noiton ;  1835-37,  Abram  H.  Seeley  ;  1838-41,  A.  C.  H. 
Smith;  1842-43,  Thomas  A.  Rice;  1844,  Ale.xander  H.  Buell  ;  1845,  1846,  1849, 
Hiram  Ayre.';;  1847-48,  Parley  Arnold;  1850-51,  1856,  Lauren  B.Arnold;  1852-53, 
David  W.Cole;  1854,  Samuel  Green ;  1855,  Samuel  C.  Franklin  ;  1857,  Griffin  Sweet ; 
1858-59,  Morgan  L.Churchill;  1860-Gl,  Sideneus  Teall ;  1862-63,  Alfred  E.  Varney  ; 
1864-65,  John  Green  ;  1866,  Albert  G.  Ford  ;  1867,  Morgan  C.  Crist;  1868-70,  Eleazer 
C.  Rice;  1871-72,  Albigenoe  W.  Ford:  1873-74,  Daniel  B.  Arnold;  1875-78,  WiUiam 
W.  Mosher:  1879,  1880,  Hiram  S.  Barnes;  1881,  1882,  George  H.Thomas;  1883, 
1884,  Milton  Ford;  1885,  Thomas  R.  Petrie  ;  1886-88,  Seymour  C.  Bishop  ;  1889-91, 
George  H.  Thomas;   1892,  John  Fields. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   TOWN    OF    SALISBURY. 

THIS  is  one  of  the  largest  towns  in  Herkimer  county,  having  an 
area  of  more  than  68,00O  acres.  It  embraces  a  part  of  the  Jersey- 
field  patent,  and  portions  of  the  first,  second  and  fourth  allotments 
of  the  Royal  Grant.  The  surface  of  the  northern  part  of  the  town 
is  rough  and  mountainous  and  not  thickly  settled,  while  the  southern 
part  is  hilly  and  well  adapted  to  grazing.  The  principal  streams 
are  the  East  Canada  Creek,  which  forms  a  part  of  the  east  boundary, 
and  Spruce  Creek,  which  flows  through  the  southwest  and  southern 
parts.  The  soil  is  generally  a  sandy  and  clayey  loam.  Beds  of  iron 
ore  exist  in  some  parts  and  have  been  worked  to  some  extent.  The 
formation  of  the  town  occurred  on  March  3,  1797,  when  it  was  taken 
from  Palatine,  and  on  the  17th  of  April,  1817,  it  was  annexed  to 
Herkimer  county  from  Montgomery  county;  it  lies  on  the  eastern  bor- 
der of  the  county  and  extends  into  the  great  northern  wilderness. 

Salisbury  received  its  name  from  Salisbury,  Conn.,  whence  came 
many  of  the  early  settlers.  Of  the  early  settlement  of  the  town  Mr. 
Benton  thus  wrote  : 

This  town  was  peopled  before  the  Revolution,  with  several  families  of  tories  or  per- 
sons friendly  to  the  crown,  although    they  may  not   have  committed  any  overt  act  of 


316  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

treason  against  the  colonies.  Living  on  the  Royal  Grant,  they  were,  no  doubt,  the 
tenants  of,  or  went  there  under  the  protection  of  the  Johnson  family.  They  were 
allowed  to  rtmain  unmolested  by  the  Indians  and  tories  during  the  whole  war ;  but 
when  the  couiniissionersof  forfeitures,  in  1784,  claimed  the  grant  as  tlie  property  of 
the  State,  they  may  not  have  esteemed  the  protection  of  their  royalist  landlords  as  of 
much  value,  or  their  titles,  if  they  held  any,  as  securing  to  them  "  an  indefeasible 
estate  of  inheritance."  One  of  these  people,  named  Johnson,  lived  on  lot  iiumber  154, 
in  the  first  allotment,  Royal  Grant,  on  the  road  between  the  old  Salisbury  meeting- 
house and  the  Four  Corners.  Daniel  Lobdell,  another  of  them,  lived  in  the  westerly 
part  of  the  town,  about  one  mile  southerly  of  the  old  Salisbury  meeting-house. 

These  parties  were  conveniently  located,  to  suit  the  purposes  and  accompli.^h  the 
objects,  of  those  who  planted  them  on  the  direct  route  from  the  Mohawk  valley  to 
the  head  waters  of  the  Black  River.  Here  the  disaffected  could  congregate  in  safety, 
and  mature  their  plans  of  mischief;  and  from  these  points,  runners  could  be  dispatched 
to  hover  round  the  out-settlements,  collect  information,  watch  the  movement  of  troops 
in  the  valley,  and  even  spy  out  what  was  going  on  at  the  block-houses  and  stockades, 
and  outside  of  the  principal  forts;  and  here,  too,  straggling  parties  of  the  enemy  re- 
ceived aid  and  comfort  and  were  seasonably  notified  of  whatever  was  important  for 
them  to  know,  and  within  the  power  of  these  people  to  give. 

Old  Mr.  Lobdell  had  four  or  five  sons  wlio,  at  an  early  period  of  the  war,  went  to 
Canada  with  a  party  of  Indians  and  remained  there  until  after  peace  was  declared. 

A  controversy  as  to  some  of  these  lands  gave  rise  to  a  litigation  in 
i860,  as  appears  by  the  case  of  McKinnon  vs.  Bliss,  21  New  York 
Reports,  206. 

A  few  New  England  families  probably  located  in  this  town  before 
1788,  and  between  that  date  and  1794  the  immigration  was  quite  rapid. 
The  Salisbury  meeting-house,  a  historic  structure,  was  erected  during 
the  last  named  year.  Jabez  Ayers  built  the  first  frame  dwelling  in 
the  town.  The  following  families  were  among  the  early  settlers: 
Avery,  Cook,  Hackley,  Hallett,  Todd,  Hopson,  Burrell  and  Water- 
man. In  1801,  according  to  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander,  who  then  visited 
the  town,  the  population  was  1,694. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  April  4,  1797,  and  the  following  is 
a  record  of  the  proceedings  : 

Agreeable  to  statute,  the  freeholders  and  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Salisbury  con- 
vened at  the  house  of  Aaron  Hackley,  esq.,  on  Tuesday,  the  4th  day  of  April,  1797. 
Cornelius  Humphrey  and  Aaron  Hackley,  esqs.,  superintended  the  meeting.  Polls 
opened  and  proceeded  to  put  in  the  town  ofiicers,  and  the  following  were  cho.sen,  that 
is  to  say  ;  Cornelius  Humphrey,  esq.,  supervisor  ;  Eliphalet  Taylor,  town  clerk  ;  Abijah 
Ford,  Samuel  Bennet,  Jonathan  Cole,  assessors;  Jonathan  Hallett,  William  Lee,  jr., 


TOWN  OF  SALISBURY.  317 

and  Joseph  Munson,  commissioners  of  highways;  Nathaniel  Curtip,  constahlc  nnd  cd- 
lector;  Stephen  Todd,  jr.,  constable;  Reynolds  Cahoon  and  Jabez  Ayers,  overseers  of 
the  poor ;  Augustus  Thorp,  Stutley  Can  and  Caleb  Bates,  commissioners  of  schools ; 
Eleazer  Can,  Jabez  Tuttle  and  Joseph  Tuttle,  fence  viewers  and  appraisers  of  dam- 
ages;  Joseph  Cahoon  and  Alexander  Ayers,  poundmasters.  The  entire  town  at  that 
time  contained  only  thirteen  road  districts,  and  one  overseer  was  elected  for  each  dis- 
trict. 

Other  proceedings  of  this  and  succeeding  early  meetings  consisted  of 
the  customary  regulations  for  restriction  of  roving  animals,  selhng 
liquors,  etc.  In  this  connection  the  following  entry  is  of  interest  as  in- 
dicating who  were  early  merchants  and  what  they  had  to  contend  with 
for  violating  the  law : 

Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  15th  day  of  January,  1798,  Jo.seph  Cahoon  and  Isaiah 
Kenyon,  merchants  of  the  town  of  Salisbury,  county  of  Montgomery  and  Stale  of  New 
York,  were  this  day  convicted  before  me,  Cornelius  Humphrey,  one  of  the  justices  of  the 
peace  of  said  county,  for  retailing,  on  the  9lh  day  of  this  instant — January — and  at 
several  other  times,  at  their  store  in  the  town  aforesaid,  gin  and  other  spirituous  liquors 
by  small  measure  to  be  drank  in  their  house,  without  having  a  license  or  such  permit  in 
their  house,  out-house,  yard  or  garden,  or  without  having  entered  into  such  recogni- 
zance as  is  mentioned  in  the  act  entitled  "an  act  to  lay  a  duty  of  excise  on  strong 
liquors  and  for  the  better  regulating  of  inns  and  taverns,"  passed  March  1st,  1788. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  the  loth  day  of  January,  1708. 

Cornelius  Humphrey,  J.  P. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  supervisors  of  Salisbury  from  its  organiza- 
tion to  the  present  time  : 

Cornelius  Humphrey,  1797-99;  Samuel  Bennett,  1800;  Jonathan  Hallett,  1801-02; 
Cornelius  Drake,  1803-05;  Alvah  Southworth,  1806-13;  Stephen  Todd,  1814,  1820-22. 
'1824;  Elijah  Ford,  1815;  Isaac  Sears,  1816;  John  D.  Waterman,  1817-19;  Jeremiah 
Drake,  1823,  1825,  1829  ;  Abraham  Marsh,  1826-27  ;  Abial  Pratt,  1828  ;  Henry  Water- 
man, 1830-31;  George  W.  Alton,  1832-30,  1839;  Eliakim  Sherrill,  1837-38;  At  water 
Cook,  1840-41;  Hiram  Hadley,  1842-44;  George  Avery,  1845;  Ira  Comstock,  1846; 
Truman  Bliss,  1847-48;  Harry  Burrell,  1849  ;  Lorenzo  Carryl,  1850;  B.  Avery,  1851- 
52;  Daniel  A.  Northrup,  1853  55,  1859,  1860;  James  J.  Cook,  1856-58,  1877-78; 
James  H.  Ives,  1861-64;  Milton  B.  Avery,  1865-66;  George  L.  Byington,  1867-69; 
John  Ives,  1870-71;  W.  P.  Burrell,  1872-73;  Volney  Hopson,  1874;  Ormel  Leavitt, 
1875-77;  J.  J.  Cook,  1878-79;  Frank  H.  Loucks,  1880-82;  Charles  L.  Ives,  1883-84; 
William  H.  Cramer,  1885-80;   Warren  H.  Eaton,  1887-92. 

Among  the  few  families  who  settled  in  this  town  during  the  Revolu- 
tion were  John  Faville  and  Cornelius  Lamberson,  both  natives  of  New 
Jersey.      Faville   was   born  in  1749,  and  in  eaily  life  was   engaged   in 


318  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

boating  on  the  Mohawk  River.  He  settled  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  town  on  a  farm  owned  in  recent  years  by  Harry  Burrell.  His  son, 
William  Faville,  was  born  in  the  town  December  19,  1785.  In  1795  he 
removed  to  the  northwestern  part  of  Manheim,  where  he  erected  a 
grist  mill  previous  to  1800.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  sons  and  four 
daughters,  most  of  wi)om  located  in  Salisbury  and  Manheim.  The 
family  has  always  been  a  prominent  one  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county.  Cornelius  Lamberson  settled  on  the  farm  owned  recently  by 
his  grandson,  Joshua  W.  Lamberson,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town. 
He  reared  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  was  father  of 
Addison  Lamberson,  now  of  Dolgeville. 

Major  Jonathan  Hallett  was  a  revolutionary  officer  and  settled  early 
in  the  town — about  1787,  in  the  western  part.  His  son,  Stephen,  was 
born  in  the  town  in  1787,  and  remained  a  resident  until  1 820,  when  he 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  Fairfield.  He  was  sheriff  of  the 
county  from  1821  to  1826. 

Jabez  Ayers  came  to  the  town  from  Massachusetts  in  the  spring  of 
1792,  settling  on  wild  land  near  the  site  of  Burrell's  Corners.  His  son, 
Stephen,  born  in  Braintree.  Mass.,  February  10,  1770,  came  here  with 
his  father,  and  later  settled  a  mile  or  more  west  of  him  in  what  is 
now  Fairfield.  He  was  a  practical  surveyor  and  located  many  of  the 
early  roads  in  this  section.  He  represented  the  county  in  the  Assembl)' 
in  1836,  and  died  in  1850. 

Stephen  Todd  came  from  Wallingford,  Conn.,  in  1792,  and  settled 
at  what  is  known  as  Diamond  Hill,  on  the  State  road.  His  son,  , 
Stephen,  jr.,  came  with  the  family  and  subsequently  studied  medicine 
and  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  the  county. 
He  also  engaged  quite  extensively  in  agriculture  ;  was  elected  to  the 
Assembly  in  1821,  and  died  at  his  home  in  1827. 

Nathan  Metcalf  came  from  Berkshire  county,  Mass.,  and  settled  in  the 
extreme  southern  part  of  the  town  in  1794.  Abial  Pratt  came  here  in 
the  same  year  and  purchased  a  farm  of  Alvarius  Hopson.  A  year  later 
he  returned  to  Massachusetts,  but  in  1799  came  back  to  his  farm  which 
he  cleared  and  improved,  and  lived  upon  it  until  his  death  at  the  age  of 
ninety-two  years.  The  homestead  was  about  half  way  between  Salis- 
bury and    Salisbury  Center.      He  was  member   of  Assembly   in    1828. 


TOWN  OF  SALISBURY.  319 

Jonathan  Cole  came  with  Mr.  Pratt  in  1794,  and  settled  on  the  adjoin- 
ing farm,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
assessors  of  the  town.  Abijah  Ford  settled  early  in  1794  near  Diamond 
Hill,  opened  a  tavern  before  1800,  and  kept  it  until  his  death.  The 
early  town  meetings  were  held  at  his  house.  In  the  same  year  Asa 
Sheldon  settled  about  two  miles  west  of  the  site  of  Devereaux. 

Atwater  Cook,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  settled  in  Salisbury  early  in 
1795,  locating  first  at  what  is  known  as  Ives  Hollow,  and  subsequently 
on  a  farm  just  west  of  Salisbury  Corners.  His  son,  of  the  same  name, 
was  born  in  Salisbury,  December  17,  1795,  and  became  one  of  the  early 
successful  farmers  and  dairymen  and  one  of  the  prominent  and  influ- 
ential citizens  of  the  town.  He  was  for  many  years  a  justice  of  the 
peace;  was  supervisor,  and  in  1831  and  1839,  was  chosen  to  the  As- 
sembly. He  died  at  his  home  February  14,  1853.  His  son,  James  J. 
Cook,  was  born  July  13,  1822,  and  also  became  one  of  the  prominent 
citizens  of  the  town.  He  was  sheriff  of  the  county  from  1859  to  1861, 
and  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors.  During  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  he  held  the  office  of  United  States  provost  mar- 
shal for  this  Congressional  district,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  a 
member  of  the  committee  for  the  construction  of  the  new  county  build- 
ings.     He  died  at  Salisbury,  September  4,  1880. 

Aaron  Hackley  came  from  Wallingford,  Conn.,  in  1795  and  settled 
at  what  is  now  known  as  Burrell's  Corners,  where  he  carried  on  a  store 
and  a  tavern.      He  was  one  of  the  first  justices  of  the  town. 

Silas  Thompson  was  a  native  of  Chesterfield,  N  H.,  and  for  a  time 
drove  the  six  yoke  teams  of  oxen  in  hauling  boats  on  the  river  around 
the  rapids  at  Little  Falls.  In  the  fall  of  1795  he  came  to  Salisbury  and 
soon  afterward  purchased  the  farm  now  owned  by  the  estate  of  William 
J.Thompson.      He  died  in  1858. 

Joseph  Munson  and  Moses  De  Witt  came  from  Connecticut  in  1795 
and  settled  on  farms  near  Salisbury  Corners.  Other  early  settlers  were 
Cornelius  Humphrey,  Eliphalet  Taylor,  Samuel  Bennett,  and  William 
Lee,  who  became  permanent  and  useful  citizens  and  left  descendants. 

Amos  Ives  was  a  native  of  Wallingford,  Conn.,  and  came  to  Salis- 
bury in  the  spring  of  1795,  settling  about  two  miles  north  of  Salisbury 
Corners,  where  he  was  a  successful  farmer.      He  died  at  the  residence  of 


320  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

his  son  at  Salisbury  Corners  in  March,  184 1.  He  was  father  of  seven 
sons  and  one  daughter.  Truman  Ives  was  his  youngest  son  and  was 
three  years  old  when  iiis  father  settled  in  Salisbury.  He  learned  the 
trade  of  wool- carding  and  cloth-dressing  and  in  1818  established  that 
business  about  half  a  mile  north  of  Salisbury  Corners,  which  he  success 
fully  carried  on  until  i860.  He  was  also  an  extensive  farmer  and 
owned  a  large  estate,  which  he  transferred  to  his  sons,  John  and  James 
H.,  in  i860.  Anson  Ives  was  an  elder  brother  of  Truman,  and  the  fol- 
lowing interesting  reminiscences  were  published  by  the  Little  Falls 
Journal  and  Courier  in  1876,  in  a  reference  to  him  : 

He  was  a  son  of  Amos  and  Lucy  Ives,  and  was  born  in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  March 
19,  1785.  He  was  the  fifth  of  a  family  of  eight  children.  Amos,  Ambrose,  Simeon, 
Lucy.  Anson,  Orren,  Samuel  and  Truman,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased  except  Tru- 
man, tlie  youngest,  who  is  in  vigorous  health  at  eighty-six.  AH  lived  to  a  ripe  old 
age.  This  familj-  of  ten  persons  removed  from  their  home  in  Connecticut  to  this 
county  in  May,  1795,  coming  the  whole  distance  in  a  cart  drawn  by  two  oxen  and  one 
horse.  The  journey  to  Little  Falls  required  fourteen  days.  From  this  place  to  Salis- 
bury was  almost  an  unbroken  wilderness,  the  route  having  to  be  followed  by  marked 
trees.  They  were  one  day  in  going  two  miles,  and  put  up  for  the  night  at  a  tavern 
kepi  by  a  maa  by  the  name  of  Doxtater,  a  short  distance  north  of  the  present  resi- 
dence of  Chaunoey  Cook.  On  the  next  day  they  reached  Burrell's  Corners  and  tarried 
over  night  in  the  small  red  house  (still  standing)  just  east  of  the  old  church  which  was 
burned  fifteen  or  eighteen  years  ago.  The  day  following  they  arrived  at  the  happy 
home  of  Atwater  Cook,  the  elder,  grandfather  of  James  J.  Cook,  esq.,  who  admitted 
them  to  a  share  in  his  log  cabin.  Here  they  resided  several  months,  until  they  could 
erect  a  log  house  of  their  own  on  a  lot  adjoining,  purchased  of  Mr.  Cook.  They  had 
all  been  neighbors  and  intimate  friends  in  Connecticut.  Anson  while  yet  a  boy  left 
his  father's  house  and  went  to  Greene  county,  where  he  :esided  five  years.  From 
there  he  went  to  Onondaga  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  and  two  other  brothers  contracted 
to  chop  eight  hundred  cords  of  wood.  Here  he  was  drafted  into  the  United  States 
service  and  stationed  at  0.swego,  remaining  there  till  peace  was  declared.  For  this 
service  he  received  a  land  warrant  for  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and  a  pen- 
sion of  $12  per  month  to  the  time  of  his  decease. 

It  is  from  the  Ives  family  that  Ives  Hollow  takes  its  name,  and 
there  John  and  James  H.  Ives  established  several  industries.  They 
became  very  large  land  owners,  engaged  e-xtensively  in  dairying,  owned 
large  interests  in  several  cheese  factories,  carried  on  mills  and  also  ex- 
tended their  business  operations  into  other  parts  of  the  country.  John 
Ives  was  twice  supervisor  of  the  town  and  James  H.  held  the  same 
office  four  terms  and  was  sheriff  of  the  county. 


TOWN  OF  SALISBURY.  321 

Alvarius  Hopson  came  from  Wallingford,  Conn.,  to  Salisbury  in  1793, 
bringing  a  large  family  with  him.  He  first  settled  about  a  mile  west  of 
Salisbury  Center,  but  in  the  following  year  sold  his  land  to  Jonathan 
Cole  and  Abial  Pratt  and  purchased  other  property  a  mile  southeast  of 
Salisbury  Center.  There  a  few  years  later  he  joined  with  Samuel  Bish- 
op and  built  a  saw- mill  on  Spruce  Creek.  About  1799  he  sold  his 
farm  to  John  Marsh,  and  in  recent  years  the  place  was  occupied  by  the 
grandson  of  the  latter,  Abram  M.  Marsh;  it  is  now  occupied  by  G.  A. 
Marsh.  Mr.  Hopson  soon  afterward  settled  permanently  a  little  south 
of  Salisbury  Center,  where  he  died  about  1825.  He  was  the  father  of 
six  sons  and  five  daughters,  and  his  descendants  became  prominent  cit- 
izens of  this  county.  E.  R.  Hopson,  now  of  Dolgeville,  is  a  great-grand- 
son of  Alvarius  Hopson.  His  grandfather's  name  was  David,  one  of  the 
six  sons  of  Alvarius,  and  his  father  was  James  (2d)  who  was  born  in  1 800 
and  died  in  i860.  The  family  of  E.  R.  Hopson  consists  of  Elton  J., 
born  June  30,  185  i  ;  George  D.,  born  December  30,  1855;  Mary  E., 
born  December  13,  1858,  now  wife  of  James  F.  Weatherwax.  Mr.  Hop- 
son  has  taken  the  lead  in  this  vicinity  in  dairying  operations,  and  when 
the  Cold  Brook  cheese  factory  was  established  in  1863,  he  became  part 
owner  and  sole  manager  of  it.  The  product  of  the  factory  ranked  as 
first  class.  Mr.  Hopson  enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  entire 
community.  James  Hopson  was  also  a  son  of  Alvarius,  and  came  with 
his  father  to  Salisburj'.  He  was  an  early  merchant  and  farmer  and  an 
influential  citizen  of  the  town.  His  son,  Cornelius  D.  Hopson,  was  a 
farmer  and  died  in  1864.  He  left  four  children,  all  of  whom  now  reside 
in  Kansas,  except  Martha  C,  who  married  P.  W.  Casler,  living  at  Lit- 
tle Falls.  Other  later  members  of  several  of  these  families  have  re- 
moved from  the  town. 

Among  others  of  this  town  who  are  worthy  of  mention  in  connection 
with  its  growth  and  development  are  Jonathan  Burrell,  an  early  settler 
at  Burrell's  Corners.  His  son,  W.  F.  Burrell,  who  was  born  there  in 
1S18,  became  the  proprietor  of  Burrell's  mills  at  that  place  and  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cheese-boxes,  broom  handles, 
lumber,  etc.  He  was  for  years  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Burrell,  Ives  & 
Co.,  extensive  makers  of  cheese-box  material  in  this  State  and  Michi- 
gan. He  was  supervisor  of  the  town  in  1872  and  1873. 
a 


322  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Orren  Tanner  was  born  in  Salisbury  in  1806,  and  spent  most  of  his 
life  as  a  successful  farmer.  He  had  seven  children.  His  wife  was  a 
daughter  of  Alvarius  Hopson. 

William  J.  Thompson  was  born  in  Salisbury  in  18 19  and  was  reared 
on  the  farm  on  which  he  passed  his  life.  His  father  was  Silas  Thomp- 
son, before  mentioned,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  town. 

Among  the  pioneers  from  Connecticut  who  settled  in  Herkimer  coun- 
ty was  Noah  Smith.  He  located  in  the  town  of  Norway  and  had  a  son 
Samuel,  who  settled  in  the  town  of  Salisbury  in  1822,  where  he  is  still 
living  at  the  great  age  of  ninety-three  years,  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
respect  of  the  community.  George  W.  Smith,  the  well-known  attorney 
of  Herkimer,  is  a  son  of  Samuel,  and  was  born  in  Salisbury  in  1823. 
He  left  that  town  in  1844,  studied  law  with  Capron  &  Lake  in  Little 
Falls  and  with  Judge  Graves  of  Herkimer  and  was  admitted  in  1848. 
During  the  following  three  years  he  was  editor  of  the  Northern  State 
Journal  at  Watertown,  and  then  settled  in  Roonville  and  began  practice. 
He  was  elected  county  judge  of  Oneida  county  in  1859  and  in  i860 
removed  to  Utica,  but  returned  to  Boonville  two  years  later.  He  re- 
mained there  until  1870,  when  he  settled  permanently  in  Herkimer  and 
has  been  in  practice  there  since.  In  1876  he  was  nominated  by  the 
Democrats  for  Congress  but  was  defeated,  although  he  ran  ahead  of  his 
ticket  in  Herkimer  county,  and  was  again  defeated  for  the  same  office 
in  1886.  In  1880  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Cincinnati  convention,  and 
in  1882  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  where  he  was  distinguished  for 
his  clear  style  and  eloquent  speeches. 

Sketches  of  many  other  residents  of  the  town  will  be  found  in  a  later 
department  of  this  work. 

The  first  mill  of  any  kind  in  operation  in  this  town  was  a  saw-mill 
built  about  1795  by  John  Garner  on  Spruce  Creek  about  half  a  mile 
north  of  Salisbury  Corners,  which  locality  bears  the  name  of  Ives  Hol- 
low. The  site  has  had  a  mill  ever  since,  which  was  in  possession  of  J. 
&  J.  H.  Ives  and  is  now  carried  on  by  the  latter.  The  first  grist-mill  in 
the  town  was  erected  about  1800  by  George  Spencer,  near  Diamond 
Hill,  on  a  small  tributary  of  Spruce  Creek.  This  mill,  although  it  was 
of  great  convenience  for  a  time,  was  not  long-lived  on  account  of  the 
failure  of  the  stream.       A  second  mill  was  built  not  long  after  the  first. 


TOWN  OF  SALISBURY.  323 

by  Cornelius  Humphrey,  on  Spruce  Creek  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  Salisbury  Corners.  Zophar  Tuttle,  from  Wolcott,  Mass.,  who 
came  herein  1798,  was  the  first  miller  here  and  he  and  Friend  Cook 
subsequently  purchased  it.     The  mill  was  operated  nearly  fifty  years. 

About  the  year  1805  Dr.  Stephen  Todd  started  a  distillery  at  Dia- 
mond Hill,  taking  this  means  of  using  the  grain  that  he  was  forced  to 
accept  in  payment  for  his  services.  The  business  was  profitable  and, 
as  usual  in  such  circumstances,  others  embarked  in  it,  so  that  by  about 
181 5  there  were  five  distilleries  in  the  town,  and  all  doing  a  lucrative 
business.  As  grain  raising  declined,  these  industries  were  abandoned 
and  the  last  one  has  disappeared. 

The  first  tavern,  kept  by  Aaron  Hackley  in  1795  at  what  is  Burrell's 
Corners,  has  been  mentioned  ;  he  also  kept  the  first  store  there.  Abijah 
Ford  opened  the  second  tavern  at  Diamond  Hill,  and  about  1800 
Nathaniel  Dibble  opened  the  third  about  a  mile  east  of  Salisbury  Cen- 
ter. Joseph  Cahoon  and  Isaiah  Kenyon  were  merchants  in  the  town  as 
early  as   1797. 

The  first  road  laid  out  in  this  town,  as  shown  by  the  records,  was 
under  date  of  May  15,  1797,  by  Jonathan  Hallett,  Joseph  Munson, 
and  William  I.ee,  jr.,  commissioners.  It  is  the  road  now  running 
from  the  west  line  of  the  town  to  Burrell's  Corners,  Salisbury  Cor- 
ners, Salisbury  Center,  and  thence  to  Devereaux.  The  State  road, 
so  called,  running  from  Johnstown  to  the  Black  River  country, 
crosses  the  southwest  part  of  Salisbury.  The  road  from  Salisbury 
Center  north  to  Jerseyfield  Lake  and  thence  to  Morehouse,  in  Hamilton 
county,  was  laid  out  in  1845.  The  Manheim  and  Salisbury  Flank  Road 
Company  was  chartered  December  23,  1848,  and  the  charter  was 
renewed  in  1878  for  thirty  years  more.  The  road  ran  from  Little  Falls 
through  the  northwesterly  part  of  Salisbury  to  Gray,  in  the  town  of 
Norway.  The  Little  Falls  and  Salisbury  plank  road,  running  from  the 
former  place  through  Salisbury  Center  to  Devereaux  was  built  in  1848. 
These  roads  are  substantially  abandoned  as  far  as  plank  toll  roads  are 
concerned. 

The  dairy  interest  in  this  town  has  been  and  is  important,  although 
not  so  much  so  as  formerly.  Salisbury  is  one  of  the  towns  claiming  the 
introduction  of  this  industry,  Atwater  Cook  and  Dr.  Todd  being  the  first 


324  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtJNTt. 

to  practically  abandon  grain  growing  and  turn  their  attention  to  grazing. 
For  many  years  each  farmer  made  his  own  cheese,  but  the  era  of  cheese 
factories  came,  and  in  this  town  they  were  especially  prosperous.  The 
Avery  &  Ives  cheese  factory,  two  miles  east  of  Salisbury,  was  built  in 
1862,  and  for  several  years  its  product  reached  200,000  pounds.  The 
Cold  Brook  factory  was  established  in  the  spring  of  1863  by  E.  R. 
Hobson,  J.  D.  Lamberson  and  the  Ives  brothers.  Cook,  Ives  &  Co.'s  fac- 
tory at  Salisbury  Corners  was  built  in  1865  ;  the  factory  at  Burrell's 
Corners  in  1869,  and  the  Beaver  Creek  factory,  near  Diamond  Hill,  in 
1873.     There  are  now  three  factories  in  operation  in  the  town. 

BiirrelCs  Corners. — This  locality,  once  known  as  "  Yankee  Corners," 
was  in  early  days  the  center  of  business  in  the  town.  It  received  its  name 
from  Jonathan  Burrell,  who  came  from  Berkshire  county,  Mass.,  and 
permanently  located  here  in  1803,  and  has  already  been  mentioned. 
Here  were  situated  the  earliest  business  establishments  in  the  town — 
Aaron  Hackley's  store  and  tavern,  an  early  grist-mill,  and  the  vicinity 
was  more  thickly  settled  than  other  parts  of  the  town  at  an  early  day. 
Jonathan  Burrell,  and  later  his  sons,  carried  on  various  branches  of  busi- 
ness at  the  Corners.  There  is  very  little  here  now  to  distinguish  the 
neighborhood  from  the  surrounding  country,  except  a  blacksmith  shop 
and  a  cheese  factory. 

Salisbury  Center. — This  little  village,  as  indicated  by  its  name,  is 
situated  near  the  center  of  the  town.  Business  was  first  attracted  to 
the  locality  by  the  building  of  a  grist-mill  in  1802  by  a  man  named 
Plum  (or  Plumb),  which  was  followed  by  another  in  18 ID,  which  was 
built  by  Cornelius  Drake;  the  second  one  stood  a  little  below  the  first, 
and  about  on  the  site  of  the  present  mill,  now  operated  by  William  H. 
Elwell.  This  mill  was  erected  by  Edgar  Darling  in  1846-47.  Au- 
gustus Frisbie  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  at  the  Corners,  and  built 
the  first  frame  house,  which  he  converted  a  few  years  later  into  a  hotel, 
the  first  in  the  place.  Mr.  Frisbie  also  erected  and  operated  the  first 
wool-carding  and  cloth-dressing  works  in  18 10,  and  a  few  years  later 
Stephen  Avery  established  similar  works.  William  Peak  was  an  early 
merchant  and  perhaps  the  first.  The  mercantile  business  of  the  place 
previous  to  1820  was  of  little  importance,  but  in  that  year  Henry 
Marshall  opened  a  general  store  and  carried  on  quite  an  extensive  busi- 


TOWN  OF  SALISBURY.  325 

ness.  Stores  are  kept  at  the  present  time  by  Frank  Loucks  and  Robert 
Hicks.  A  small  tannery  was  built  here  in  1 8o6  by  Nathaniel  Peck;  he 
was  a  shoemaker  and  tanned  his  own  leather.  A  larger  tannery  was 
erected  by  Sherrill  &  Reed  about  1825  ;  these  have  disappeared  with 
the  failure  of  the  bark  supply,  with  the  exception  of  the  small  estab- 
ment  now  operated  by  John  Deitz.  The  cloth-dressing  works  long  ago 
disappeared  and  there  is  no  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  town. 
J.  F.  McDougall  carries  on  the  saw  mill  at  the  Center,  with  planing- 
niill,  shingle-machines,  etc.,  and  a  shoe-peg  factory  has  been  operated  a 
number  of  years  by  Kingsley  Bros,  on  the  site  of  the  tannery  formerly 
operated  by  John  C.  Pitt.  The  post-office  was  established  here  about 
the  year  1825,  with  Dr.  Hiram  Hadley  as  postmaster.  R.  H.  Hicks 
is  the  present  incumbent  of  the  office.  Small  harness  and  blacksmith 
shops  complete  the  list  of  business  concerns  in  the  village. 

Devereaux. — This  busy  little  village  is  situated  on  the  East  Canada 
Creek  on  the  eastern  line  of  the  town,  a  part  of  its  buildings  being  in 
Fulton  county.  The  place  was  formerly  known  as  "  Nicholsville,  "  from 
Elder  Martin  Nichols,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  came 
before  1800.  He  erected  a  frame  building  for  his  dwelling,  which  was 
afterwards  enlarged  and  kept  by  others  as  a  hotel.  He  also  built  the 
first  grist-mill  here  about  the  year  1800,  and  a  saw- mill  was  built  about 
that  time  by  either  Mr.  Nichols  or  Alexander  Boyd.  Elder  Nichols 
also  built  a  church  in  which  he  preached  for  a  number  of  years.  It 
was  eventually  burned  and  the  Baptist  chuich  built  upon  the  site. 
Jesse  Potter  was  an  early  settler  and  built  for  himself  the  first  house  in 
the  place.  Aaron  Bartlett  erected  the  first  tannery  on  the  east  side  of 
the  creek  about  the  year  1826.  It  fell  into  disuse  with  the  failure  of 
the  bark  supply.  One  of  the  earliest  merchants  here  was  Asa  Wilcox, 
and  Dr.  Elliot  Jacobs  was  the  first  physician.  The  post-office  was 
established  about  1 820  under  the  name  of  "Nicholsville,"  and  about 
1832  the  name  was  changed  to  "  East  Creek,"  and  a  few  years  later  to 
its  present  title,  after  Henry  Devereaux,  who  settled  here  about  1834 
and  became  a  prominent  merchant.  There  are  now  two  churches  here, 
noticed  further  on,  four  stores,  kept  by  S.  McLean,  N.  Perkins,  Bliss 
Kibbe  (who  is  also  postmaster),  and  D.  Heiterline.  J.  C.  Livingston 
carries  on  the  grist-mill  and  D.  Heiterline  has  a  butter- tub  factory  and 


326  HTSTORT  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  saw-mill.  There  are  three  hotels  which  are  kept  by  Peter  Ward, 
John  Moon,  jr.,  and  J.  Rowley. 

Salisbury  Corners  is  a  hamlet  on  the  State  road  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  town.  The  immediate  locality  was  first  settled  by  Hiram 
Wooster,  a  Connecticut  farmer,  who  came  about  1800.  In  181 1  the 
first  tavern  was  built  by  Amos  Griswold,  who  also  came  from  Connect- 
icut. William  Brooks  was  the  first  merchant  and  erected  his  own 
store.  There  is  very  little  business  done  here  at  the  present  time, 
a  small  store  and  a  tannery  only  being  kept. 

What  has  been  known  as  "  Diamond  Hill,  "  from  the  finding  of 
quartz  crystals  in  the  rocks,  is  a  settlement  on  the  State  road  about  one 
and  a  half  miles  north  of  Burrell's  Corners.  A  paper- mill  was  at  one 
time  in  operation  here,  and  W.  F.  Burrell  carried  on  a  saw-mill,  cheese- 
box  factory  and  turning  works. 

The  first  carding  machine  was  established  by  John  Standring  about 
1800,  and  was  located  at  Diamond  Hill,  being  operated  by  water  from 
Spruce  Creek.  The  mill  was  burned  a  few  years  after  its  erection  and 
a  larger  one  with  machinery  for  cloth- dressing  built  in  its  stead.  Au- 
gustus Frisbie  built  a  similar  factory  at  Salisbury  Center  in  1810  and  in 
i8i4another  one  was  established  by  a  stock  company,  on  Spruce  Creek, 
north  of  Salisbury  Center,  owned  in  subsequent  years  by  Truman 
Ives. 

Tanning  has  been  very  largely  carried  on  in  this  town,  the  first  tan- 
nery having  been  built  by  Col.  Amos  Griswold  about  1 802,  a  mile  north 
of  the  site  of  Burrell's  Corners.  To  this  one  were  added  from  time  to 
time  others,  and  down  to  about  the  beginning  of  the  war  period,  this 
was  one  of  the  chief  industries  of  the  town.  There  is  now  only  one 
tannery  in  the  town,  carried  on  by  John  Dietz. 

Churches. — The  first  meeting-house  in  this  town  was  erected  about 
1795,  at  what  is  now  Burrell's  Corners,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Pres- 
byterian denomination.  It  was  occupied  as  a  church  until  183  i,  when 
that  denomination  built  a  new  church  at  Salisbury  Corners,  and  the  old 
church  was  converted  into  a  wagon  shop.  It  subsequently  burned. 
The  church  at  the  Corners  is  still  standing,  but  is  unoccupied  as  such. 
Rev.  Caleb  Alexander,  the  touring  missionary  of  early  times,  wrote  as 
follows  of  the  Presbyterians  at  Salisbury  at  the  beginning  of  the 
century : 


TOWN  OF  SALISBURY.  327 

Tuesday,  November  19,  1801. — Rode  ea.st  four  miles  to  Salisbury.  Called  upon 
Aaron  Haokley,  esq.,  and  preached  a  lecture  on  Titus  iii.,  5,  G.  A  decent  congregation 
in  the  school-house.  There  is  a  Presbyterian  church  of  thirty-six  members,  belonging 
to  the  Northern  Associate  Presbytery  of  Morris  County  Presbytery.  A  Baptist  church 
has  lately  been  established  here.  There  has  been  in  this  place,  last  summer,  much  at- 
tention to  religion,  and  almost  every  convert  has  joined  the  Baptist  communion 
through  the  vigorous  exertions  of  the  Baptist  teachers  itinerating.  Salisbury  contains 
1,694  souls,  and  a  Presbyterian  meeting-house. 

A  Baptist  church  was  organized  at  Burrell's  Corners  in  i8oo,  where 
meetings  were  held  for  a  time,  and  afterward  at  Sahsbury  Corners,  until 
about  I  S3 1,  when  the  society  united  with  the  Universalists  and  erected 
a  union  church.  This  building  was  subsequently,  and  now  is,  occupied 
by  the  Baptists  alone,  the  other  societ}'^  becoming  extinct.  There  is 
a  Baptist  church  at  Devereaux,  in  which  George  Fisher  is  the  present 
pastor. 

The  First  Universalist  Society  of  Salisbury  was  organized  at  the 
house  of  Stephen  Pratt,  in  December,  1822.  On  February  28,  1830,  a 
new  organization  was  effected  at  the  house  of  Abial  Pratt  and  the  so- 
ciety was  incorporated. 

The  union  church  of  Salisbury  Center  was  erected  in  1 830,  princi- 
pally by  the  Universalists,  and  by  the  Presbyterians  and  Baptists.  Its 
cost  was  about  $2,600,  and  it  was  dedicated  in  October,  1830.  It  is 
only  used  occasionally  at  the  present  time. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Salisbury  Center  was  organized 
in  1826,  by  Rev.  John  W.  Wallace  with  about  twenty  members.  In 
1828  the  society  began  the  erection  of  a  frame  church.  It  was  used 
while  still  unfinished  for  about  two  years,  and  was  finished  in  1830. 
In  1870,  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  G.  W.  Howland,  it  was  remod- 
eled and  repaired,  and  rededicated  by  Bishop  Peck.  Rev.  Amos  Rich 
is  the  present  pastor  in  this  church,  and  the  one  at  Devereaux. 


328  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   TOWN    OF   MANIIEIM. 

\A  ANHEIM  lies  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  county  and  on  the 
/  \  north  bank  of  the  Mohawk  River.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Salisbury;  on  the  east  by  Oppenheim  in  Fulton  county;  on  the 
south  by  Danube,  and  on  the  west  by  Little  Falls  and  Fairfield.  Six 
of  the  large  lots  in  Glen's  purchase,  a  part  of  the  fourth  allotment  of 
the  Royal  Grant ;  the  whole  of  John  Van  Driesen's,  Snell  and  Tim- 
merman's,  and  part  of  Rev.  Peter  Van  Driesen's  patents;  a  part  of 
Vrooman's  patent,  and  some  small  grants  made  by  the  State  are  in  this 
town.  The  town  was  formed  from  Palatine,  Ilontgomery  county,  on 
the  3d  of  March,  1797,  and  it  remained  a  part  of  that  county  until 
April  7,  18 17,  when  it  was  annexed  to  Herkimer  county.  It  received 
its  name  from  Manheim  in  Germany.  The  surface  of  the  town  rises 
from  the  intervales  of  the  Mohawk  to  the  northern  border  where 
it  reaches  a  height  of  500  feet  above  the  river.  The  soil  is  a  gravelly 
loam  on  the  uplands  and  a  fertile  alluvium  on  the  flats.  Cathatachua 
Creek  flows  through  the  town  near  the  center,  and  Gillett  Creek  south- 
east across  the  northeast  corner  ;  both  are  small  streams.  East  Can- 
ada Creek  flows  along  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  town,  furnishes 
excellent  water  power  and  is  beautified  by  several  picturesque  cascades 
within  the  limits  of  the  town. 

Manheim  was  settled  by  German  emigrants  before  the  Revolution. 
The  grant  of  3,600  acres  made  in  1755  to  Jacob Timmerman  and  Johan 
Jost  Snell  (or  Schnell),  commonly  called  Snell  and  Timmerman's  patent, 
is  near  the  central  part  of  the  town  on  an  east  and  west  line,  and  south 
of  the  Royal  Grant.  The  date  of  this  grant  is  probably  not  far  from 
the  time  of  the  first  settlement ;  and  descendants  of  the  Snells  and  Tim- 
mermans  are  still  residents  of  the  county.  A  part  of  this  original 
grant  still  bears  the  common  name  of  "  Sncll's  Bush."  Jacob  Timmer- 
man had  at  least  five  sons,  four  of  whom,  Henry,  Adam,  Frederick  and 
Jacob,  settled  on  portions  of  this  patent.     Four  of  the  sons  of  Johan 


TOWN  OF  MANHEIM.  329 

Jost  Snell,  Suffrenus,  Peter,  Joseph  and  Jacob,  also  located  here  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  old  Dutch  Reformed  church.  Nine  of  the  Snell  family 
went  into  the  battle  of  Oriskany  and  only  two  returned,  Peter  being 
one  ;   the  other  seven  were  killed. 

Henry  Remensneider,  or  (Rhemensnyder)  and  Johannes  Boyer  were 
the  first  settlers  on  Glen's  purchase,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Little 
Falls,  where  they  seated  themselves  a  few  years  prior  to  the  Revo- 
lution. John  Boyer  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Oriskany  ;  he  was  the 
immediate  ancestor  of  the  Boyer  families,  who  were  once  numerous 
in  the  county.  Among  other  German  families  who  settled  in  the  town 
before  the  Revolution  were  the  Keysers,  Van  Slykes  Newmans,  Pick- 
erts,  Klocks  and  Garters.  The  Newmans,  Klocks  and  a  family  named 
Davis  settled  near  the  center  of  the  town,  south  of  Remensneider's  Bush.i 
James  Van  Slyke  and  John  Windecker,  aged  respectively  seventeen  and 
nine  years,  were  taken  prisoners  during  the  Revolution.  They  were  at 
the  time  in  the  log  house  of  Frederick  Windecker,  who  lived  on  the 
farm  occupied  in  recent  years  by  John  F.  Windecker.  They  were  car- 
ried to  Canada,  whence  Van  Slyke  escaped,  but  the  younger  lad  was 
kept  five  years.  It  will  be  remembered  by  the  reader  that  we  have  al- 
ready given  an  account  of  the  attack  on  the  settlements  at  Remensnei- 
der's Bush,  April  30,  1780,  by  a  large  band  of  Indians  and  tories,  who 
burned  the  early  grist-mill  of  that  place  and  carried  away  nineteen  per- 
sons. The  settlers  in  the  town  suffered  severely  from  the  depredations 
of  the  enemy  during  the  Revolution. 

The  block- house  mentioned  in  the  foot  note  on  this  page  was  sit- 
uated just  over  the  west  line  of  Manheim  in  the  edge  of  Little  Falls  ; 
it  was  known  as  Remensneider's  fort.  The  grist-mill  stood  on  lands 
owned  by  Lorenzo  Carryl,  now  of  Little  Falls.  Of  the  prisoners  car- 
ried to  Canada  in  1780,  John  Garter  died  there.  After  that  attack  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  retired  to  the  lower  valley,  abandoning  their 
farms  until  after  the  war. 

1  A  blockhouse  stood  at  this  place  (Remensneider's  Bush),  and  many  o£  the  inhabitants  toolc  re£- 
xige  in  it.  Twelve  of  the  prisoners  were  taken  at  one  house  by  half  that  number  of  Indians  with- 
out resistance.  The  captives  all  returned  after  the  war.  except  one  who  died  in  Canada,  and  one 
who  escaped.  John  G.  Snell,  while  searching  for  cattle  in  the  woods,  was  surprised  by  the  Indians 
and  shot  through  the  body.  He  recovered  and  lived  to  an  advanced  age.  The  town  was  deserted 
after  this  by  all  but  the  tories.— French's  State  Gazetteer,  p.  346. 


330  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Adam  Garlock  settled  in  the  town  previous  to  the  Revolution,  and 
the  farm  has  always  remained  in  possession  of  his  descendants.  With 
the  cessation  of  hostilities  the  town  was  rapidl  i  filled  up  by  the  ref- 
ugees and  new-comers  from  the  East.  Judge  Jacob  Markell,  born  in 
Schenectady  in  1770,  came  to  Manheim  when  he  was  twenty  years  old  ; 
was  long  a  justice  of  the  peace,  supervisor  of  the  town  twenty  six 
years,  judge  of  the  Court  of  Comman  Pleas  while  the  town  was  a  part 
of  Montgomery  county;  elected  to  Congress  for  one  term,  and  mem- 
ber of  Assembly  from  Manheim  in  1819.  (See  chapter  on  the  Bench 
and  Bar.) 

Jacob  P.  Loucks  was  born  in  Manheim  in  1783  ;  was  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  18 12  and  lived  to  a  very  old  age.  Major  Andrew  Fink  settled 
here  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Revolution ;  was  of  German  descent 
and  born  in  the  present  town  of  Palatine ;  was  first  lieutenant  in  Cap- 
tain Christopher  P.  Yates's  company  in  July,  1775,  and  rose  to  the  rank 
of  major  during  the  war.  He  lived  to  an  advanced  age  and  is  buried 
in  this  town.  John  A.  Dockey,  a  British  soldier  under  Burgoyne,  was 
taken  prisoner  at  Bennington,  escaped  at  Albany  and  canie  to  Fall  Hill, 
where  he  hired  out  to  Peter  Dygert;  soon  afterward  he  married  the  wid- 
ow of  Jacob  Snell,  who  was  killed  at  Oriskany.  His  son,  Henry  Dockey, 
was  born  in  Manheim  in  March,  1784.  Nathaniel  and  Elijah  Spencer 
came  from  Vermont  and  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Howard 
Spencer,  their  descendant,  in  1797.  Others  who  settled  in  this  town 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century  were  Samuel  Peck  and  his  son, 
Isaac,  who  came  in  1796;  Jacob  Youran,  in  1797;  John  Faville,  Simeon 
P.  Bidleman,  James  and  John  Van  Valkenburg,  Henry  Broat  and  Peter 
Woolever. 

John  Beardslee,  born  in  Sharon,  Conn.,  in  November,  1759,  became 
a  practical  mechanic,  architect  and  civil  engineer.  He  came  to  the  Mo- 
hawk valley  in  1787,  visited  Whitestown  and  engaged  with  White  & 
Whitmore  to  build  mills  for  them  on  shares.  In  1792  he  built  for  the 
State  a  mill  for  the  use  of  the  Oneida  Indians.  Between  1790  and 
1796  he  built  the  first  bridge  across  the  Mohawk  at  Little  Falls  and  the 
old  red  grist-mill  there  ;  also  built  mills  for  Richard  Van  Home  at  Van 
Hornesville  and  for  Colonel  Frey  at  Canajoharie  ;  the  court-house  with 
jail  at  Herkimer,  which  was  burned  in  January,  1834;  a  bridge  over 


J 


TOWN  OF  MANHEIM.  331 

East  Canada  Creek  and  a  grist-mill,  saw- mill  and  carding  works  about 
half  a  mile  north  of  the  present  Mohawk  turnpike.  The  building  of 
the  last-named  bridge  led  to  his  settling  in  Manheim.  The  bridge  was 
paid  for  by  Montgomery  county,  and  in  order  to  get  the  necessary  tim- 
ber he  purchased  a  one-hundred- acre  lot  west  of  the  creek  and  near  the 
bridge  in  March,  1794.  Finishing  the  bridge,  he  erected  the  mills 
which  were  in  operation  in  1795.  These  improvements  attracted  emi- 
grants, and  by  1800  there  was  a  lively  settlement  here;  it  became 
known  as  "  the  city."  Besides  the  mills  there  were  two  stores,  two 
taverns,  a  blacksmith  shop,  a  nail  factory,  brewery,  distillery,  etc. 
There  was  more  business  done  at  Beardslee's  Mills,  as  it  vi'as  often 
called;  than  at  Little  Falls  at  the  time  in  question.  The  location  of  the 
Mohawk  turnpike  half  a  mile  south,  and  the  subsequent  building  of  the 
canal  south  of  the  river,  turned  the  tide  from  this  little  village,  as  it  did 
from  many  others  in  the  valley,  and  almost  every  trace  of  the  existence 
of  "the  city  "  has  disappeared.  In  1810  Mr.  Beardslee  purchased  350 
acres  lying  on  both  sides  of  the  creek  and  between  his  first  purchase 
and  the  Mohawk,  where  sprang  up  the  settlement  of  East  Creek;  and 
this,  too,  has  now  almost  disappeared,  as  far  as  business  is  concerned. 
Mr.  Beardslee  died  at  his  home  October  3,  1825,  leaving  a  permanent 
impress  upon  the  town  and  its  vicinity. 

Augustus  Beardslee  was  born  in  the  town  of  Manheim  August  13, 
1 80 1.  After  finishing  his  education  at  Fairfield  Seminary  and  Union 
College  he  read  law  with  Abram  Van  Vechten  in  Albany  and  with 
George  H.  Feeter  in  Little  Falls,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Decem- 
ber 27,  1824.  In  1828  he  was  appointed  by  the  governor  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  Common  Pleas  of  Herkimer  county.  In  1834  he  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly,  and  in  1843  he  was  again  appointed  a  judge 
of  the  Common  Pleas.  After  his  term  of  judgeship  expired  he  retired 
to  his  country  home  at  East  Creek,  in  the  town  of  Manheim,  where  he 
died  on  March  15,  1873,  having  spent  the  later  years  of  his  life  with  his 
books  and    in  the   management  of  his  large   landed  estate. 

James  H.  Wetherwax,  born  in  this  town  November  29,  1829,  was  a 
prominent  and  successful  farmer.  He  was  elected  supervisor  in  i860, 
and  held  that  office  three  successive  terms.  In  1867  he  was  chosen 
sheriff  of  the  county,  and  in  1880  Governor  Cornell  appointed  him  one 


332  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

of  the  State  assessors.  He  died  on  his  farm  in  Manheim,  now  occupied 
by  his  son,  James  F.  Weatlierwax,  January  i,  1883. 

Other  improvements  made  in  the  town  at  a  very  early  date  were  a 
sawmill  on  the  East  Canada  Creek,  built  in  1798  by  Jacob  Youran, 
and  a  grist-mill,  erected  by  him  in  18 15,  which  continued  in  operation 
some  forty  years.  Thomas  Johnson  built  a  saw-  mill  on  Gillett  Creek 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Charles  Ransom  about  18 14.  Other  mills 
were  started  at  different  points,  not  one  of  which  is  in  operation. 
Jacob  Markeli  opened  a  small  store  near  what  became  known  as  Man- 
heim Center  in  1790  ^the  vicinity  of  the  present  half- way  house).  He 
manufactured  potash  there,  and  a  post-ofifice  was  at  one  period  estab- 
lished at  that  point. 

There  are  no  accessible  records  of  the  transactions  of  this  town  while 
it  remained  a  part  of  Montgomery  county.  The  first  meeting  after  it 
was  annexed  to  Herkimer  county  was  held  on  the  first  Tuesday  in 
March,  18 18,  when  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

Jacob  Markeli,  supervisor;  Jacob  Wire,  town  clerk;  John  Young.';,  Hanford  Sher- 
wood, Elijah  Barnes,  highway  commissioners;  Elijah  Barnes,  Samuel  Gray,  jr.,  Adam 
Feeler,  assessors ;  Jacob  Markeli  and  Daniel  Getman,  overseers  of  poor  ;  George  G. 
Loucks,  collector;  Luther  Pardee,  Jacob  Bates,  Jacob  Markeli,  school  commissioners; 
Bennett  Pearce,  Charles  Freeman,  Elijah  Ayres,  Thomas  Ransom,  John  G.  Loucks, 
Elijah  Barnes,  school  inspectors ;  William  P.  Schuyler,  Uarmanus  Visgar,  Joseph 
House,  constables,  and  twenty-four  overseers  of  highways. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  the  town  of  Manheim  from  its 
organization  to  the  present  time  : 

Jacob  Markeli,  1797-1S19,  1824-27;  Luther  Pardee,  1820-22;  Lawrence  Timmer- 
man,  1823;  Augustus  Beardslee,  1828-29;  John  T.  Timmerman,  1830;  Daniel  Hayes, 
1831;  Isaac  S.  Ford,  1832;  Jacob  Powell,  1833;  John  P.  Snell,  1834-37,  1839; 
Suffrenus  Snell,  1838;  John  Hoover,  jr.,  1840-41;  John  T.  Beardslee,  1842;  Jacob 
Yoran,  184.3-44,  1850  ;  Nathan  S.  Green,  1845  ;  John  Markeli,  1846-49;  Oliver  Ladue, 
1851-52;  Jeremiah  G.  Snell,  18.53;  Hiram  Broat,  1854-55,  1867-71;  Levi  Belhnger, 
1856-57;  Luke  Sngll,  1858-59;  James  H.  Wetherwax,  1860-62;  Morgan  Bidleman, 
1863-64;  S.Stewart  Lansing,  1865-66;  Michael  Levee,  1872  ;  Charles  E.  Bauder, 
1873-75 ;  Seymour  Keyser,  1876 ;  Norman  Timmerman,  1877-78 ;  John  Garlock, 
1879-81;  Wm.  A.  Goodell,  1882-83 ;  Hannibal  Sneil,  1884-85;  Hiram  Broat,  1886- 
87  ;  Charles  Cook,  1888  ;  Thomas  H.  Curry,  1889-92. 

Manheim  is  one  of  the  best  cheese-producing  towns  in  the  county, 
and  a  large  share  of  the   labor  of  farmers   is  devoted  to  that  industry. 


TOWN  OF  MANHEIM.  333 

At  the  present  time  there  are  nine  factories  in  operation,  the  first  of 
which  was  built  in  1864  by  P.  H.  Smith,  near  Brockett's  Bridge  (Dolge- 
ville).  There  are  ten  scliool  districts  in  the  town,  two  of  them  (at  East 
Creek  and  Ingham's  Mills)  being  joint  districts  with  Oppenheim  and 
St.  Johnsville. 

The  Village  of  Dolgeville. — This,  one  of  the  most  thriving  villages 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  has  gained  a  national  reputation  by  the  vari- 
ous industrial  and  other  enterprises  of  Alfred  Dolge,  a  public  spirited 
citizen  of  German  birth  and  parentage,  after  whom  the  place  was 
named  and  who  settled  here  in  1876. 

Dolgeville  lies  in  the  spurs  of  the  Adirondacks,  on  both  sides  of  the 
East  Canada  Creek,  and  eight  miles  from  Little  Falls,  with  which  it  is 
now  connected  by  railroad.  The  principal  part  of  the  village,  which 
includes  all  the  factories,  post-office,  schools,  business  blocks,  etc.,  is 
situated  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  township  of  Manheim.  Many 
handsome  residences,  the  academy,  the  Episcopal  church,  the  lumber 
yards,  etc.,  lie  on  the  further  side  of  the  creek  in  the  township  of  Op- 
penheim, Fulton  county. 

Dolgeville  is  known  as  one  of  the  most  picturesque  and  healthful 
spots  in  the  center  of  the  State,  and  is  especially  adapted  to  manufac- 
turing purposes  by  reason  of  its  splendid  water  power,  fine  surrounding 
timber  lands,  and  other  valuable  advantages. 

Long  after  the  Mohawk  valley  had  been  settled,  principally  by  Ger- 
man emigrants,  the  present  site  of  Dolgeville  was  one  unbroken  wilder- 
ness, known  only  to  the  hunter  and  trapper. 

It  was  not  until  several  years  after  the  War  of  the  Revolution  that  the 
surrounding  farms  were  settled  by  the  Faville,  Ayres,  Spencer,  Ransom, 
Spofford,  Lamberson,  Brockett  and  Rundell  families.  John  Faville  was 
the  pioneer  and  settled  in  1795  on  Ransom  Creek,  where  he  built  a 
grist-mill  and  later  a  saw  mill.  Soon  a  little  settlement  sprang  up 
there,  including  a  blacksmith  shop,  a  tannery  and  a  school-house. 
Soon  following  Faville,  the  two  brothers.  Elijah  and  Nathaniel  Spen- 
cer, bought  land  and  settled  here;  they  arrived  as  early  as  1797,  and 
their  lands  have  remained  in  possession  of  their  descendants  until  1892. 

Prior  to  this  time  a  little  industry  was  started  at  the  present  village 
site.     Samuel  Low,  for   many  years  a  justice  of  the  peace,  built  in  or 


334  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

before  1794,  a  saw- mill  and  a  grist-mill,  which  were  located  between  the 
site  of  Dolge's  iron  bridge  and  the  upper  boiler-house. 

Zephi  Brockett  settled  here  in  1813,  on  the  Oppenheim  side  of  the 
creek,  while  the  Spoffords  came  in  about  1800  ;  in  the  latter  year  Abe 
Spofford  kept  a  tavern  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek.  Thomas  Spof- 
ford  settled  in  the  south  end  of  the  village,  and  John  D.  Spofford  came 
here  in  18 10,  bought  a  large  farm,  and  built  later  on  the  residence 
now  owned  by  Philip  Helmer. 

There  were  no  stores  at  this  village  until  about  1830;  the  trading 
was  done  at  Salisbury  Corners,  which  was  then  a  much  more  pre- 
tentious village  than  it  is  now.  There  was  no  direct  road  to  Little 
Falls  until  1815.  Previous  to  that  year,  in  order  to  reach  that  village, 
travelers  followed  a  trail  through  the  forest  a  part  of  the  way,  then 
took  a  road  to  Salisbury  Corners,  and  thence  the  road  to  the  Falls. 
Very  much  of  the  surrounding  country  was  woodland  until  after 
1825. 

The  first  permanent  bridge  here  across  the  East  Canada  Creek  was 
built  in  1805  by  a  man  named  Green,  and  the  settlement  was  for  some 
time  known  as  "  Green's  Bridge."  This  was  an  open  truss  bridge,  of 
spruce  timber,  which  was  displaced  in  1818  by  one  built  of  elm  timber. 
In  1826-29  the  covered  wooden  bridge  was  erected  by  Calvin  Ran- 
som, at  a  cost  of  $540.  A  substantial  iron  bridge  has  recently  been 
erected. 

A  post-office  was  established  here  in  1826,  with  Zephi  Brockett  as 
postmaster ;  he  was  then  the  most  prominent  man  in  the  settlement 
and  the  post-ofifice  was  named  in  his  honor,   "  Brockett's  Bridge." 

James  P.  Brockett,  Charles  G.  Brockett,  Addison  Lamberson,  Bruno 
C.  Dolge,  Henry  A.  Dolge  and  Frank  J.  Loucks  have  held  the  office 
of  postmaster. 

\  The  first  burying-ground  in  the  vicinity  was  the  Sherwood  cemetery, 
where  many  early  settlers  are  buried.  The  Hewitt  cemetery  contains 
the  graves  of  many  old  residents.  The  present  cemetery  was  opened 
about  sixty  years  ago;  enlarged  in  1870,  and  again  in  1889. 

Following  the  saw -mill  built  by  Low,  Thomas  Spofford  built  one 
and  also  a  grist-mill,  which  were  afterwards  operated  by  the  Ransoms, 
and  by  Erastus  B.  Jones;  they  stood  near  the  west  end  of  Dolge's 


TOWN  OF  MANHEIM.  335 

iron  bridge.  Before  1815  Reuben  Ransom  built  a  carding  and  cloth- 
finishing  mill ;  it  was  torn  down  in  1836.  He  also  built  a  small  upper- 
leather  tannery  before  1820;  work  in  which  was  abandoned  about 
1S30. 

In  1830  Major  D.  B.  Winton  came  here  and  built  the  tannery, 
afterwards  known  as  the  Herkimer  County  Tannery;  it  became 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  United  States.  Dwelling  houses  were 
built  and  several  smaller  manufacturing  establishments  were  started. 
Henry  Van  Buren  manufactured  lead  pipe  and  carried  on  wood  turn- 
ing, and  in  183  i  the  Westby  axe  factory  was  established.  A  saw-mill 
was  erected  by  Scott  &  Smith,  south  of  the  island.  John  D.  Spofford 
operated  a  saw  mill  and  later  on  a  stave-mill  a  little  north  of  the 
Loomer  Hotel.  Several  stores  were  opened  and  the  place  was  a  busy 
one,  particularly  in  the  winter  season.  In  December,  1845,  the  tan- 
nery was  burned  ;  it  was  rebuilt  in  the  next  year,  the  same  walls  being 
used.  Mr.  Westby's  axe  factory  was  converted  by  D.  W.  Slawson 
into  a  cheese  box  factory.  A  saw-mill  was  erected  near  the  High 
Falls  in  1847;  it  was  afterwards  changed  to  a  paper-mill,  which  was 
twice  burned  down. 

The  tanning  business  here  was  carried  on  by  the  firm  of  Isaac  Corse, 
of  New  York  (later  Corse,  Lapham,  Thorn  &  Co.,  and  still  later  Wat- 
son &  Thorn).  In  1856  Oliver  Ladue  became  the  manager  of  the 
tannery  and  continued  until  1861.  With  the  failure  of  the  bark  supply 
he  left  the  tannery  and  it  ceased  work  entirely  in  1872.  From  that 
time  until  the  arrival  of  Alfred  Dolge  times  here  were  very  dull. 

The  real  history  of  Dolgeville  dates  from  1S74,  when  Alfred  Dolge, 
a  young  German  who  was  engaged  in  the  importing  of  piano  material 
in  New  York,  and  who  also  had  started  the  domestic  manufacture  of 
piano  felt  in  Brooklyn,  came  up  here  prospecting  for  spruce  wood  which 
is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  piano  sounding  boards.  He  purchased 
the  tannery  property,  and  in  April,  1875,  began  his  manufacturing 
operations,  which  have  since  developed  into  the  largest  of  their  kind 
in  the  United  States  and  include  felt  mills,  felt  shoe  factories,  factories 
for  piano  cases,  piano  sounding  boards,  piano  hammers  and  lumber 
yards. 

The  Dolge   piano  felt  and  felt  shoes  have  obtained  an  international 


336  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

reputation,  tlie  former  having  carried  off  the  highest  awards  over  all 
competition  at  the  great  exhibitions  of  Vienna,  Paris  and  Philadelphia. 

In  1879  the  lumber  factory  was  erected,  and  in  1881  the  saw- mill 
and  two  stone  boiler  houses  with  large  brick  chimneys.  In  1882-83 
the  magnificent  stone  factory,  266  x  64  feet,  four  stories  high,  was 
built.  In  1887  two  large  stone  buildings  were  erected.  From  1878  to 
the  present  time  several  hundred  dwelling  houses  have  been  built  by 
Mr.  Dolge,  as  well  as  by  his  employees  and  others,  until  now  the  pop- 
ulation has  reached  over  2,000,  from  an  insignificant  325  in  1875.  The 
new  iron  bridge  connecting  the  factories  with  the  lumber  yards,  was 
opened  in  1881,  and  in  the  same  year  electric  light  was  put  into  the 
lumber  mills,  to  be  introduced  in  the  streets  and  houses  in  1887. 

Besides  some  30,000  acres  in  the  Adirondacks,  Mr.  Dolge  purchased, 
from  time  to  time,  extensive  tracts  of  land  in  and  about  the  village, 
which  he  has  laid  out  into  wide  streets  and  excellent  building  lots. 

In  1 88 1,  by  unanimous  vote  of  the  inhabitants,  the  name  of  the 
place  was  changed  from  Brockett's  Bridge  to  Dolgeville,  in  honor  of 
the  man  who  had  by  his  enterprise  and  public  spirit  done  so  much  to 
increase  its  prosperit}'  and  develop  its  material  resources. 

In  1887  Mr.  Dolge  purchased  the  Reuben  Faville  farm,  which  in- 
cluded the  picturesque  High  Falls  of  the  East  Canada  Creek.  This, 
to  the  extent  of  nearly  five  hundred  acres,  he  laid  out  as  a  park  and 
presented  it  to  the  public  in  1887.  It  is  of  extraordinary  beauty  and 
picturesqueness. 

The  village  was  incorporated  in  1 89 1.  The  first  and  present  officers 
are:  Alfred  Dolge,  president;  Warren  Bacon,  Edwin  Hopson,  and  L. 
E.  Eambert,  trustees. 

The  first  schools  in  this  vicinity  were  at  John  Faville's,  on  Ransom 
Creek,  and  at  a  place  about  a  mile  east  of  the  site  of  the  village  on  the 
State  road.  To  both  of  these  pupils  went  from  a  long  distance  around. 
The  first  school  in  the  village  was  opened  in  18 15,  and  was  taught  by 
Susan  Spofford,  sister  of  John  D.  SpofTord.  A  select  school  was  kept 
before  1830  by  Mrs  Worthing,  wife  of  a  Methodist  preacher,  who  lived 
and  taught  in  the  old  Small  tannery.  A  brick  school- liouse  was  built 
about  1832  on  Main  street  and  torn  down  in  1877.  In  1856  the  pres- 
ent old  school  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.      On  the  3d  of 


TOWN  OF  MANHEIM.  337 

August,  1886,  largely  through  the  influence  of  Alfred  Dolge,  the  School 
Society  was  organized,  its  chief  object  being  the  general  welfare  of  all 
the  schools  in  the  village.  Through  the  work  of  this  society,  and  a  do- 
nation of  if 7, 000  from  Mr.  Dolge,  the  present  handsome  and  commo- 
dious brick  school  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $18,000,  and  dedi- 
cated with  elaborate  ceremonies  on  the  iith  of  October,  1887.  This 
school  has  a  principal,  who  is  assisted  by  seven  teachers.  The  efforts 
of  the  School  Society  have  recently  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  an- 
other institution  of  equal  importance  as  the  new  school.  The  Dolge- 
ville  Academy  was  dedicated  on  the  30th  of  August,  1890.  It  is  a 
liandsome  structure,  seventy- four  by  forty  feet,  and  cost  about  $20,000, 
which  was  contributed  by  Mr.  Alfred  Dolge,  who  has  also  borne  the 
lion's  share  of  the  expense  of  running  it.  There  are  a  large  number  of 
efficient  teachers,  headed  by  a  principal.  The  course  of  instruction 
includes  Latin  and  Greek,  history,  mathematics,  English  literature, 
music,  domestic  economy,  and  instruction  in  the  mechanical  arts,  for 
which  latter  a  suitable  and  commodious  building  has  been  recently 
erected. 

The  entire  system  of  schools,  which  also  includes  an  admirable  kin- 
dergarten, is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  State,  and  has  been  re- 
peatedly commended  by  the  State  officials.  The  tuition  is  free  in  the 
schools  and  in  the  academy  to  all  members  of  the  School  Society. 
The  dues  are  nominal.  The  children  of  outside  residents  can  also  se- 
cure the  advantages  of  the  academy  course  by  the  payment  of  small 
fees. 

Through  the  enterprise  of  the  Dolgeville  Herald,  aided  by  leading 
citizens  and  friends  of  the  village,  a  number  of  valuable  prizes  are  now 
offered  each  year  to  the  students,  the  principal  prize  being  a  $400 
scholarship,  open  to  both  sexes,  which  runs  for  four  years,  to  enable  the 
successful  student  to  enter  a  college  course  at  Cornell,  the  Boston  Tech- 
nological School,  or  some  other  similar  institution.  One  of  these  schol- 
arships which  have  been  founded  by  Mr.  Alfred  Dolge's  liberality,  is 
given  every  year. 

The  village  has  a  fire  department  \v"hich,  under  the  captaincy  of  Mr. 
Henry  Dolge,  has  rendered   invaluable  services  at  various  times  to  the 
property  owners. 
43 


338  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

One  of  the  distinguishing  enterprises  in  the  place  is  the  Dolgeville 
Herald,  which  started  in  May,  1889,  as  a  four-page  monthly,  "printed  in 
New  York,  and  has  since  developed  into  a  sixteen-page  illustrated 
weekly,  with  a  circulation  all  over  the  State.  It  is  printed  with  its  own 
type  and  presses  and  employs  a  large  number  of  persons.  John  C. 
Freund  is  the  editor.  It  is  published  by  the  Dolgeville  Herald  Publish- 
ing Company.     The  subscription  is  $2  a  year. 

Dolgeville  boasts  a  number  of  fraternal  and  social  societies,  which 
are  all  in  a  flourishing  condition  :  A  Masonic  lodge,  a  chapter  of  Royal 
Arcanum,  Society  of  Chosen  Friends,  a  brass  and  reed  band,  a  German 
Turn-Verein,  a  singing  society,  a  dancing  school,  a  fencing  club,  and  a 
canton  of  Odd  Fellows. 

In  addition  to  these,  Dolgeville  has  a  building  and  loan  association, 
which,  although  in  operation  but  two  years,  is  highly  successful  and 
has  a  capital  of  over  $12,000. 

The  Turn-Verein,  which  has /tf/c^  gained  the  "Lion  Prize"  at  the 
great  State  Turner  meetings,  has  largely  aided  in  providing  pleasant 
entertainment  for  the  villagers  ever  since  its  establishment.  Its  social 
meetings,  concerts,  and  balls  are  eagerly  looked  forward  to.  It  occu- 
pied a  fine  club  house  on  Elm  street,  but  this  is  being  transformed 
into  a  factory,  as  the  Turners  have  decided  to  build  a  new  home,  on  a 
much  larger  scale,  which  is  to  cost  $15,000. 

Another  notable  institution  is  the  Free  Library,  which  is  under  the 
fostering  care  of  the  School  Society.  The  library  contains  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  collections  of  standard  works  to  be  found  in  the  State. 
It  has  large  and  commodious. reading  rooms.  It  is  supplied  by  volun- 
tary contributions,  and  has  been  established  by  generous  donations  of 
books  from  many  public -spirited  citizens  all  over  the  country. 

Besides  the  various  industries  founded  in  this  village  by  Alfred  Dolge, 
and  which  give  employment  to  nearly  600  hands,  there  are  other 
business  interests  :  The  piano  factory  of  Brambach  &  Co.,  located  in 
the  south  end  of  the  village,  turns  out  a  great  many  hundreds  of 
high  grade  pianos  during  the  year,  and  employs  about  150  hands. 

The  Dolgeville  Woolen  Company  manufact-tires  fine  grades  of  piano 
cloth,  printer's  cloth,  etc.  It  employs  about  fifty  hands  and  is  situated 
at  the  junction  of  East  Canada  and  Spruce  Creeks.  Hugo  Dolge  is 
president  and  Ottomar  Jessnitzer,  treasurer. 


TOWN  OF  MANHEIM.  339 

The  Giese  Wire  Factory  is  located  next  to  the  Dolgeville  Woolen 
Company,  and  manufactures  all  kinds  of  piano  wire,  bookbinder's  and 
florist's  wire,  bicycle  spokes,  etc.  It  started  recently  with  about  thirty 
hands. 

The  C.  F.  Zimmerman  Company  manufactures  a  musical  instrument 
similar  to  the  German  zither,  called  the  auto-harp.  It  was  recently 
removed  from  Philadelphia,  and  has  a  paid-up  capital  of  $100,000.  It 
employs  a  great  number  of  hands. 

The  manufacture  of  piano  cases  is  assuming  large  proportions,  and 
in  1893  there  will  be  an  output  of  over  2,000. 

Negotiations  are  now  in  progress  by  which  a  large  silk  mill,  a  ma- 
chine shop,  a  woolen  factory,  a  foundry,  and  a  brickyard  will  all  be 
started  here  in  1893. 

The  Dolgeville  Coal  Company  was  started  in  1892  with  a  cash  capital 
of  $20,000.  It  has  built  large  coal  sheds,  with  all  the  latest  appliances, 
near  the  terminus  of  the  Dolgeville  Railroad. 

The  Dolgeville  Electric  Liglit  and  Power  Company  was  organized  in 
1 89 1  with  a  cash  capital  of  $25,000.  At  its  first  annual  meeting  it 
declared  a  dividend  of  six  per  cent. 

Wheeler  Knapp  carries  on  a  steam  saw  and  planing- mill,  which  he 
built  in  1885;  it  was  burned  in  1886,  and  rebuilt.  There  is  also  a 
cheese  factory  located  here. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Brockett's  Bridge  was  organized 
in  181 1,  and  a  church  edifice  was  built  in  the  same  year  on  grounds 
donated  by  John  D.  Spofford.  It  was  a  frame  structure  and  for  many 
years  was  used  as  a  Masonic  Temple  and  Good  Templars'  Hall ;  it  is 
now  in  use  as  a  barn.  In  1841  a  brick  church  was  erected  here  by  the 
Christian  denomination  and  used  by  them  about  twenty  years,  when 
the  Methodist  society  purchased  it.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Will- 
iam Watson.  A  Free  church  was  erected  in  1856,  through  the  efforts 
of  abolitionists ;  it  is  now  in  use  as  a  skating  rink.  An  Episcopal 
chapel  was  organized  in  1 89 1,  and  recently  a  handsome  church  was 
built  on  Dolge  avenue.  A  Universalist  society  was  organized  in  1892 
and  is  in  flourishing  condition.  Roman  Catholic  services  are  held  here 
at  intervals,  and  the  members  of  that  church  purpose  the  erection  of  a 
chapel  in  the  near  future.     There  are  now  located  at   Dolgeville   ten 


340  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

general  merchandise  and  grocery  stores,  a  bank,  four  butcher  shops, 
one  firm  of  contractors,  two  hardware  stores,  one  dry  goods  store,  two 
boot  and  shoe  stores,  one  grist-mill,  one  feed  store,  two  watchmakers, 
three  insurance  agents,  two  civil  engineers,  three  physicians,  two  den- 
tists, one  lawyer,  two  blacksmith  shops,  four  hotels,  seven  saloons  and 
liquor  stores  and  two  bottling  establishments. 

The  opening  of  the  railroad  between  Little  Falls  and  DolgeviJle  in 
the  winter  of  1892  has  given  a  new  impetus  to  the  rapid  development 
of  the  little  village,  and  with  the  new  enterprises  which  have  recently 
been  started  will  undoubtedly  largely  increase  its  population.  The  road 
has  been  in  course  of  construction  for  the  last  three  years  and  cost 
nearly  a  half  million  of  dollars.  By  it  Dolgeville  has  direct  communi- 
cation with  New  York,  Boston  and  Chicago. 

Perhaps  the  feature  of  life  at  Dolgeville  which  has  most  attracted 
general  public  attention  to  it  is  the  "  Earning  Sharing"  system,  which 
Mr.  Dolge  has  had  in  operation  with  his  employees  for  the  last  sixteen 
years.  This  sj'stem  comprises  an  insurance  plan  and  endowment  fund, 
a  pension  fund  and  is  supplemented  by  a  sick  fund  and  mutual  aid  so- 
ciety. By  the  insurance  plan  employees  after  each  five,  ten  and  fifteen 
years  of  consecutive  service,  get  a  policy  of  insurance  for  $i,ooo.  The 
firm  pays  the  premiums.  The  amount  of  insurance  carried  by  the  firm 
for  its  employees  was  in  December,  1892,  over  $200,000. 

By  the  pension  plan  employees  after  various  terms  of  service  can  re- 
tire on  from  forty  to  one  hundred  per  cent,  of  the  wages  earned  the  last 
year  of  their  service. 

By  the  endowment  fund  employees  are  annually  credited  with  their 
share  of  all  money  earned  by  them  over  and  above  their  wages  by 
superior  skill,  acuracy  or  the  invention  of  new  machinery  or  improve- 
ments. This  sum  draws  six  per  cent,  interest  and  is  paid  them  when 
sixty  years  of  age,  or  to  their  families  at  their  death. 

In  his  various  plans  for  the  welfare  of  his  employees  Mr.  Dolge  has 
already  expended  over  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars. 

The  story  of  Dolgeville  is  a  romance.  That  out  of  a  forlorn  little 
settlement  of  scarcely  300  souls  on  the  verge  of  the  great  Adirondack 
wilderness  a  prosperous,  intelligent  and  law  abiding  community  of  over 
2,000  persons,  with  leading  industries,  excellent  schools,  a  widely  read 


TOWN  OF  MANHEIM.  34l 

newspaper,  a  railroad,  have  all  been  built  up  within  a  few  years  in  the 
face  of  tlie  most  tremendous  obstacles,  by  a  young  German  who  landed 
in  this  country  without  a  dollar  and  ignorant  of  our  language,  is  surely 
something  of  which  Herkimer  county,  and  indeed  the  State  of  New 
York,  can  be  proud.  Dolgeville  has  been  the  life  work  of  one  broad 
minded,  public  spirited  man  of  ceaseless  energy,  vast  enterprise  and 
most  indomitable  industry.  Tliat  he  was  aided  by  many  others  firm 
of  purpose,  strong  in  character  and  distinguished  in  ability,  is  undoubt- 
ed, but  it  was  the  conspicuous  qualities  that  made  Alfred  Dolge  a 
born  leader  of  men,  that  attracted  such  men  to  him,  enlisted  their 
sympathy,  aroused  their  enthusiasm  and  bound  them  to  him  with 
something  more  than  the  ordinary  bond  of  self-interest  and  personal 
advancement. 

Ingham's  Mills. — This  small  village  is  situated  on  East  Canada  Creek, 
near  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town.  The  first  improvements  made 
at  this  point  were  by  Colonel  William  Feeter,  who  built  a  saw  and  grist- 
mill about  the  year  1802  The  grist-mill  is  still  standing  and  in  oper- 
ation, and  is  one  of  the  oldest  mills  in  the  county.  Adam  Feeter,  son 
of  William,  settled  here  also,  and  took  the  mills  after  his  father.  Alonzo 
Ingham  settled  here  in  1808,  and  built  a  carding  and  cloth-dressing 
mill  adjoining  the  grist-mill.  Harvey  Ingham  came  here  in  1820,  and 
from  him  the  place  takes  its  name.  The  first  store  was  kept  by  Thomp- 
son &  McAllister  in  1818.  In  1842  Samuel  Sadler  came  to  the  place 
and  bought  the  mills  of  H.  H.  Ingham,  and  from  him  the  grist  mill 
passed  into  possession  of  his  son,  J.  D.  Sadler,  who  now  runs  it,  and 
also  a  store.  The  carding-mill  was  changed  to  a  cider-mill.  An  oil- 
mill  for  the  manufacture  of  linseed  oil  was  conducted  by  Ezra  and 
Howard  Sampson,  and  later  by  D.  S.  Ingham.  The  saw- mill  was 
changed  to  a  cheese-box  factory  and  is  now  operated  by  J.  B.  Sadler, 
who  also  keeps  a  hotel.  The  wood  bridge  here  was  built  by  Calvin 
Ransom  in  1829,  and  the  iron  bridge  in  1889.  The  post-office  was  es- 
tablished in  1862,  with  Erastus  Ingham  as  postmaster;  the  present 
postmaster  is  Merril  Guile. 

A  Baptist  society  was  organized  here  in  181 8,  and  Rev.  Augustus 
Beach  was  the  first  pastor.  Meetings  were  held  in  the  school-house 
near  by,  and  over  in  Oppenheim,   until    1841,  when   the   present  stone 


342  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

church  was  erected.  On  the  lOth  of  January,  1842,  a  society  was  reg- 
ularly incorporated,  with  the  following  trustees  :  Nathan  Brown,  Joseph 
Hewett,  John  P.  Claus,  George  S.  Allen,  Leonard  L.  Bauder,  Harvey 
Ingham,  David  Snell,  Henry  Shaul,  and  Stephen  Bowen.  The  church 
has  always  maintained  services  with  reasonable  regularity.  Rev.  J.  G. 
Guller  is  the  present  pastor. 

In  1856  a  Methodist  society  built  a  church  in  district  No.  5,  and 
irregular  preaching  has  been  kept  up. 

Several  years  previous  to  the  Revolution  Sufifrenus,  Peter,  Joseph  and 
Jacob  Snell,  of  Snell's  Bush,  made  a  donation  of  seven  acres  of  land  for 
a  church  lot  and  twelve  acres  for  school  purposes.  A  church  was  built 
there  and  burned  in  the  Revolution,  but  was  afterwards  rebuilt.  It 
stood  until  1 850,  when  it  was  taken  down  and  the  present  edifice  erected  ; 
it  is  known  as  the  Reformed  Dutch  church.  The  school- house  in  that 
district  occupies  the  school  lot,  but  eleven  and  one  half  acres  of  the  lat- 
ter were  transferred  by  the  Legislature  to  the  church.  Rev.  Caleb  Alex- 
ander made  a  missionary  tour  through  the  county  in  1801,  and  wrote: 
"  Between  F"airfield  and  Little  Falls  is  a  Dutch  settlement  called  Man- 
heim  ;   rich  farms,  a  meeting-house  and  a  minister." 

On  September  i,  1821,  a  religious  society  was  incorporated  at  Rem- 
ensneider's  Bush,  under  the  name  of  the  German  Evangelical  Society 
of  the  County  of  Herkimer.  In  1822  a  frame  church  was  built  on  six 
acres  of  land  donated  by  persons  of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  denom- 
inations. Rev.  John  P.  Spinner  was  pastor  of  this  society  at  the  time 
of  its  organization.  The  name  of  the  society  was  changed  in  1847  to 
the  Dutch  Reformed  and  Lutheran  Union  Church.  The  building  was 
remodeled  and  improved  in  1853. 


TOWN  OF  DANUBE.  343 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE   TOWN   OF   DANUBE. 

THE  town  of  Danube  was  not  formed  until  April  17,  1817,  previous 
to  which  time  it  was  a  part  of  the  town  of  Minden,  Montgomery 
county;  but  it  was  settled  almost  as  early  as  any  part  of  Herkimer 
county.  Previous  to  March  18,  i82S,it  embraced  what  is  now  the  town 
of  Stark.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Mohawk  River  ;  on  the  east 
by  the  town  of  Minden,  Montgomery  county  ;  on  the  south  by  Stark, 
and  on  tlie  west  by  Little  Falls.  Along  its  northern  border  are  the  river 
flats,  but  the  central  and  southern  parts  are  hilly,  rising  from  400  to  800 
feet  above  the  Mohawk,  and  broken  by  ravines  on  both  sides  of  Nowa- 
daga  Creek.  The  soil  in  the  northern  part  is  a  gravelly  loam,  inclining 
to  sandy  loam  in  the  southern  parts.  It  is  well  adapted  to  grazing. 
Nowadaga  Creek  is  the  principal  stream,  and  flows  across  the  town  in  a 
northeasterly  direction,  with  a  rapid  fall.  Loyal  Creek  and  other  small 
streams  are  tributary  to  it.  There  are  several  springs  in  the  town  that 
are  impregnated  with  sulphur.  The  town  embraces  nearly  the  whole 
of  Lindsay's  patent  and  parts  of  Vrooman's,  Colden's,  Van  Home's, 
and  Lansing's  patents,  with  small  portions  of  Fall  Hill,  Vaughn's,  and 
L'Hommedieu's  patents. 

The  town  will  always  be  memorable  in  history  as  containing  the  site 
of  the  upper  Mohawk  Indian  Castle,  the  home  of  the  celebrated  Mo- 
hawk chief,  King  Hendrick,  and  the  home  and  tomb  of  General  Nich- 
olas Herkimer.  The  site  of  the  Castle  was  just  east  of  the  Nowadaga 
Creek,  a  little  distance  from  the  river,  and  near  where  the  old  Castle 
church  now  Stands.^  Hendrick's  residence  stood  upon  elevated  ground 
immediately  in  the  rear  of  the  site  of  the  residence  now  occupied  by 
Willis  L.  Greene,  opposite  the  Castle  church. 

'  The  followinK  description  of  the  fort  was  written  in  175S ;  "  It  is  a  square  of  four  bastions,  of 
upright  pickets,  joined  together  with  lintels.  They  are  fifteen  feet  high,  about  one  foot  square, 
with  port  holes  inserted  from  distance  to  distance,  with  a  stage  all  round  to  fire  from.  The  tort  is 
one  hundred  paces  on  each  side.  It  is  surrounded  with  a  ditch.  There  are  some  small  pieces  of 
cannon  at  each  of  its  bastions,  and  a  house  at  each  curtain  to  serve  as  a  store  and  barrack.  Five 
or  six  families  of  Mohawk  Indians  reside  at  the  fort." 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


The  Indian  Castle  church  is  one  of  three  mission  churches  built  sev- 
eral years  previous  to  the  Revolution  under  the  auspices  of  Sir  William 
Johnson.  It  was  built  in  1769.  In  1772  Sir  William  speaks  of  having 
erected  a  church  at  his  own  expense  at  "  the  Canajoharies  "  (alluding 
to  this  church),  and  laments  that  it  is  in  great  measure  useless,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  not  being  able  to  secure  a  missionary  for  it.  The  build- 
ing is  still  standing  and  used  for  a  church,  with  the  original  bell  in  the 
steeple,  and  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  historical  structures  in  the 
county.  When  first  built  it  stood  sidewise  to  the  road  ;  but  about  1830 
the  old  boards  were  torn  off  and  replaced  with  new ;  a  new  roof  was 
put  on,  the  steeple  slightly  changed,  and  some  interior  alterations  made, 
and  in  1856  it  was  turned  round  to  its  present  position,  and  altered  and 
improved  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,600. 

General  Herkimer's  residence  is  situated  about  two  and  and  a  half 
miles  east  of  Little  Falls,  south  of  the  river,  near  the  canal,  and  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  West  Shore  railroad.  Built  of  brick  imported  from  Hol- 
land about  the  year  1764,  it 
is  a  large  substantial  edifice 
for  its  time  and  cost  about 
$8,000  There  is  a  secret 
underground  passage  con- 
necting with  a  stone  powder- 
house  near-b)',  which  is  used 
at  the  present  time  for  storing 
vegetables.  Its  original  ex- 
ternal appearance  remains  as 
at  first,  but  the  interior  has 
been  considerably  changed. 
After  the  death  of  General 
HerJcinier  it  came  into  pos- 
session of  George  Herkimer, 
who  occupied  it  until  his 
death  in  1786.  He  left  seven  children,  who  inherited  the  estate,  the 
mansion  falling  to  John  Herkimer,  who  resided  there  until  about  18 14, 
when  he  transferred  it  to  other  hands.  It  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
Mrs.  Gertrude  Bidleman  Garlock,  and  occupied  by  a  tenant.     General 


The  Ge.neral  Herkimek  Homesik.^u. 


TOWN  OF  DANUBE.  345 

Herkimer  was  buried  on  a  knoll  a  short  distance  southeast  of  his  resi- 
dence. Steps  were  taken  in  1777  by  Congress  to  have  a  monument 
erected  over  the  grave,  but  it  is  a  melancholy  fact  that  until  1847,  no 
stone  marked  the  brave  soldier's  resting  place.  A  plain  marble  slab 
was  then  put  up  by  the  late  Warren  Herkimer,  bearing  the  following 
inscription  : 

General 

Nicholas  Herkimer, 

died 

Aug.  17,  1777, 

Ten  days  after  the  battle  of  Oriskany,  in  which  engagement  he 

received  wounds  which  caused  his  death. 

At  the  time  of  the  division  of  this  town,  March  18,  1828,  Daniel  Van 
Home  was  supervisor.  The  records  of  the  town  previous  to  that  date 
are  not  accessible  The  first  (special)  town  meeting  for  the  reorganiza- 
tion of  Danube  was  held  on  the  22d  of  April,  1828,  at  the  house  of 
Charles  Pomeroy,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected  : 

Supervisor,  Dr.  John  Helmer ;  town  clerk,  Benjamin  Klock  ;  assessors,  Louis  Reed, 
Henrj'  C.  Cronkhite;  over.seer  of  poor,  George  Dominick ;  commissioner  of  highways, 
William  Bush;  school  commissioner,  Daniel  Bellinger;  inspectors  of  schools,  Ralph 
Simms,  Henry  Perry ;  constables,  Henrj' Hardendorf,  Nathan  P.Wilcox,  Joseph  M. 
Thompson ;  collector,  George  N.  Schuyler. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  this  town,  with  date  of  their  in- 
cumbency : 

John  Holmes,  1828,  1838;  Henry  Moyer,  1829,1834;  John  Harder,  1830;  Asa  Wil- 
ou...  1831,  1844;  Daniel  Bellinger,  1832,  1852  ;  John  Riohtmeyer,  1833  ;  Ralph  Simms, 
1835;  Nicholas  Schuyler.  1836;  Thomas  I.  Mesick,  1837;  Abrara  Snyder,  1839; 
Philip  Jone.=,  1840,  1853.1854;  Blias  Fink,  1841;  Caleb  Eosboth,  1842;  John  Harder, 
jr.,  1843;  John  Shull,  1845;  Peter  P.  Smith,  1846;  Abraham  Owen,  1847;  Henry 
Houpt,  1848,  1860-61;  John  A.  Holmes,  1849;  David  Johnson,  1850-51;  William 
Davy,  1855;  John  Smith,  1856,  1863,  1864;  P.  Henry  Miller,  1857;  Henry  Miller, 
1858-59 ;  Jacob  Walter,  1802 ;  John  J.  Ostrander,  1805 ;  Levenus  Devendorf,  1866-67 ; 
Calvin  Harder,  1868-69;  Alexander  Fox,  1870;  Luther  Dillenback,  1871  ;  Stephen  G. 
Spoor,  1872,  1873;  Alvin  Decker,  1874-75;  Daniel  Cronkhite,  1876-77;  Edwin 
Dpfkor,  1878,  1879;  John  M.  Gardinier.  1880;  S;.nt"ord  John.son,  1881-84;  L  H. 
Scelx-r,  1885.  1886;  E.  V.  Decker,  1887,  1888;  Felix  Schuyler,  1889,  1890;  William 
Tibbitt.'^,  1891,  1892. 

The  men  above  mentioned  were  chiefly  early  settlers,  and  the  accom- 
panying list  of  supervisors  contains  the  names  of  many  others   who  in 


346  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  past  were  more  or  less  conpicuous  in  the  affairs  of  the  town.  Peter 
P.  Smith  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  ninety- two  years.  John  A.  Holmes, 
supervisor  in  1849,  "'^s  a  fanner  at  the  Castle,  as  was  his  father  in  earlier 
years. 

The  first  settlers  in  the  town  were  German  Palatines,  who  located  on 
the  flats  along  the  river.  These  settlements  were  considerably  broken 
up  during  the  Revolution,  and  very  little  is  known  in  detail  of  the 
prisoners.  Cornelius  Van  Alstine  came  in  very  earlj'  and  kept  the  first 
tavern  in  1795,  and  Peter  Smith  opened  a  store  at  about  the  same  time. 
The  first  grist-mill  was  near  the  mouth  of  Nowadaga  Creek  on  the  east 
side,  and  was  erected  by  Andrew  Nellis  in  1800.  The  first  settlers  in 
the  vicinity  of  Newville  were  Nathan  Wilcox  and  his  brother  Isaiah, who 
came  from  Connecticut  about  1793  and  located  where  the  hamlet  is  now 
situated.  The  next  settler  in  the  southern  part  was  a  German  named 
Martin  Siver,  who  located  about  two  miles  south  of  Wilcox,  near 
the  place  now  occupied  by  R.  M.  Pickard.  John  Harder  came  from 
Columbia  county  to  this  town  about  1797,  and  settled  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  S.  G.  Spoor,  south  of  Newville  ;  he  died  in  1866  and 
has  descendants  in  the  town.  William  Ostrander  was  an  early  settler 
in  the  southeastern  part;  he  came  in  1801  and  located  on  the  farm 
now  occupied  by  his  grandson,  William.  He  kept  a  public  house  on 
that  farm  for  several  years  previous  to  182S,  and  continued  his  residence 
there  until  his  death  in  1847.  Cornelius  Delong  settled  early  on  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  his  great-grandson,  C.  E.  Delong.  Thomas  I. 
Mesick  came  from  Columbia  county  in  1818  and  settled  on  the  farm 
now  occupied  by  his  son  Henry,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  in 
March,  1868.     He  was  a  captain  in  the  war  of  1812. 

Edward  Simms,  son  of  Ralph  Simms,  who  was  clerk  of  the  county  at 
one  time,  was  born  in  this  town,  where  he  resided  many  years.  He 
removed  a  few  years  since  to  the  town  of  Manheim.  Anson  Harder, 
now  a  practicing  lawyer  in  Jefferson  county,  was  also  born  in  this  town. 

The  town  of  Danube  is  now  largely  a  dairy  community,  there  being 
five  factories  in  operation  at  the  present  time.  Many  of  the  farms  will 
compare  favorably  in  production,  buildings,  etc.,  with  an\-  in  the 
county.  Tliere  is  very  little  manufacturing  or  mercantile  business  now 
carried  on.     The  only  village  is  Newville,  which  is  situated  about  four 


TOWN  OF  DANUBE.  347 

miles  from  the  Mohawk  River,  on  the  Novvadaga  Creek,  at  the  foot  of 
Ostrander  Hill.  The  post-office  was  established  about  1827,  with  Ben- 
jamin Klock  as  postmaster.  The  present  postmaster  is  Silas  W.  Wright. 
The  settlement  of  the  two  Wilcox  brothers  at  this  point  has  already 
been  noticed.  Samuel  Houpt  came  from  Pennsylvania  in  1804  and  in 
the  same  year  erected  a  grist-mill  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek.  He 
soon  afterward  built  and  operated  a  fulling  and  carding-mill  here. 
Andrew  Carpenter  built  about  the  year  1805  a  small  tannery,  which 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  hotel,  now  the  dwelling  of  F.  F.  Lewis.  The 
first  blacksmith  was  John  McMullin,  who  began  business  about  1806. 
The  first  store  was  built  and  kept  by  Andrew  Oothout,  and  it  stood 
near  the  present  residence  of  David  Harrad.  Other  early  merchants 
were  Henry  Lieber  and  Henry  Gross.  The  latter  also  carried  on  a 
small  distillery  here  and  a  tannery.  All  of  these  have  disappeared. 
Mr.  Lewis  now  operates  the  saw  and  grist  mill  at  Newville.  There  is 
a  station  on  the  West  Shore  Railroad  called  Indian  Castle,  and  a  post- 
office  (Danube)   which  is  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Abbie  Smith. 

The  first  school-house  was  of  logs  and  was  built  about  1798  on  the 
farm  recently  occupied  by  Alvin  Decker.  It  was  burned  in  1806  and 
a  frame  house  built  soon  afterwards.  There  are  now  nine  school  dis- 
tricts in  the  town  and  two  parts  of  districts,  with  nine  school-houses. 

A  Methodist  society  formerly  existed  at  the  Castle  and  held  meet- 
ings in  the  Castle  church,  but  it  became  extinct  about  1840.  A  Dutch 
Reformed  society  was  organized  there  in  i860  and  for  about  fifteen 
years  kept  up  its  services  with  commendable  regularity,  but  it  has 
nearly  died  out.  The  Union  church  at  Newville  was  erected  in  1835 
by  the  Lutheran,  Baptist  and  Universalist  societies.  In  1867  it  under- 
went thorough  repair  and  received  a  new  bell  and  an  organ.  The  Bap- 
tist and  Lutheran  societies  are  extinct.  The  Evangelical  Lutheran 
church  of  Newville  was  organized  in  the  school-house  by  Rev.  Lam- 
bert Swackhamer,  of  Manheim,  in  July,  1834,  with  eight  male  mem- 
bers. Among  the  pastors  who  have  served  the  church  are  Mr.  Swack- 
hamer, J.  D.  Lambert,  Sufirenus  Oltman,  Nicholas  Van  Alstine,  M. 
W.  Empie,  Conrad  Ochampaugh,  and  James  H.  Weaver.  The  society 
is  small.  A  Dutch  Reformed  church  once  existed  in  the  southern  part 
ol  tiie  town,  which  was  probably  organized  as  early  as  1816.  There 
are  no  records  of  its  life  in  existence. 


348  HISTORY  OF  nERKIMER  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
THE   TOWN   OF   STARK. 


T' 


'HIS  is  the  southeastern  town  of  Herkimer  county  and,  with  one 
exception,  the  latest  one  organized,  the  date  being  March  18, 
1828,  when  it  was  taken  from  Danube.  It  contains  parts  of  Hender- 
son's. L'Hommedieu's,  Vaughn's,  McNeil's,  J.  Vrooman's,  Coldcn's,  Liv- 
ingston's and  Lansing's  patents.  The  town  derived  its  name  from 
General  Stark,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  In  1868  there  were  taken  from 
Little  Falls  and  added  to  this  town  1,600  acres,  and  in  1869  300  acres 
were  taken  from  Warren  and  added  to  it.  The  soil  is  a  clay  loam, 
fertile  and  well  adapted  to  dairying  and  the  raising  of  grain. 

The  town  of  Stark  is  somewhat  noted  for  its  unusual  natural  features. 
Its  surface  is  hilly  and  broken  and  the  Otsquago  Creek  flows  between 
high  banks  across  the  town  in  a  northeasterly  direction.  It  has  its 
headwaters  in  the  vicinity  of  Van  Hornesville,  940  feet  above  the  Mo- 
hawk at  Fort  Plain,  where  it  empties  into  that  river.  This  great  fall 
has  in  past  years  furnished  excellent  water-power  for  many  mills  of 
various  kinds.  Marble  of  fair  quality  has  been  quarried  near  Smith's 
Corners,  in  the  northern  part.  There  are  several  important  springs  in 
the  town,  among  them  the  burning  spring  in  the  upper  part  of  the  val- 
ley of  Otsquago  Creek,  near  Van  Hornesville.  The  water  of  this  spring 
is  not  clear,  has  an  offensive  odor,  and  emits  a  gas  which  will  ignite  and 
burn  with  an  unsteady,  bluish  flame.  There  are  springs  near  the  ham- 
let of  Bethel,  in  the  northwestern  part,  that  are  impregnated  with  iron 
and  are  efficacious  in  some  diseases.  A  sulphur  spring  is  situated  near 
Starkville,  and  others  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  the  waters  of  which 
have  the  reputation  of  curing  diseases. 

The  Oheisa  Creek  rises  on  the  farm   of  M.  Walts   in  the   southwest 

part  of  the  town   and   flows  in   a  general   northerly   direction  into  the 

town  of  Danube.      Along  this  creek  is  a  deep  and   picturesque  gorge. 

•  \t  c^         Near  the   mills  formerly   owned  by  Daniel  Tilyou,  about  a  mile  below 

Van  Hornesville,  is  a  cave  of  quite  remarkable  characteristics,  although 

'^^^Qj-arVftO  it  has  never  been  explored  in  its  remote  depths. 


/ 


n>f 


^ 


is  the  southe? 


unty  and,  with  one 
•    being  March    i 
s  parts  of  Hendc, 
Man's,  Colden's,  Liv- 
L-l    its   name  from 
re  taken  from 
...  1869  300  acres 
soil  is  a  clay  loam, 
of  grain. 
:;ial  natural  features. 


L'Oyc  tlie  i\lo- 
This  great  fall 
many  mills  of 
1  near  Smith's 
Lnt  springs  in 
art  of  the  val- 
I  of  this  spr; 
will  ignite  an.; 
near  the  ham- 
ited  with  iron 
.^  situated  near 
.  aters  of  which 


b 

n^ 


11)  the  southwest 

direction  into  the 

!  resque  gorge. 

t  a  mile  below 

^tics,  although 


'Airtyi 


TOWN  OF  STARK.  349 

One  of  the  old  Indian  trails  passed  through  the  town  from  the  Mo- 
hawk, following  nearly  the  line  of  the  Utica  and  Minden  turnpike,  un- 
til it  reached  Van  Hornesville,  when  it  bore  southward  until  it  reached 
the   "  Chyle,"   where  it  intersected  another  trail. 

The  first  settlement  of  this  town  was  made  near  the  headwaters  of 
the  Otsquago  Creek  prior  to  the  Revolution.  Another  settlement  was 
made  on  or  near  the  line  of  this  town  and  Springfield  at  about  the  same 
time  ;  but  it  was  probably  just  outside  of  Herkimer  county.  The 
settlers  on  the  creek  were  the  Shaul,  the  Rronner  (or  Broner),  Jacob 
and  Frederick,  John  Feterly  (or  Fetherly)  and  George  Feterly,  and  the 
Johannes  Smith  families.  Richard  Shaul  owned  the  farm  settled  by 
Jacob  Bronner  and  married  one  of  Bronner's  descendants.  Hiram  Ward 
married  a  descendant  of  Frederick  Bronner  and  lived  on  the  farm  lo- 
cated by  Mr.  Bronner.  George  and  John  Fetherly  settled  near  Van 
Hornesville,  and  Matthew,  Sebastian,  and  John  Shaul  settled  on  the 
farm  recently  owned  by  D.  H.  Springer  in  the  western  part  of  the 
town.  John  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  late  in  the  fall  of  1778 
the  three  brothers  were  captured  by  a  party  of  sixteen  Indians  under 
Brant.  Reaching  the  foot  of  Schuyler  Lake  the  party  divided  and  five 
of  the  Indians  took  the  Shaul  boys  to  Newton  (now  Elmira),  where  they 
remained  until  the  arrival  of  the  Sullivan  expedition,  when  they  were 
taken  to  Canada.  They  were  recaptured  after  an  attempted  escape  and 
were  about  to  be  killed,  when  a  British  officer  secured  their  release  by 
paying  $25  each  for  them,  and  they  returned  to  Stark.  David  Shaul, 
great-grandson  of  John,  now  owns  the  old  homestead,  and  Minard 
Shaul  owns  the  homestead  of  Matthew.  In  the  fall  of  1781  the  little 
settlement  in  Stark  was  destroyed  by  Brant  and  his  Indians  and  tories. 
Jacob  Bronner,  his  son  Christian  and  daughter  Sophronia,  were  among 
the  prisoners  taken.  The  father  and  son  were  soon  liberated,  but  the 
daughter  was  kept  twelve  years.  Her  whereabouts  was  made  known 
by  Jacob  Eckler  after  his  release,  and  she  was  finally  returned  to  her 
relatives. 

The  Elwood  family  are  of  English  descent  and  settled  here  early. 
Richard,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  came  to  the  Mohawk  valley 
near  St.  Johnsville  in  1748,  where  he  built  a  stone  dwelling  which  is 
still  standing.     A  few  years  later  he  died,  leaving  four  sons,  Richard, 


350  IIISTOUY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

Isaac,  Benjamin,  and  Peter,  all  of  whom  were  conspicuous  in  the  early 
history  of  the  valley.  Senator  A  R.  Elwood,  late  of  Richfield  Springs, 
was  a  descendant  of  Richard  Elwood.  Col.  Henry  Elwood,  who  lived 
for  many  years  in  the  town  of  Danube,  was  a  son  of  Peter  Elwood. 
Peter  Elwood,  the  youngest  son,  died  on  his  farm  in  183  i,  at  the  age  of 
seventy  seven  years.  David  Elwood,  son  of  Peter,  settled  in  Danube 
about  the  year  1813,  and  remained  until  his  death  in  1859  He  was  a 
prominent  citizen  and  left  four  sons,  Daniel,  Henry,  Moses,  and 
David  B. 

Richard  Van    Home,  from    whom  the  village   of  Van   Hornesville  is 

named,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  came  to  the  site  of  the  village 

in  1 79 1.     There   he,  with  his  brother   Daniel,  began   mercantile   trade, 

and  soon  built  mills   and  engaged  in  the  flouring  business  on  what  was 

then  a  large  scale  ;  their  flour  was  taken  to  Fort  Plain,  whence  the  West- 

^  vi  ern  Inland  Lock  and  Navigation  Company  took  it  down  the  Mohawk  to 

•    CQ    market.     This  business   increased  and  for  many  years  the  Van   Home 

.^•<j     brothers  were  the   largest   wheat   and  produce   buyers  in  this  section. 

m  ;^       Richard  Van  Home  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in    1809-10  and 

jft  "*  yin  1812,  and  his  political  influence  was  great.      He  died  at  Van  Hornes- 

^^ville  in   March,  1823. 

Dr.  Willsey  was  the  first  physician  in  tiie  town  and  settled  on  what 
is  known  as  Willsey  Hill,  in  the  southeastern  part,  in  J 797.  Simeon 
Conklin,  the  first  blacksmith,  settled  north  of  Van  Hornesville  in  1798. 
The  first  town  meeting  for  the  town  of  Stark  was  held  at  the  house 
of  .Andrew  Smith,  March  28,  1828,  when  the  following  officers  were 
elected  : 

Supervisor,  Daniel  Van  Home ;  town  clerk.  Cornelius  W.  Vedder ;  collector,  George 
J.  YoiHig;  overseer.'!  of  the  poor,  James  Winegar  and  Jacob  S.  Mover;  assessors,  Cor- 
nelius Sloiigliter,  Robert  Johnson,  and  J.  H.  Walrath ;  commissioners  of  highways, 
I'Vederick  Smith,  John  Kinter,  and  Adam  Shaul ;  inspectors  of  common  schooLs,  Peter 
P.  Murphy,  Stephen  Halstead,  and  Richard  Conklin ;  school  commissioners,  Frederick 
Broner,  William  Watson,  and  Jacob  P.  Shaver;  constables,  William  Gibson,  Felix 
Broner,  jr.,  and  John  Fulmer. 

By  the  date  last  mentioned  the  town  had  become  quite  thickly  set- 
tled and  much  of  it  cleared.  Among  others  more  or  less  prominent  in 
its  early  history  were  George  Springer,  who  lived  at  Starkville  ;  William 
H.  Parkhill,  who  was  supervisor  in  1841  ;   Cornelius  Sloughter,  who  lived 


TOWN  OF  STARK.  351 

two  miles  north  of  Van  Hornesville  ;  Truman  Miner,  supervisor  in  1848, 
who  settled  three  miles  north  of  Van  Hornesville;  Levi  Weeks,  super- 
visor for  many  years,  who  settled  east  of  Van  Hornesville;  Sylvester  H. 
Ellsworth,  supervisor  in  1 862,  who  lived  a  mile  east  of  Starkville  ;  Alex- 
ander Smith,  still  living  at  Starkville,  at  one  time  sheriff  of  the  county; 
Menzo  Kelly,  of  Van  Hornesville,  and  others  yet  to  be  mentioned. 

The  town  of  Stark  is  now  essentially  a  dairy  district,  the  manufact- 
ure of  cheese  being  the  principal  industry.  Hops  have  been  raised  to 
a  large  extent  and  considerable  attention  is  still  given  to  that  product. 
Stark  ranks  among  the  very  best  of  the  fruit  sections  in  the  county, 
while  the  production  of  honey  has  formed  a  not  unimportant  part  of  the 
town  productions.  At  the  present  time  there  are  six  cheese  factories 
in  operation  in  the  town,  and  the  product  stands  high  in  the  market. 

The  first  school  was  taught  at  Starkville  by  Mills  Bristol,  in  the  first 
school-house  built  in  the  town,  as  far  as  now  known  The  school- house 
was  built  in  1802  on  the  south  side  of  the  Otsquaga  Creek,  on  the  flat 
opposite  Abraham  Maxwell's  blacksmith  shop.  There  are  now  ten 
school  districts  in  the  town. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  this  town,  with  date  of  their  in- 
cumbency : 

1828,   Daniel  Van   Home;  1829-30,   Ethan  Sawing;   1831,  James  Winegar;  1832, 
iSM,  1838,  1845,1840,  1855,  C.  T.  E.  Van  Home;   1833,  David  Elwood ;  1839,  Solo- 
mon Keller;   1840,    185.3,    18.54,    18.56,    George  Springer;   1841,  William   S.  Parkhill 
1842,   Cornelius  Sloughter;   1843-44,    Frederick   Bronner;    1847-48,   Truman   Miner 
1849,  H.   A.  Casposas;   1850,  Alexander  Hall ;  1851-52,   1857-58,   1866,  Levi  Wick 
1859-60,  1863,  Richard  Van  Home;   1861,  Daniel  Shall;   1862,  Sylvester  H.Ellsworth 
1864-65,  Alexander  Smith  ;   1867-68,  Menzo  Kelley  ;  1869,  Alexander  Smith  ;  1870-71, 
Jacob  A.  Fike.'i ;   1372-73,  Peter  Moyer ;  1874-75,  Oliver  H.   Springer;   1876,   Joseph 
Shumway;   1877-79,    S.    H.    Ellsworth:   1880-81,    Daniel    Hawn ;   1882-83,    Willard 
Weeks;  1884-85,  Oliver  H.  Springer;  1886-87,  Lewi.';  G.  Young;   1888,  Charles  A.  El- 
wood  ;   1889-90,  Gershom  Smith ;   1891-92,  Delavan  Elwood. 

Vau  Hornesville  —  Is  a  pleasant  small  village,  situated  near  the  south 
side  of  the  town.  The  first  settlement  was  made  here  by  Thomas  Van 
Home,  who  was  a  sergeant  in  Capt.  Henry  Eckler's  company  of  Revo- 
lutionary soldiers.  The  coming  here  of  Richard  Van  Home  has  been 
noted  ;  he  built  the  first  grist-mill  in  1793  and  a  distillery  in  the  same 
year;  in  1794  he  built  and  opened  a  store. 


352  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

It  was  a  busy  little  place  in  early  years,  the  creek  supplying  excellent 
water  power,  and  the  old  plank  road  from  Fort  Plain  to  Cooperstow  n 
being  built  through  the  village.  Cornelius  Ten  Eyke  Van  Home  was 
clerk  of  the  county  in  1856.  In  1836  a  cotton  factory  was  built  and 
put  in  operation  by  Elias  Branian  &  Co.  It  is  not  now  in  use.  The 
flax  and  cider-mill  of  James  Cramer  is  on  the  site  of  an  old  card- 
ing and  fulling-mill.  The  present  grist-mill,  owned  by  Byron  Hollen- 
beck,  stands  on  the  site  of  the  early  Van  Home  mill.  A  furnace  was 
built  in  1827  by  Mr.  Stansell,  which  is  now  owned  by  Joseph  Tunniclifif; 
it  is  not  in  operation.  What  was  recently  a  furniture  manufacturing  es- 
tablishment stands  on  the  site  of  a  distillery  that  was  built  in  1840. 
The  saw-mills  here  are  owned  by  O.  N.  Young  and  Daniel  Tilyou.  In 
1800  Jonathan  Conklin  built  the  first  tannery  in  the  town  at  this  place; 
it  was  known  as  Kershaw's  tannery  in  recent  years,  but  has  not  been 
operated  for  some  time  There  was  a  trip-hammer  also  in  operation 
here  in  1800,  but  that  long  ago  went  to  decay.  The  present  post- 
master at  Van  Hornesville  is  Lewis  Eckler.  E.  M.  Snyder  has  a  store 
which  he  has  conducted  since  1890,  succeeding  J.  Wettereau.  J.  M. 
Wiles  is  another  merchant,  and  Joseph  H.  Shumway  formerly  carried 
on  a  store  here  for  many  years.  The  two  hotels  are  kept  respectively 
by  J.  W.  Kinter  and  Orange  Tunniclifif;  the  old  house  was  built  about 
1854  b\'  Wellington  Tunniclifif.  F.  P.  Marsh  has  a  blacksmith  shop  and 
Adelbert  Tunniclifif  a  wagon  shop. 

Starkvillc — The  only  other  considerable  village  in  this  town,  is  situ- 
ated near  the  northeast  comer  at  the  confluence  of  Otsquago  and  Camp 
Creeks,  and  at  the  junction  of  the  old  Fort  Plain  and  Cooperstown  and 
the  Utica  and  Minden  turnpikes.  The  site  of  the  village  was  settled  in 
i788byJohan  (or  Johannes)  Smith,  who  built  the  first_  frame  house 
here  ;  he  was  the  great  grandfather  of  Alexander  Smith,  still  living  at 
Starkville,  and  the  house  stood  on  the  site  of  his  present  residence. 
Daniel  Champion  was  another  early  settler  here,  coming  in  1798;  Barney 
Champion  was  his  grandson,  and  the  house  built  by  the  pioneer  stood 
where  the  widow  of  the  latter  lives.  Daniel  Champion  built  the  first 
saw- mill  in  1800  ;  it  stood  on  the  south  side  of  the  creek,  about  half  at 
mile  west  of  the  village  near  the  Alexander  Hall  place.  John  Cham- 
pion opened    the  first  store   in  1810  on   the  site   now  occupied  by  the 


TOWN  OF  STARK.  353 

dwelling  of  Abraham  Maxwell.  Mr.  Champion  also  built  the  first 
grist-mill  in  1812,  which  stood  where  Martin  Mathews  now  lives.  In 
1 8 14  Jesse  Brown  built  a  carding-mill  where  the  flax-mill  stands.  The 
first  tavern  was  kept  by  Johannes  Smith,  who  located  at  Starkville  in 
178S.  After  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1796,  Andrew  Smith  con- 
ducted it  until  1844,  on  the  site  where  Alexander  Smith  now  lives.  In 
1823  John  Champion  built  a  trip-hammer  shop  where  the  widow  of 
Alexander  Hall  now  owns.  Robert  C.  Hall  began  keeping  a  store  here 
in  1863  in  association  with  his  father,  John  R.,  who  was  one  of  the  early 
merchants;  the  latter  died  in  1883.  Mr.  Hall  is  postmaster,  having 
had  the  office  two  terms.  The  present  hotel  was  built  by  John  A.  and 
J.  Walrath,  and  is  kept  by  Henry  Husen.  L.  J.  Brandow  is  one  of  the 
enterprising  citizens  of  Starkville  and  has  a  large  wagon  manufactory. 
The  grist-mill  and  saw- mill  are  operated  by  Abraham  De  Garmo. 
There  was  in  former  years  a  tannery  here,  but  it  has   fallen  into  decay. 

A  busy  little  hamlet  existed  at  what  is  known  as  Brown's  Hollow  in 
early  years  ;  but  most  of  its  activity  has  died  out.  The  place  was 
founded  by  Judge  Henry  Brown,  who  brought  considerable  wealth  to 
the  place  and  established  mills  and  several  industries,  all  of  which  have 
gone  into  disuse  and  decay,  excepting  the  saw-mill. 

Deck — Is  the  name  of  a  post-office  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town  ; 
the  office  is  a  recently  established  one,  with  Alanson  Young,  the  local 
merchant,  as  postmaster.  This  point  has  been  known  as  Bethel  and  as 
Wick's  Corners.  There  is  a  union  church  here,  but  no  regular  services 
are  held.     Peter  Chickering  is  a  blacksmith  here. 

Smith's  Corners — Is  a  settlement  a  little  west  of  Deck,  where  there 
was  formerly  a  tannery,  which  is  not  operated  now,  a  saw- mill  and  a 
store.     Alexander  Fort  is  now  the  merchant  here. 

Churches. — In  the  early  part  of  this  century  religious  services  were  held 
in  this  town,  usually  by  Methodist  circuit  riders,  who  formed  classes,  and 
later  societies.  One  of  these  was  organized  early  at  Starkville,  and  in 
February,  1829,  they  took  up  steps  to  build  an  edifice.  The  society  was 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
of  Starkville,  and  the  building  erected  continued  in  use  for  about  forty- 
five  years.  In  1874  it  was  thoroughly  remodeled  at  an  expense  of 
$3,400.     The  society  has  never  been   large,  but  it  is  and  has  been  en- 

45 


354  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

thusiastic  in  its  good  work.  The  present  pastor  is  Seward  L.  Little- 
field.  The  Methodist  society  at  Van  Hornesville  has  also  had  a  long 
existence,  and  the  union  edifice  at  that  place  was  built  in  1847,  the 
Methodists  having  an  interest  in  it  with  the  Baptists  and  Universalists. 
Tiie  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  church  has  ahvajs  served  at  both  places.  S. 
R.  Ward  is  the  present  pastor  of  the  Universalists  at  Van  Hornesville. 
There  was  a  Universalist  society  organized  at  StarkviJle  in  1876  with 
the  following  trustees  :  A.  B.  Champion,  Henry  Hawn,  M.  C.  Smith, 
O.  H.  Springer.  A.  B.  Champion  and  Washington  Champion  were 
then  the  only  members  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  church  at  that  place, 
and  being  trustees  of  that  society  and  owning  an  equal  share  in  the  old 
church  with  the  Lutherans,  they  gave  a  deed,  June  5,  1876,  of  their 
right  and  title  in  said  church  to  Alexander  Smith  and  Daniel  Hawn  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Universalist  society.  No  services  are  held  in  this 
church  at  the  present  time. 


CHAPTER    XVni. 
THE   TOWN   OF    WARREN. 

WARREN  is  the  most  southerly  town  in  Herkimer  county,  and  re- 
ceived its  name  in  honor  of  General  Joseph  Warren,  who  fell  at 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  It  was  taken  from  German  Flats  on  the  5th 
of  February,  1796,  and  originally  contained  all  of  the  present  town  of 
Columbia.  A  small  tract  was  taken  from  it  and  added  to  Stark  in 
1869.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  German  Flats  and  Little  Falls  ; 
on  the  east  by  Stark  and  Otsego  county  ;  on  the  south  by  Otsego 
county,  and  on  the  west  by  Columbia  and  Otsego  county.  It  em- 
braces the  principal  parts  of  Henderson's  and  Theobald  Young's  pat- 
ents. 

Among  the  German  settlements  made  a  considerable  distance  south 
of  the  Mohawk  River  before  the  Revolution,  was  one  at  Andrus- 
town,  composed  of  Germans  from  the  upper  valley,  and  another  at  the 
Little  Lakes,  both  of  which  were  within  the  present  town  of  Warren. 
These  will  be  more  fully  described  a  little  further  on. 


TOWN  OF  WARREN.  35o 

The  surface  of  Warren  is  upland,  several  ranges  of  hills  traversing 
the  town  from  east  to  west,  one  of  which  constitutes  a  part  of  the  water- 
shed between  the  Mohawk  and  Susquelianna  rivers.  Fish  Creek  flows 
southward  across  the  town,  and  along  its  banks  in  early  years  were 
many  saw- mills,  a  grist-mill,  four  tanneries  and  many  other  industries, 
every  one  of  which  has  disappeared.  The  Little  Lakes  are  two  small 
bodies  of  water  near  the  south  part  of  the  town,  which  are  fed  by  two 
small  streams,  which  also  supplied  power  to  several  mills  long  ago. 
Mud  Lake  is  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  town,  and  Weaver  Lake  is 
another  small  body  of  water.  The  soil  is  a  rich  clay  loam  and  nearly 
all  susceptible  to  cultivation;  but  dairying  is  the  chief  industry,  and 
there  are  now  six  cheese  factories  in  the  town.  The  shipping  of  milk 
to  New  York  by  rail  is  beginning  and  promises  to  increase. 

The  German  settlement  at  Andrustown  was  about  two  miles  north- 
east from  the  site  of  Jordanville.  This  settlement  included,  so  far  as 
can  be  learned,  the  families  of  Paul  Grim,  George  Hoyer,  John  Osfcer- 
hout,  George  Staring,  Frederick  Bell,  Stephen  Frank,  Frederick  Lep- 
per,  and  probably  a  few  others.  Little  is  known  of  the  settlement,  or 
of  that  at  the  Little  Lakes  until  1758,  when  some  of  the  residents  fled 
from  the  French  and  Indians,  who  in  that  year  devastated  the  Mohawk 
valley.  At  the  close  of  that  war  they  returned  and  rebuilt  their  de- 
spoiled homes.  From  this  time  until  the  War  of  the  Revolution  there 
is  little  record  of  what  was  done  at  the  points  in  consideration.  Powers, 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  settlers,  was  an  Englishman  and  adhered  to  the 
royal  cause.  Being  ordered  to  leave  the  settlement,  he  took  his  family 
to  Canada,  and  returned  and  joined  the  tories  under  Brant.  The  settle- 
ment at  Little  Lakes,  then  known  as  Young's  Settlement,  was  also  a  tory 
neighborhood,  among  the  dwellers  there  being  George  House.  On  the 
1 8th  of  July,  1778,  Powers  and  House  guided  Brant  and  his  savage 
band  to  Andrustown,  and  there  on  a  beautiful  morning  the  wretches 
burned  every  building  and  killed  many  of  the  settlers,  among  these 
Mr.  Bell  and  his  son.  Most  of  the  men,  women  and  children  were 
either  killed  or  taken  prisoners,  except  the  families  of  Crim,  Hoyer  and 
Osterhout,  who  escaped  to  the  fort  at  Herkimer.  Horses  and  cattle 
were  driven  off  and  the  orchards  leveled  to  the  ground.  A  pursuing 
party  was  made  up  when  the  news  reached  Fort  Herkimer,  which  went 


SoC  History  of  herkimer  county. 

down  to  bury  the  dead  and  punish  the  enemy.  After  burying  the 
bodies  found,  they  proceeded  to  the  tory  settlement  at  Little  Lakes  and 
destroyed  it.  Two  of  the  sons  of  Frederick  Lepper  were  absent  at  the 
time  of  the  raid,  and  a  part  of  the  family  of  George  Staring  escaped. 
A  young  son  of  Mr.  Bell  was  kept  in  Canada  ten  years  and  then  re- 
turned. Descendants  of  several  of  these  pioneers  still  live  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  site  of  Andrustown.  The  centennial  anniversary  of  this  event 
was  appropriately  and  successfully  celebrated  in  July,  1878.  Many 
prominent  residents  of  Herkimer  and  adjoining  counties  were  present 
at  Jordanville,  where  a  stage  was  erected  in  a  grove.  A  procession 
was  formed  ;  public  speakers  of  note  addressed  the  assemblage,  among 
them  being  the  late  Samuel  Earl,  M.  A.  McKee,  A.  M.  Mills,  G.  M. 
Cleland,  and  others. 

The  second  settlement  in  the  present  town  of  Warren  made  prior  to 
the  Revolution,  was  in  1765,  when  the  families  of  Henry  Eckler,  his 
son  of  the  same  name,  Jacob  Haberman,  Michael  Snyder,  and  Andrew 
Young  located  at  what  is  known  as  the  Chyle,  formerly  called  "Youngs- 
field."  This  settlement,  to  which  had  been  added  a  few  other  families, 
was  attacked  by  Brant  and  his  followers  in  the  fall  of  1781,  and  the  en- 
tire settlement  was  burned.  Two  of  Mr.  Eckler's  sons  were  killed  and 
scalped,  and  a  third  was  carried  away  a  prisoner.  Henry  Eckler  held 
the  office  of  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  army  and  performed  heroic 
service.  The  old  homestead  has  been  handed  down  to  his  descendants 
to  the  present  time.\ 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  settlers  began  to  come  into  the 
town  from  New  England.  Among  them  was  Samuel  Cleland,  who 
came  in  1786.  He  had  been  a  quartermaster  in  the  Revolution.  His 
sons,  who  came  with  him,  were  Norman,  Salmon,  Martin,  Moses,  and 
Jonas.  Hon.  George  M.  Cleland,  an  ex- sheriff,  was  a  son  of  Jonas. 
David  Mixter  came  in  early  from  Massachusetts,  and  Anthony  Devoe 
came  in  1798.  Dr.  Rufus  Grain,  one  of  the  very  early  physicians  in 
the  town,  came  before  1798  and  was  a  prominent  citizen.  He  located 
at  what  is  now  Cuilen  (formerly  called  Grain's  Corners),  where  the 
homestead  is  still  owned  by  his  descendants.  John  Marshall  came  to 
the  town  in  1808  and  settled  near  the  Little  Lakes;  he  lived  to  be 
ninety-eight  years  old.     Other  early  settlers  were  Thomas  C.  Shoe- 


TOWN  OF  WARREN.  35? 

maker,  David  Belshaw,  Ephraiiri  Tisdale,  Gurdon  Lathrop,  Abel  Mill- 
ington,  Samuel  Bloomfield,  Moses  and  Leonard  Sliaul,  John  W.  Tunni- 
cliff,  James  Maxfield,  and  others  elsewhere  mentioned. 

Morris  Fikes  was  born  in  the  town  of  Warren  in  1846.  He  com- 
pleted his  legal  studies  in  the  office  of  Judge  Hardin  at  Little  Falls,  and 
after  being  admitted  opened  an  office  in  Herkimer,  where  he  died  April 
16,  1874.  He  was  a  bright,  promising  young  lawyer.  His  son  Mau- 
rice maj.  follow  his  father's  footsteps  in  the  profession.  He  is  now  be- 
ing educated  at  Syracuse  University. 

The  first  town  meeting  in  Warren  was  held  at  the  house  of  Daniel 
Caswell,  on  the  5th  of  April,  1796,  when  the  following  officers  were 
chosen : 

Supervisor,  William  B.  Mix;  town  clerk,  Samuel  Ingham  ;  assessor.s,  Timothy  Frank, 
Joel  Reynolds,  Isaac  Freeman,  John  Osterhout,  and  Caleb  Woodward  ;  commissioners 
of  highways,  John  Mills,  Daniel  Talcott,  and  Philip  Cook;  overseers  of  the  poor,  Jacob 
Petrie  and  Warren  Mack ;  school  commissioners,  Luke  Warren,  Nathaniel  Ludington, 
and  Benjamin  Cary ;  collectors,  Oliver  Warren  and  George  Edick. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  this  town,  with  date  of  their  in- 
cumbency : 

In  1796,  William  B.  Mix;  1797,  Francis  Hawley  ;  1798,  1799,  1803,  1805,  1806,  John 
Mills;  1800,  1802,  Philip  Cook;  1801,  Moses  Wheeler;  1804.  Hugh  Pennel ;  1807, 
1808,1810,  1813,  1815,  Bber  Hyde;  1809,  Samuel  Woodworth;  1811,  Dyer  Green ; 
1812,  Ephraim  Tisdale;  1814,  Peter  P.  Mesiok;  1810,  Gurdon  Lathrop;  1817,  1818, 
1832,  1833,  Jonas  Cleland  ;  1819,  1822,  Abel  Milhngton ;  1823,  Samuel  Bloomfield; 
1824,  Moses  Shaul ;  1825-29,  William  C  Grain;  1830-31,  Charles  Fox;  1834-35, 
1851-52,  Leonard  Shaul;  1836-37,  Thomas  Shoemaker;  1838,  John  W.  Tunniclifi"; 
1839-40,  William  C.  Grain ;  1841-42,  James  Maxfield;  1843,  Marcus  Lawyer;  1844, 
Lambert  Sternberg;  1845-46,  1848,  Jacob  Marshall;  1847,  Rufus  G.  Starkweather ; 
1849-50,  Calvin  Hulbert;  1853-54,  Thomas  C.  Shoemaker;  1855-56,  1863,  1865,  John 
M.  Tredway  ;  1857-58,  Lawrence  Harter;  1859-60, 1869,  George  M.  Cleland  ;  1861-62, 
1866-67,  Eiisha  W.  Stannard;  1868.  Christopher  Shoemaker  ;  1870-72,  James  Mason; 
1873,  Jeffenson  J.  Tilden ;  1874,  1878-79,  Palmer  M.  Wood;  1880,  Elias  Weatherbee ; 
1881-82,  1891-92.  Rufus  G.  Starkweather;  1883,  George  H.  Eastwood;  1884,  Nathan- 
iel Farnham;   1885,  James  A.  Hopkinson ;    1886-90,  James  W.  Blatchley. 

As  before  stated,  the  streams  in  this  town  furnished  in  early  years 
power  to  run  numerous  mills  and  small  factories,  all  or  nearly  all  of 
which  have  disappeared,  and  at  the  present  time  there  is  almost  no 
manufacturing  in  the  town.  The  first  log  house  in  the  town  was  built 
by  Paul  Crim,  in  1753,  and   the   land   has  descended  to  A.  J.  Crim,  its 


358  HtSTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY/ 

present  owner.  George  Hoyer  built  the  first  frame  house  in  1789,  on 
tlie  premises  now  owned  by  James  Bronner.  One  of  the  Osterhouts 
and  Simeon  J.  Vrooman  kept  the  first  store  at  the  Little  Lakes  in  1793. 
Stephen  Ludington  kept  the  first  tavern. 

In  early  years  the  settlers  were  compelled  to  go  to  Fort  Plain  if  they 
wanted  grain  ground  In  1793  Isaac  Freeman  built  two  mills  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  town,  on  land  now  owned  by  Brayton  W'ctherbee. 
Mr.  Wetherbee  is  still  living,  and  his  sons,  Elias  and  William,  have  a 
saw-mill,  grist-mill  and  tannery  at  what  is  called  Wetherbee's  Mills. 
The  father  of  Brayton  Wetherbee  formerly  operated  mills  and  a  tan- 
nery at  Cullen.  The  first  saw- mill  on  Fish  Creek  was  built  in  1799  by 
Benjamin  W'ilkerson.  The  first  distillery  was  built  by  Frederick  Ly- 
man and  Gurdon  Lathrop,  between  18 10  and  181 5,  about  half  a  mile 
north  of  Jordanville.     Roselle  Lathrop  built  a  brewery  near  by. 

Captain  Charles  Fox,  of  Connecticut,  who  came  to  Warren  in  1805, 
is  given  the  honor  of  making  the  first  cheese  in  the  county  south  of  the 
Mohawk,  beginning  about  1815.  He  subsequently  had  a  dairy  of  100 
cows  and  was  a  prominent  and  successful  man. 

Jordanville  is  the  largest  village  in  Warren  and  contains  about  500 
inhabitants.  It  is  situated  near  Fish  Creek  at  the  intersection  of  the 
old  Minden  turnpike  and  the  State  road  from  Utica  to  Richfield 
Springs  The  post  office  was  established  December  9,  1845,  with 
Henry  Bell  as  postmaster ;  the  other  postmasters  have  been,  Phineas 
P.  Hyde,  June  i,  1849;  Adam  Miller,  June  10,  1853;  R.  D.  Wight- 
man,  March  29,  i86i  ;  C.  C.  Blatchley,  August  3,  1865  ;  George  L. 
Bell,  June,  1870;  Dr.  A.  Miller,  1884;  Charles  E.  Hyde,  1887;  F.  H. 
Bell,  1889.  George  L.  Bell  has  been  a  merchant  here  since  1868. 
The  grist-mill  and  saw- mill  are  now  operated  by  Chauncey  Browrfrigg 
and  Andrew  Crowell,who  succeeded  W.  Chase  ;  the  latter  was  burned  out 
and  rebtiilt  the  mills.  John  W.  Brandow  was  formerly  a  wagon  maker 
here,  but  started  the  American  Hotel  in  1885,  and  with  the  exception 
of  two  years  has  kept  it  since.  George  T.  Yule  is  a  wagon  maker,  and 
William  Sibell  and  Charles  J.  Fisk  are  blacksmiths. 

Cullen  (formerly  Page's  Corners)  is  a  hamlet  near  the  junction  of  the 
two  branches  of  Fish  Creek,  not  far  from  the  center  of  the  town.  The 
post-office  was  established  in  December,  1845,  with  Nelson  S eager  as 


TOWN  OF  WARREN.  359 

postmaster;  he  has  been  succeeded  by  John  Lewis,  C.  M.  Hustis,  Rufus 
W.  Grain,  Jonas  Petrie.  The  office  was  discontinued  in  October,  1859, 
and  re  established  in  December  following,  with  Frederick  Petrie  as  post- 
master, succeeded  by  John  Lewis,  and  he  by  George  M.  House.  The 
name  was  changed  from  Page's  Gorners  to  Gulien  in  1866;  Vohiey 
Houghton  was  the  next  postmaster,  followed  by  Charles  Houghton, 
Clark  Cole,  Joseph  R.  Petrie,  William  Foster,  Clark  Cole,  William  Fos- 
ter, who  is  the  present  incumbent  and  keeps  a  store.  Joseph  Petrie 
keeps  the  hotel  here. 

Little  Lakes  (Warren  post-office)  is  a  hamlet  near  the  lakes,  which 
give  it  the  name.  The  post-office  was  established  in  October,  1840, 
with  Robert  Bush  as  postmaster  ;  he  has  been  followed  by  Francis  Gates, 
Amos  Shaw,  John  W.  Tunnicliff,  William  Kinne,  Ferdinand  Tunnicliff, 
William  Kinne,  Chester  Grim,  Thomas  Ellis,  jr.,  and  Lester  Eckler,  the 
present  incumbent.  The  hotel  now  kept  by  Lester  Eckler  was  built 
very  early  and  before  the  turnpike  was  constructed  through  the  place. 
Mr.  Eckler  has  kept  this  house  six  years,  succeeding  John  J.  Thorp, 
and  owns  the  old  homestead  of  the  Ecklers.  Merchants  here  have  been 
D.  A.  Tunnicliff,  Philp  Eckler,  J.  J.  Thorp  and  James  Collyer.  S.  H. 
Conklin  has  sold  goods  here  about  six  years.  There  was  formerly  more 
business  done  here  than  at  the  present  time. 

There  was  in  early  years  considerable  business  done  at  Grain's  Cor- 
ners, including  stores,  a  hotel,  and  several  shops.  A  post  office  existed 
here  from  1828  (when  Jacob  Marshall  was  postmaster)  to  1857,  when  it 
was  discontinued.  A  pretty  little  Episcopal  church  was  erected  here  in 
1890,  by  D.  J.  Grain,  and  services  are  maintained. 

The  early  schools  were  taught  in  German  as  well  as  English.  Stephen 
Frank  was  one  of  the  first  teachers  in  German  at  Andrustown,  and 
Captain  Henry  Eckler  taught  at  the  Chyle  in  both  German  and 
English.  Jonas  Cleland  taught  the  first  English  school  subsequent  to 
the  Revolution.  Warren  now  comprises  eleven  districts  and  the 
schools  are  efficient.  Hon.  William  C.  Grain,  who  was  speaker  of  the 
Assembly  in  1846,  resided  in  this  town,  was  courteous  and  bright, 
and  an  able  politician. 

The  Warren  Baptist  church  was  organized  in  1799,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing year  Phineas   Holcomb  was  ordained  as  first  pastor,  and  labored 


360  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

with  the  church  seventeen  years.     For  many  years  the  society  was  es- 
pecially prosperous.     In  1836  the  building  of  a  church  was  begun  on 
land  donated  by  Deacon  Eber  Hyde,  at  Jordanvilie,  and  the  structure 
was  dedicated  in  November  of  the  following  year. 
The  following  have  served  the  church  as  pastors : 

George  Swain,  Isaac  Newell,  William  A.  Wells,  Zelora  Eaton.  Asa  Caldwell,  Chailes 
E.  Brown,  Daniel  Dye,  L.  J.  Huntley,  Lan.sing  Bailey,  Nel.-Jon  Ferguson,  Charles  Bailey, 
L.  Bolton,  M.  II.  De  Witt,  L.  B.  Barker,  Peter  Goo,  William  Church,  D.  D.  Odell,  A.  D. 
Smith,  J.  J.  Pier.son,  John  L.  Duncanson.  Services  are  now  held  by  Elder  Lord,  but 
the  society  has  to  some  extent  lost  its  identity  as  a  Baptist  organization. 

The  first  church  edifice  in  the  town  was  built  near  Bloomfields,  by  the 
Methodists  in  1814.  The  next  was  the  "Warren  Union  Church,"'  near 
Grain's  Corners,  which  was  dedicated  in  1816.  This  church  has  dis- 
appeared. There  is  a  union  church  at  Little  Lakes,  which  was  built 
about  1845.  Rev.  Mr.  Helms,  of  Richfield,  preaches  there  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

The  history  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Jordanvilie  dates 
back  to  1846,  when  Rev.  Moses  Dunham,  of  the  Litchfield  circuit, 
formed  a  class  of  eight  members.  William  Bouck  was  chiefly  instru- 
mental in  forwarding  the  project,  and  a  lot  was  procured  and  the  work 
begun.  The  church  was  dedicated  in  the  fall  of  1847.  I"  1871,  when 
the  church  had  sixty-five  members,  and  through  the  energetic  work  of 
G.  M.  Cleland  and  Isaac  Lake,  a  new  building  was  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  old  one  and  dedicated  in  June,  1872. 

The  pastors  who  have  served  this  church  are  Revs.  Moses  Dunham,  W.  C.  Loomis, 
William  Jerome,  Mr.  Crawford,  E.  L.  Wadsvvorth,  R.  0.  Beebe,  Samuel  Hill,  Mr. 
Barnes,  L.  K.  Redington,  W.  A.  Wadsworth.  R.  L.  Kenyon,  L.  Eastwood,  Gordon 
Moore,  F.  A.  O'Farrel,  Harvey  Woodward,  A.  R.  Warner,  D.  O.  Edgarton,  James  Coote, 
W.  F.  Purington,  H.  R.  Northrup,  James  Stanton,  J.  G.  Brooks,  Samuel  Salisbury,  S. 
P.  Gray,  and  the  present  pastor,  F.  K.  Pierce.  The  membership  is  about  100,  and 
Dwight  .Starkweather  is  Sunday-school  superintendent. 


I 


TOWN  OF  COLUMBIA.  361 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE    TOWN    OF    COLUMBIA. 

COLUMBIA  lies  in  the  southern  part  of  Herkimer  county  and  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  German  Flats  ;  on  the  east  by  Warren  ; 
on  the  south  by  Otsego  county,  and  on  the  west  by  Winfield  and  Litch- 
field. The  town  was  formed  from  Warren  June  8,  1812.  Its  surface  is 
moderately  rolling  and  hilly,  and  the  soil  a  clay  loam,  which  is  gen- 
erally fertile.  The  streams  are  small  brooks,  some  of  which  flow 
south  into  the  Unadilla  and  the  others  northward  into  the  Mohawk. 
There  are  several  springs  in  the  town,  the  waters  of  which  have  a  local 
reputation  as  a  curative  for  some  diseases.  Irpn  ore  is  found  to  a  lim- 
ited extent.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  town  is  a  swamp  containing 
perhaps  a  thousand  acres,  from  which  flow  the  headwaters  of  the  Una- 
dilla. Steele's  Creek  flows  from  the  northern  side  of  the  town  into  the 
Mohawk  at  Ilion.  Within  the  present  boundaries  of  Columbia  are 
parts  of  Staley's,  Henderson's  and  Conrad  Frank's  patents. 

The  old  Indian  trail  from  the  upper  Mohawk  to  Schuyler's  Lake 
passed  through  this  town  from  northeast  to  southwest,  and  there  was 
an  Indian  camp  ground  a  little  northwest  of  the  site  of  South  Columbia, 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  J.  H.  Fox. 

Columbia  was  first  settled  in  1765  by  several  German  families  from 
the  Mohawk  River,  who  located  in  the  eastern  part  at  the  crossing  of 
the  old  Utica  and  Minden  turnpike  and  the  Mohawk  and  Richfield 
Springs  road.  The  settlement  was  long  known  as  Conradstown,  and 
later  as  Orendorff''s  Corners,  after  one  of  the  settlers,  Conrad  Orendorff, 
whose  original  farm  is  still  owned  in  the  family  by  William  Orendorff. 
The  families  who  first  settled  here  were  those  of  Henry  Frank,  Nicholas 
Lighthall,  Timothy  Frank,  Joseph  Moyer,  Frederick  Christman,  Con- 
rad Frank,  Conrad  Fulmer,  Nicholas  Lighthall,  and  Mr.  Orendorff. 
Between  the  time  of  its  first  settlement  and  the  close  of  the  Revolution 
the  town  was  overrun  by  the  enemy,  and  the  inhabitants  made  to  feel 
the  effects  of  the  struggle.     Conrad  Orendorff  was  a  lieutenant  in  Capt. 

4C 


362  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Henry  Eckler's  company  and  was  twice  taken  prisoner  and  his  cabin 
burned.  Richard  Woolaber,  one  of  the  early  settlers,  was  in  Heinrich 
Staring's  company  which  left  Fort  Herkimer  July  19,  1778,  to  over- 
take Brant  and  rescue  prisoners  taken  at  the  destruction  of  Andrus- 
town.  At  Young's  Settlement  (now  Liftle  Lakes)  the  main  body  of 
the  pursuers  turned  back  ;  but  Woolaber,  Peter  Flagg  and  Thomas  Van 
Home  kept  on  and  overtook  two  savages  on  the  west  side  of  Schuyler's 
Lake.  The  Indians  had  a  woman  and  babe  as  prisoners.  Woolaber 
and  his  companions  killed  both  Indians  and  carried  home  the  prisoners. 
In  the  fall  of  1778,  while  Woolaber  was  at  work  in  the  field  on  what  is 
now  "  Shoemaker  Hill,"  south  of  Fort  Herkimer,  he  was  surprised  by 
Indians,  knocked  down  and  scalped  and  left  for  dead.  He  was  found 
by  his  family  towards  nightfall,  carried  home  and  finally  recovered. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  settlement  in  various  parts  of  the  town 
progressed  rapidly.  The  following  list  of  jurors  for  the  year  18 13  is 
worthy  of  preservation,  as  it  doubtless  contains  the  names  of  most  of 
the  prominent  settlers  down  to  1810: 

Asahel  Alford,  John  Bloodgood,  Jeremiah  Brown,  John  Burchdorff,  Philip  Businger, 
Elias  Benedict,  Philip  Brown,  Christopher  H.  Benedict,  Jacob  Bell,  Amos  Crain,  Josiah 
Ctain,  William  Chapman,  John  Clapsaddle,  Augustenus  Clapsaddle,  Simon  Clark.  Henry 
Cronkright,  Daniel  DromdofF.  Ira  Dethrick,  Jabez  De  Woolfe,  William  De  Wolfe,  jr., 
Jacob  Eaton.  Benjamin  Eaton,  Ephraim  Elmer  (still  living  at  the  age  of  113  years 
at  Utica,  N.  Y.),  George  M.  Edick,  Jacob  P.  Fox,  John  P.  Fox,  Peter  P.  Fox,  Frederick 
Fox,  Abner  Gage,  John  Gorsline,  Barnabas  Griffith,  Henry  Getman,  George  I.  Get- 
man,  Frederick  I.  Getman,  Stephen  Griffith,  Timothy  Getman,  Frederick  Getman,  jr., 
Conrad  Gettman,  Thomas  Hagerty,  Henry  Helmer,  Samuel  Hatch,  Joseph  Hatch, 
Daniel  Hatch,  John  Harwood,  Abner  Huntley,  Thomas  Hawks,  Jacob  Helmer,  William 
Haner,  Jeremiah  Haner,  Augustenus  Hess,  jr.,  Frederick  Hess,  Conrad  Hess,  Henry 
Jones,  Calvin  Johnson,  Luther  Johnson,  Michael  Jackson,  Samuel  Lord,  Thomas  Ladow, 
Caleb  Miller,  John  Miller,  Henry  A.  Miller,  Henry  Miller,  jr.,  Oliver  Miner,  William 
Miller,  Andrew  Miller,  John  Miller,  jr.,  Martin  McKoon,  Joel  Merchant,  Ephraim  Mills, 
Isaac  Mills,  John  Mills,  Andrew  Meyers,  Joseph  Meyers,  John  D.  Meyers,  James  Mor- 
gan, Abraham  Maning,  Henry  S.  Orendorff,  Jacob  Orendorff,  George  Petrie,  Theodore 
Page,  Ira  Peck,  Dean  Pearce,  Daniel  I.  Petrie,  Marks  Petrie,  Frederick  Petrie,  Reuben 
Reynolds,  John  Runyan,  jr.,  Parley  Spaulding,  Ralph  Sanford,  Thomas  F.  Shoemaker, 
John  Shoemaker,  Nicholas  Sternburgh,  William  Stroup,  Timothy  Smith,  George  Steele, 
Blisha  Standish,  Gershom  Skinner,  Peter  I.  Turpening,  Moses  Thompson,  Hill  Trues- 
dale,  Samuel  Woodworth,  Festus  Williams,  Peleg  Wood,  Isaac  Wright,  Charles 
Young. 

Most  of  the  above  have  descendants  at  present  living  in  town. 


( 


TOWN  OF  COLUMBIA.  363 

Tunis  Vrooman  came  early  into  this  town.  He  was  made  a  prisoner 
by  the  Indians,  with  three  of  his  brothers,  in  1776,  and  taken  to  Can- 
ada; returning  a  year  later,  he  passed  much  of  his  life  in  Columbia 
and  died  in    1866. 

Asahel  Alford  settled  here  in  179 1,  was  a  well-known  citizen,  and 
died  in  1853  ^^  the  age  of  ninety-three  years,  having  passed  all  his  life 
on  his  original  farm  ;  this  was  afterwards  occupied  by  his  son  Cyrus, 
and  now  by  his  son  Oscar  Alford. 

Abijah  Beckwith,  a  native  of  Columbia  county,  came  into  this  county 
in  1807  and  became  conspicuous  in  public  affairs  ;  was  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  in  1817  and  1823;  a  member  of  the  Senate  in  1835  !  was 
six  years  county  clerk,  and  presidential  elector  in  the  first  Lincoln 
campaign.  He  was  the  great-grandfather  of  John  D.  Beckwith,  now  a 
lawyer  at  Little  Falls. 

George  Lighthall  was  a  settler  prior  to  the  Revolution  on  what  is 
known  as  the  Briggs  farm,  a  little  west  of  South  Columbia,  and  he  and 
his  family  were  sufferers  during  the  war.  Some  others  who  settled 
early  in  Columbia  were  Peter  Horton  Warren,  who  located  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  town;  Martin  McKoon,  who  came  in  1796,  to  the  ex- 
treme southern  part;  Jacob  Edick  and  his  father,  also  named  Jacob,  who 
were  pioneers  of  the  town ;  Lorenzo  Hosford  and  his  father,  William, 
who  were  tanners  at  Cedarville  from  early  in  the  century ;  Henry 
Devendorf,  who  settled  early  at  Cedarville ;  John  D.  Hunter,  long  a 
merchant  in  the  town;  Andrew  Miller,  who  built  the  first  mills  at^ 
Miller's  Mills ;  Nicholas  Spohn,  Daniel  Stroup,  an  early  blacksmith,  and 
Jacob  Seckner. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Daniel  I.  Petrie  on 
Tuesday,  March  2,  1813,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

Supervisor,  Jacob  Haner ;  town  clerk,  John  Mix ;  assessors,  Denison  Tisdale,  Peter 
P.  Fox,  Jeremiah  Haner,  and  Rufus  Ohapin ;  overseers  of  the  poor,  Daniel  I.  Petrie 
and  Abijah  Beckwith ;  commissioners  of  highways,  Henry  Orendorff,  Ira  Peck  and 
Joel  Merchant;  constables,  Jacob  D.  Petrie,  Charles  Randale,  Jeremiah  Baringer,  and 
William  Truesdale;  collector,  Charles  Randale;  school  commissioners,  Rufus  Chapin, 
John  Bartlett,  and  Denison  Tisdale  ;  school  mspectors,  Henry  S.  Orendorff,  David  V. 
W.  Golden,  and  Henry  Gardiner. 

The  town  was  divided  into  thirty-one  road  districts,  and  the  usual  in- 
cipient legislation  was  enacted.     A  meeting  of  the  excise  commission- 


304  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ers  was  held  in  May,  1813,  at  which  D.  V.  W.  Golden,  Jesse  Campbell, 
and  Samuel  Woodworth  &  Son  had  applied  for  permits  to  sell  liquor, 
and  Reuben  Reynolds,  Daniel  I.  Petrie,  Joseph  Petrie  and  Conrad 
Orendorfif  applied  for  licenses  and  were  given  the  privilege  of  keeping 
taverns. 

There  is  now  scarcely  any  manufacturing  in  Columbia,  and  there 
never  was  very  much.  The  industries  outside  of  farming  have  been 
limited  almost  wholly  to  mills  erected  early  in  various  parts  of  the 
town,  some  of  which  are  still  in  operation,  though  greatly  changed.  D. 
V.  W.  Golden  and  Benjamin  Mix  were  the  first  merchants  in  the  town, 
and  carried  on  business  at  Orendorfif 's  Corners  in  1798.  The  old  store 
was  demolished  about  twenty  years  ago,  and  the  site  is  owned  by 
Daniel  Crim.  Frederick  Petrie,  brother  of  Daniel,  had  a  blacksmith 
shop  at  the  same  point  in  1799,  and  was  the  first  blacksmith  in  town. 
The  first  frame  house  was  built  at  the  Corners  in  1788  by  Con- 
rad Orendorff,  and  now  forms  part  of  the  building  occupied  by  Will- 
iam Orendorfif.  The  first  and  only  brick  house  in  Columbia  was  built 
in  1855  by  Abraham  House,  at  what  is  known  as  Elizabethtown,  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  town. 

The  first  schools  in  Columbia  were  taught  in  the  German  language, 
the  earliest  one  by  Philip  Ausnian  in  1796  at  what  is  now  Oren- 
dorfif's  corners.  The  first  English  school  was  begun  about  the  same 
time  by  Joel  Phelps.  On  the  8th  of  April,  1813,  the  school  com- 
missioners divided  the  town  into  eight  school  districts.  There  were 
then  255  families  in  the  town  and  the  commissioners  designated  which 
district  each  family  should  belong  to.  At  the  present  time  there 
are  eleven  districts  in  Columbia. 

There  are  no  considerable  villages  in  this  town.  Columbia  Center 
was  formerly  known  as  "  Petrie's  Corners,"  and  it  was  here  that  the 
first  town  meeting  was  held.  As  indicated  by  its  name,  it  is  near  the 
center  of  the  town,  and  here  Daniel  I.  Petrie  kept  the  first  tavern  on  the 
site  where  Abram  Jacobson  formerly  kept.  Jacob  J.  Petrie,  son  of 
Daniel,  formerly  kept  a  store  where  Elmer  E.  Spohn  is  now  located. 
John  D.  Hunter  also  traded  on  this  site.  Martin  L.  Springer  and  Ira 
Derthick  were  also  merchants  here.  There  was  a  distillery  operated 
here  in  early  times.     The  present  business  consists  of  two  stores,  one 


TOWN  OF  COLUMBIA.  365 

by  Frank  N.  Petrie  and  one  by  E.  E.  Spohn,  a  hotel  kept  by  Wallace 
Purchase,  on  the  old  Petrie  site,  a  store  and  post-office  kept  by  Frank  N. 
Petrie,  and  two  blacksmith  shops  by  David  Getman  and  Jabez  Bliss 
&  Son.  The  Methodist  church  here  was  organized  in  1887  and  the 
building  was  erected  in  1888  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,000.  The  first 
pastor  was  Rev.  Frank  West  and  the  present  one  is  G.  P.  York.  The 
trustees  are  Israel  Shepherd,  George  Gray  and  H.  J.  Chrisman. 

South  Cohinibia. — This  is  a  station  on  the  railroad  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  town  and  on  the  old  road  from  Mohawk  to  Richfield  Springs. 
It  was  in  this  vicinity  that  the  Lighthall  families  settled  prior  to  the 
Revolution,  and  Richard  Woolaber  was  the  first  settler  after  the  war. 
Asaliel  Freeman  built  here  the  second  grist  mill  in  the  town,  and  in 
1800  a  saw-mill  and  a  fulling-mill;  the  latter  went  to  decay  long 
ago.  The  first  hotel  was  kept  here  in  1808  by  Simeon  Hammond. 
The  site  of  the  old  mills  is  now  occupied  by  the  extensive  plant  of  the 
Chase  Mills  and  Supply  Company,  who  operate  a  saw-mill,  grist  mill, 
planing-mill,  deal  in  coal,  lumber,  etc.  A  box  factory  is  operated  by 
James  Collyer,  and  a  second  saw- mill  by  Eugene  Hoffman.  Philip 
Wormouth  is  a  blacksmith  and  wagon  repairer,  and  Frank  ZoUeris  mer- 
chant and  postmaster. 

Miller's  Mills. — This  is  a  hamlet  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
town,  half  a  mile  from  the  line  of  the  railroad,  on  which  it  has  a  sta- 
tion. The  site  was  settled  in  1760  by  Andrew  Miller.  Jost  Bell  was 
the  owner  of  much  of  the  land  in  the  vicinity  and  from  him  Miller  leased 
and  purchased  his  property.  Jonas  Miller  now  occupies  a  part  of  the 
original  farm  of  Andrew  Miller.  Miller,  probably  in  connection  with 
Bell,  built  the  first  mills  here,  on  the  site  of  W.  D.  Gorsline's  present 
mills;  this  property  passed  into  possession  of  John  Miller  and  was 
enlarged  by  him.  Other  owners  of  the  mills,  before  they  came  into , 
Mr.  Gorsline's  possession,  were  a  Mr.  Tennant,  Jacob  Miller,  and  Dan- 
iel Devendorf  Mr.  Gorsline  put  in  a  circular  saw  and  added  a  box 
factory  and  planing  mill  to  the  plant.  The  post-office  was  established 
in  1869  with  Tunis  Finger  as  postmaster;  he  was  succeeded  by  An- 
drew Finger.  J.  R.  Scudden  was  next  appointed  to  the  office,  and 
then  William  H.  Finger.  Andrew  Finger  is  the  present  postmaster 
and   merchant.     The  "  First  Free   Baptist    Church   in   Columbia  "  was 


366  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

organized  here  in  September,  1820,  and  the  church  was  erected  in  183  i. 
Public  services  have  been  kept  up  with  considerable  regularity  since 
1814.  In  1840  a  Sunday-school  was  established  with  David  G.  Young 
as  superintendent.  Elder  J.  B.  Randall  is  the  present  pastor.  Rev 
M.  C.  Brown  preached  here  for  seventeen  years  ;  he  died  recently  in 
Boston. 

Cedarville. — This  is  a  hamlet  in  the  western  part  of  the  town  and  at  the 
junction  of  the  lines  of  the  three  towns  of  Winfield,  Litchfield  and 
Columbia.  While  a  considerable  portion  of  the  little  village  is  in  Litch- 
field, the  post-office  is  now  in  the  town  of  Columbia,  and  the  historj^  of 
the  village  may  as  well  be  given  here.  The  first  settler  at  this  point 
was  Henrj'  Devendorf,  who  came  in  1803.  The  first  store  was  estab- 
lished in  1823  by  John  and  Thurston  Mabbitt,  and  in  the  same  year  the 
post-office  was  opened.  Henry  Devendorf  kept  the  first  tavern  about 
1 8 10.  The  tannery  that  was  conducted  here  for  many  years  was  be- 
gun by  William  Horsford  in  1824,  who  operated  it  for  thirty  years. 
Its  last  owners  were  Hon.  Ezra  D.  Beckwith  and  Hiteman  Brothers, 
who  gave  it  up  about  eight  years  ago  and  located  at  West  Winfield  ;  the 
tannery  is  now  going  to  decay.  The  hotel  now  kept  by  J.  J.  Thorp 
was  built  by  A.  L.  Fisji  about  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the 
post  office.  F.  E.  Stephens  now  has  the  principal  store  and  is  post- 
master and  supervisor,  succeeding  D.  L.  W.  Kibby  in  the  former  ofifice 
in  June,  1889.  Mr.  Kibby  kept  a  store  here  about  twenty  years.  The 
second  hotel  is  kept,  and  has  been  for  twelve  years,  by  Monroe  Wilkin- 
son. The  store  now  kept  by  H.  G.  Knight  was  occupied  before  him  by 
Irving  Maxwell  and  Benjamin  Davis.  Lyman  Woodart  wa,s  a  wagon- 
maker  here  for  many  years,  and  his  sons  now  carry  on  the  business. 
W.  E.  Meacham  has  a  harness  shop  and  W.  H.  Rhoda  a  tin  shop. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Cedarville  was  organized  in  1862, 
under  the  corporate  name  of  the  McKenzie  Chapel.  The  deed  of  a  lot 
was  given  by  Henry  Devendorf  on  which  to  build  a  chapel.  The  first 
church  was  erected  about  1826,  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  The  society  be- 
came extinct,  and  in  1870  the  building  was  removed  and  fitted  for  a 
public  hall. 

The  Universalist  church  at  Cedarville  was  organized  October  27, 
1829,  and  Rev.  Orrin  Roberts  became  the  first  pastor  in  1830.      Among 


TOWN  OF  COLUMBIA.  367 

those  who  have  at  various  periods  preached  here  are  Revs.  T.  J.  Smith, 
Mr.  Belden,  Dr.  Smith,  J.  H.  Tuttle,  E.  M.  Wooley,  L.  C.  Brown, 
Mr.  Paine,  W.  H.  Grigsby,  D.  Ballon,  L  Rice,  L.  G.  Powers,  and  O.  B. 
Beals.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  C.  H.  Vail,  who  preaches  also  at 
Bridgewater.  The  first  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1830  at  a  cost  of 
$2,500;  it  was  dedicated  in  the  following  year.  In  1872  the  building 
was  remodeled  at  an  expense  of  more  than  $5,000,  and  an  organ  cost- 
ing $1,000  has  since  been  added.  The  society  has  been  uniformly 
prosperous  and  shown  energetic  activity  from  its  beginning. 

Trustees  are  elected  for  one,  two,  and  three  years.  Tlieir  names  are  as  follow : 
For  one  year,  F.  B.  Stephens,  D.  A.  Angell,  and  A.  E.  Seckner;  for  two  years,  Chauncey 
Mathews,  Jacob  W.  Miller,  and  Bernard  Crim ;  for  three  years,  C.  J.  Wheeler,  E.  B. 
Holcomb,  and  William  Miller. 

Other  hamlets  that  have  had  distinctive  names  in  Columbia  are  Get- 
man's  Corners,  at  the  headwaters  of  Steele's  Creek,  on  the  north  side  of 
the  town.  Elizabethtown,  taking  its  name  from  Elizabeth  Campbell, 
on  the  north  line  of  the  town,  on  Steele's  Creek,  where  a  tannery  was 
formerly  carried  on ;  and  Haner  Settlement,  so  called  from  the  families 
of  that  name  who  located  there.  Spinnerville,  named  in  honor  of  the 
late  Gen.  F.  E.  Spinner,  is  a  post-office  in  the  northern  part,  established 
in  1890.  A  tannery  was  operated  here  for  many  years  by  Peter  H, 
Warren,  father  of  T.  D.  Warren,  esq.,  and  the  wife  of  Col.  Alonzo 
Wood,  of  Winfield.  It  is  now  closed  up.  S.  D.  Warren  now  owns 
the  homestead  and  is  the  postmaster. 

The  oldest  church  in  this  town  is  the  Reformed  Church,  which  was 
organized  in  July,  1798.  Timothy  Frank  and  Jacob  Petrie  were  made 
elders,  and  George  Edick  and  George  F.  Helmer,  deacons.  The  first 
meetings  were  held  in  Conrad  Orendorff' s  barn.  Steps  were  taken  in 
1803  to  erect  a  church,  the  First  Congregational  church  of  Warren 
and  the  First  Lutheran  church  of  Warren  uniting  in  the  work.  A  sub- 
scription paper  was  circulated  and  money  raised  for  a  beginning.  In 
November,  1808,  the  three  societies  assembled  at  the  meeting-house  to 
arrange  for  raising  money  to  finish  the  interior  of  the  building. 
Through  subscriptions  and  the  sale  of  pews  in  December,  1808,  the 
necessary  funds  were  raised  and  the  church  finished  by  Parley  Hutch- 
ings.     This  church  was  used  until  1849,  when  it  was  considered  unsafe 


368  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY". 

and  a  new  one  was  erected,  which  has  received  extensive  repairs.  It  is 
pleasantly  located  on  the  east  and  west, road  between  Columbia  Center 
and  Orendorfif 's  Corners,  with  a  cemetery  adjoining.  In  the  rebuilding 
of  this  church  in  1840  a  scaffold  gave  way  and  John  Edick  was  killed 
and  several  others  badly  injured. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  this  town,  with  date  of  their  in- 
cumbency: 

Jacob  Haner,  1813,  1822  ;  Samuel  Woodworth,  1814;  John  Mills,  1815,  1821;  Hen- 
ry S.  Orendorff,  181C,  1817;  Abijah  Beckwith,  1818,  1819;  Henry  S.  OrendorfF,  1820, 
1831,  1837,  1842;  Jeremiah  Haner,  1823,  1824,  1827;  Abijah  Beckwith,  1825,  1845, 
1846;  Jacob  Mills,  1826;  Isaac  Mills,  1828;  John  Miller,  jr.,  1829,  1834,  1835;  Abel 
Hannahs,  1830,  1832,  1833;  Peter  H.  Warren,  1836,  1838,  1839,  1863-65;  Joseph  L. 
Hatch,  1840,  1841;  William  J.  Miller,  1843,  1844;  Andrew  Van  Dusen,  1847,  1848; 
Loren  Mills,  1849,  1850;  John  W.  Beckwith,  1S51-52;  John  D.  Clapsaddle,  1853, 
1859-60;  Jefferson  Rowland,  1854,  1856;  James  Kelley,  1857,  1858;  David  G.  Young, 
1861-62;  Levi  Shaul,  1866-67;  David  Harter,  1868;  Lorenzo  Horsford,  1869;  Jacob 
J.  Getman,  1870-72  ;  John  M.  Lipe,  1873,  1874 ;  George  Van  Alstine,  1875-78 ;  Will- 
iam D.  Gorsline,  1879,  1880;  Samuel  Miller,  1?81  ;  Israel  I.  Young,  1882,  1883;  Frank 
N.  Petrie,  1884-1889;  Damon  A.  Clapsaddle,  1890;  Abram  Manning,  1891;  Frank  E. 
Stephens,  1892. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   TOWN    OF   WINFIELD. 

PREVIOUS  to  the  year  18 16  the  territory  now  embraced  in  the  town 
of  Winfield  was  a  part  of  the  towns  of  Richfield  and  Plainfield,  Otse- 
go county,  and  Litchfield,  Herkimer  county.  Consequently,  upon  its  for- 
mation the  boundaries  of  Herkimer  county  were  enlarged.  The  act 
under  which  the  town  came  into  existence  is  dated  April  17,  18 16,  and 
its  passage  in  the  Senate  was  procured  by  Dr.  John  J.  Prendergast,  then 
a  member  of  that  body.  He  had  the  privilege  of  naming  the  new  town 
and  proposed  "  Scott,"  in  honor  of  Gen.  Winfield  Scott ;  but  on  learn- 
ing that  there  was  already  a  town  of  that  name  in  this  State,  he  sub- 
stituted the  given  name  of  the  popular  military  officer — Winfield. 

The  town  lies  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Herkimer  county  and  in- 
cludes   parts    of  Schuyler's   Bayard's  and    Lispenard's    patents.      It  is 


TOWN  OF  WINFIELD.  3G9 

bounded  on  the  north  by  Litchfield  ;  on  the  east  by  Columbia  and  Ot- 
sego county  ;  on  the  south  by  Otsego  county  ;  and  on  the  west  by 
Oneida  county.  The  surface  is  moderately  hilly  except  along  the  valley 
of  the  Unadilla  Creek,  which  flows  across  it  from  east  to  west,  furnishing 
considerable  water  power.  Some  smaller  streams  flow  southerly  into 
the  Unadilla,  which  have  their  rise  in  Litchfield.  The  great  western 
turnpike  passes  through  the  southern  part  of  the  town,  and  in  early  days 
was  thronged  with  stages,  teams  and  droves  of  stock,  which  made  busy 
scenes  at  the  numerous  taverns  that  were  maintained  at  short  intervals 
along  its  course. 

The  early  settlers  of  what  is  now  Winfield  came  chiefly  from  Con- 
necticut and  Massachusetts.  Abel  Brace  came  here  in  1793  from  near 
Hartford,  Conn.,  bringing  with  him  his  family  of  nine  sons  and  five 
daughters,  with  his  wife's  aged  mother.  Mr.  Brace  was  a  man  of  stand- 
ing, had  been  a  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  a  member  of  the 
State  Legislature.  He  built  a  log  house  not  far  from  the  present  resi- 
dence of  his  youngest  great-grandson,  Seward  H.  Brace.  All  of  the 
sons  excepting  one  settled  in  this  town  and  not  far  from  their  father. 
Abel  Brace  died  in  1832.  In  after  years  many  of  his  descendants  left 
the  town,  leaving  only  Capt.  Asahel  Brace,  who  occupied  the  pa- 
ternal home;  he  died  in  1867,  leaving  sons,  Abel  Woodruff  Brace, 
Lucius  F.  Brace  (father  of  Frank  L.),  and  Henry  L.  Brace,  who  inherited 
the  family  home  and  now  lives  in  West  Winfield.  When  Mr.  Brace 
came  here  there  was  no  road  from  the  Mohawk  southward,  and  travelers 
were  guided  by  marked  trees.  One  of  the  Brace  family,  Charles,  kept 
what  was  probably  the  first  inn  in  the  town  in  1794,  but  it  is  not  known 
just  where  it  was  located  ;  and  two  years  later  John  Dillingham  opened 
a  store. 

In  the  summer  of  1792  David  Wood  and  Jonathan  Chapin  settled  on 
the  south  side  of  the  stream,  and  in  1793  Deacon  Charles  Burt  and 
Joseph  and  Timothy  Walker  located  in  the  same  neighborhood.  The 
Walkers  had  been  in  the  town  only  a  year  when,  in  1794,  they  built  the 
pioneer  mills  at  what  is  now  West  Winfield,  and  thereby  conferred  a 
welcome  boon  upon  the  settlers.  It  was  a  small  affair,  consisting  of  a 
saw-mill,  in  which  was  placed  one  grinding  stone,  which  sufficed  for  its 
purpose  until  1798,  when  Timothy  Walker  erected  a  grist-mill  near  the 
47 


370  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

first  one,  taking  the  water  from  the  same  pond.  This  mill  was  operated 
until  1808,  when  Ira  Walker,  son  of  Timothy,  built  a  third  mill,  a  larger 
one,  farther  down  the  stream  and  removed  the  machinery  of  the  other 
one  to  it.  This  was  the  site  of  the  present  mills  at  West  Winfield. 
The  Walkers  first  settled  on  what  is  known  as  the  Hugh  Davis  farm. 
Both  had  families,  and  descendants  of  both  still  live  in  the  town.  The 
first  mill  built  by  them  was  near  North  Winfield  and  the  first  blacksmith- 
shop  was  near  that  place,  and  built  by  Tim(ithy. 

Larkin  Smith  first  came  to  the  town  in  1793  and  probably  returned 
and  brought  his  wife  in  the  following,  year,  coming  on  snow  shoes.  He 
was  a  surveyor.  Others  who  settled  here  previous  to  or  about  the  be- 
ginning of  the  century  were  Simeon  Bucklin,  Elijah  Gates,  Amasa  Dodge, 
Adam  Burdick,  Capt.  Nathan  Brown,  Oliver  Harwood,  Oliver  Corbit, 
Benjamin  Cole,  Isaac  Thayer,  Nathan  Holmes,  William  McLaughlin, 
and  others.  Many  of  these  still  have  dsecendants  in  the  town.  A 
little  later  came  the  Prays,  the  Lawtons,  the  Hatfields  and 
others.  John  Burgess  was  an  early  settler.  Moses  Eldred,  father 
of  Myron,  came  about  1805.  Caleb  Cummings,  father  of  Samuel  M., 
came  from  New  Hampshire  before  the  beginning  of  this  century  ;  Sam- 
uel owns  the  old  homestead  and  lives  in  West  Winfield.  Nathan  Mor- 
gan settled  about  1815.  Eleazer  Brown,  grandfather  of  H.  C.  Brown, 
of  West  Winfield,  came  about  the  beginning  of  the  century;  his  son, 
Hiram,  was  born  here  in  1805,  and  died  in  1878.  C.  T.  Wheelock's 
grandfather  was  an  early  settler  on  "  Wheelock's  Hill."  Some  of  those 
who  have  been  prominent  in  the  town  in  later  years  are  Benjamin  Car- 
ver, who  was  a  merchant  at  East  Winfield,  and  supervisor  in  1833  ;  Col. 
David  R.  Carrier,  many  years  supervisor  and  a  prominent  business  man  ; 
Samuel  McKee,  now  living  at  East  Winfield,  father  of  Hon.  M.  H.  Mc- 
Kee,  of  Richfield  Springs;  Caleb  Dodge,  a  prominent  farmer;  Otis  N. 
Crandall ;   Walter  Palmer,  and  others  mentioned  elsewhere. 

Chas.  H.  Brown  was  born  in  Winfield,  July  20,  1858,  studied  law  in 
Little  Falls  and  was  admitted  in  1880.  He  removed  to  Bolivar,  Alle- 
gany county,  N.  Y.,  in  1881,  and  was  elected  district  attorney  of  that 
county  in  1889,  and  re-elected  in  1892.  He  occupies  a  leading  position 
at  the  bar  in  that  county. 

Chas.  G.  Burrows  was  born  in  Winfield,  and  studied  law  with  Geo. 
A.  Hardia  in  Little  Falls.      He  died  in  1875,  leaving  a  reputation  as  an 


TOWN  OF  WINFIELD.  371 

industrious  and  painstaking  attorney,  who  gained  the  confidence  of  the 
community. 

Hamilton  Burdick,  a  native  of  Winfield,  and  a  son  of  Adam  Burdick, 
was  born  February  ii,  1816.  His  father  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier 
and  a  personal  acquaintance  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  after  whom  he 
named  his  son.  Hamilton  Burdick  is  a  graduate  of  Colgate  and  studied 
law  at  Bridgevvater,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  and  in  Utica.  He  practiced 
in  West  Winfield  from  1840  to  1843,  when  he  removed  to  Syracuse  and 
formed  a  partnership  with  the  late  R.  H.  Gardner.  Mr.  Burdick  is  still 
in  practice  in  Syracuse.  Professor  Samuel  Williams  was  born  in  1830 
in  this  town,  and  is  now  a  geologist  at  Cornell  University. 

Charles  J.  Palmer,  now  a  prominent  attorney  of  Little  Falls,  was  born 
in  Winfield.  While  a  student  in  Hamilton  College  he  pursued  the  study 
of  law,  and  after  graduating  in  1871  gave  his  whole  attention  to  his 
profession,  studying  in  Utica.  In  1872  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Chas.  G.  Burrows  (above  mentioned)  which  continued  until  Mr.  Burrows 
died  in  1875.  In  the  next  year  Mr.  Palmer  became  associated  with  A. 
M.  Mills  in  Little  Falls,  and  so  continued  to  1 889,  since  which  year  he  has 
practiced  alone.      Mr.  Palmer  is  prominent  in  Republican  politics. 

Kendrick  E.  Morgan  was  born  in  the  town  of  Winfield,  September  8, 
1854,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  law  in  1876  and  continued  from  that 
date  to  practice  his  profession  at  Little  Falls  until  July  3,  1888.  He  is 
now  engaged  in  business  in  Chicago,  111. 

The  first  town  meeting  in  Winfield  was  held  at  the  house  of  Rufus 
Dodge  on  the  7th  of  June,  18 16.  It  is  said  that  the  snow  was  several 
inches  deep  on  that  day  ;  it  was  the  remarkable  cold  season  which  is 
still  remembered  by  old  citizens.  At  that  meeting  the  following  officers 
were  elected  : 

James  Orton,  supervisor ;  Martin  Luce,  town  clerk;  Nathan  Brown,  Charles  Burt, 
and  Hezekiah  Leamans,  assessors;  David  Wood  and  Richard  Bonfoy,  overseers  of  the 
poor;  Simeon  Buclvlin,  Asahel  Brace,  and  Nathaniel  Crandal,  commissioners  of  high- 
ways; Elisha  Gates,  Elijah  Gates,  jr.,  and  Jesse  Burgess,  constables;  Elisha  Gates, 
collector ;   Charles  Burt,  Charles  Brace,  and  Almond  Luce,  school  commissioners. 

The  usual  regulations  were  voted  at  the  meeting,  governing  the  run- 
ning at  large  of  stock,  licenses,  etc.  The  following  reference  to  slavery 
bearing  a  comparatively  recent  date,  is  worthy  of  preservation  here : 


372  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

This  may  certify  that  Pegg,  alias  Margaret,  a  female  servant  born  of  a  slave,  appears 
to  be  of  the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  upwards,  that  is  to  say  of  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years,  and  of  svifficient  ability  to  maintain  herself;  hath  this  day  been  abandoned  by 
James  Orton,  who  hath  claimed  her  services  and  doth  hereby  relinquish  them. 

Anson  Backus,  Xatuan  Brown,  Overseers  of  Poor. 

The  surprising  part  of  this  document  is  the  date,  which  is  in  the  year 
1826.     Further  account  of  Anson  Backus  is  given  a  little  further  on. 

Under  the  enterprising  and  industrious  labors  of  its  settlers,  Winfield 
rapidly  became  a  prosperous  and  progressive  community.  The  first 
settlers  obtained  their  few  necessaries  from  Fort  Herkimer  over  what 
was  known  as  the  Carr  path,  through  the  woods  ;  but  early  in  the  cent- 
ury (1805)  the  Cherry  Valley  turnpike  was  built  and  connection  made 
with  it  by  other  roads,  giving  the  farmers  and  merchants  comparatively 
easy  communication  with  Albany  and  other  points.  Sheep  raising, 
with  the  manufacture  of  potash,  distilling  liquor,  etc.,  occupied  the  chief 
attention  of  the  people  of  the  town  for  some  years;  but  between  1845, 
the  time  when  the  wool  industry  was  at  its  height  and  when  there  were 
nearly  16,000  sheep  in  the  town,  and  1865  when  there  were' less  than 
700,  the  dairy  industry  rapidly  increased,  and  before  the  year  last 
mentioned  had  become  the  principal  occupation  of  the  farmers  of  the 
town.  At  one  time  there  were  eleven  cheese  factories  in  the  town. 
This  number  was  gradually  decreased  by  consolidation  mainly,  and  at 
the  present  time  there  are  only  three  or  four ;  although  there  are  many 
near  by  the  town  lines  at  various  points,  which  are  patronized  by  Win- 
field  farmers.  C.  T.  Wheelock  is  proprietor  of  five  factories,  and  C. 
A.  Eggleston  has  no  less  than  twelve  under  his  control ;  most  of  these 
are  outside  of  this  town.  Within  a  few  years  past  several  milk  stations 
have  been  established  on  the  line  of  the  D.  L.  &  W.  Railroad  (which 
was  opened  in  1870),  and  dairymen  are  taking  large  quantities  of  milk 
to  them  for  shipment  to  New  York.  This  practice  is  having  an  impor- 
tant bearing  upon  the  cheese  and  butter  industry  here  ;  but  it  is  the 
the  general  opinion  that  this  direct  sale  of  milk  will,  on  the  whole,  be 
beneficial.  As  compared  with  most  other  towns  of  the  county,  Win- 
field  ranks  among  the  best  as  a  dairy  town. 

The  Winfield  Agricultural  Society  was  organized  in  1856,  and  included 
in  its  jurisdiction  seven  towns  in  this  and  Otsego  and  Oneida  counties. 
For  manj-  years  its  fairs  were  very  successful  and  it  was  the  means  of 


TOWN  OF  WISFIELD.  373 

advancing  the  welfare  of  the  agricultural  operations  of  this  locality. 
After  some  twenty- five  years  of  usefulness  its  affairs  have  been  suf- 
fered to  stagnate. 

IVesi  Winfield. — This  thriving  little  village  of  about  600  population 
is  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the  town,  on  the  Unadilla  Creek  and 
the  Richfield  Springs  branch  of  the  D.  L.  &  W.  Railroad,  and  the  old 
turnpike  passes  through  it.  Here  small  business  operations  were  begun 
early  in  the  present  century,  including  the  Walker  mills,  and  later  a 
store,  shops,  etc.  In  1822  a  store  on  the  northwest  corner  at  the  inter- 
section of  the  streets  was  erected  and  there,  in  1S23,  Col.  David  R. 
Carrier  began  his  long  and  successful  business  career.  He  dealt  in  all 
kinds  of  produce,  shipping  largely  to  Albany  and  New  York,  and  for 
many  years  was  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  the  county  and  also 
president  of  the  First  National  Bank.  The  post-office  was  established 
in  1825,  with  Colonel  Carrier  as  postmaster.  The  money  received  for 
postage  during  the  first  three  months  was  about  $5.00.  In  those  early 
years  there  was  a  great  deal  more  business  done  at  East  Winfield  than 
here.  On  the  corner  where  is  now  the  store  of  O.  H.  Wilcox,  a  tavern 
was  built  very  early,  but  it  was  burned  while  under  the  proprietorship 
of  John  K.  Fuller.  The  present  structure  on  that  corner  was  erected 
by  Russell  Huntley.  On  the  opposite  corner  where  is  now  the  Hag- 
gerty  House,  a  tavern  has  been  kept  by  various  landlords  since  early 
in  the  history  of  the  place.  Benjamin  Harrington  built,  not  far  from 
the  year  1800,  a  fulling  and  carding-mill  and  put  in  the  necessary  ma- 
chinery ;  this  was  operated  for  many  years,  but  has  disappeared  with 
many  other  similar  mills  in  various  parts  of  the  county,  following  the 
decline  of  sheep  raising  and  domestic  wool  production.  About  the 
year  1820  a  small  tannery  was  erected  here.  The  bark  used  was  ground 
by  horse-power.  In  1823  it  came  into  possession  of  Rufus  Wheeler, 
father  of  C.  J.  Wheeler,  and  later  passed  to  the  latter,  who  owned  it  to 
1884.  In  1884  E.  D.  Beckwith  and  John  and  Henry  Hiteman,  who 
had  been  carrying  on  a  tannery  at  Cedarville,  gave  up  their  business 
there  and  purchased  the  Winfield  tannery.  They  were  experienced 
tanners  and  energetic  and  industrious  men,  and  from  an  output  of  600 
calfskins  per  week  have  increased  to  1800.  Their  plant  has  been  cor- 
respondingly enlarged,  in  the  years  1886,  1887,  and  1888.     From  forty- 


374  HISTORY  OF  HBRKIMKR  COTJNTT. 

five  to  fifty  hands  are  employed  and  the  excellence  of  their  product  has 
given  it  a  wide-spread  market,  whicli  they  are  now  unable  to  fill.  Their 
bark  is  brought  from  Pennsylvania. 

The  saw-mill,  which  has  been  already  noticed,  was  in  possession  of 
Griffin  &  Armstrong  in  1872,  when  A.  C,  Hackley,  its  present  owner, 
purchased  it.  Griffin  &  Armstrong  had  supplied  the  mill  with  a  circular 
saw,  planer,  etc.  Mr.  Hackley  has  added  the  manufacture  of  cheese 
boxes,  heads  and  hoops,  and  the  sale  of  lumber  to  the  business.  The 
mill  was  formerly  owned  by  Fhineas  Hall,  Chauncey  Bentley  and  vari- 
ous others. 

The  grist-mill  is  now  the  property  of  the  Hiram  Brown  estate,  and 
is  operated  by  his  son,  H.  C.  Brown.  Hiram  Brown  bought  it  of  Bent- 
ley  &  Lackey  in  1874.  When  the  present  operator  took  it  he  rebuilt 
the  machinery,  and  fitted  it  for  a  large  flouring  trade,  but  at  present 
only  custom  grinding  is  done. 

Charles  Weeks  started  a  manufactory  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds  and  a 
lumber  yard  in  1857,  which  he  continued  until  1870,  when  George  S. 
Weeks  purchased  the  business  and  still  conducts  it  on  a  greatly  enlarged 
basis.     These  constitute  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  place. 

A  meeting  was  held  in  the  village  for  the  organization  of  a  bank  on 
the  i6th  of  February,  1854.  The  organization  was  perfected  and  the 
corporate  name  of  "  West  Winfield  Bank  "  chosen ;  the  capital  stock 
was  fixed  at  $100,000  and  the  following  directors  were  chosen  :  David 
R.  Carrier,  Vose  Palmer,  Dennis  Hardin,  Curtis  Hemingway,  James  M. 
Rose,  Samuel  McKee,  Joseph  Hardin,  Henry  H.  Babcock,  Hiram 
Brown,  N.  R.  Brown,  Harry  G.  Hardin,  T.  W.  Morgan  and  Isaac  L. 
Moors.  On  the  same  day  Colonel  David  R.  Carrier  was  elected  presi- 
dent and  Hiram  Brown  vice-president,  and  on  the  27th  of  February, 
Curtis  Hemingway  was  chosen  cashier  and  Erastus  D.  Hardin  was  ap- 
pointed teller  and  acted  as  such  until  1857,  when  he  became  a  banker 
in  Peoria,  111.,  where  he  still  resides.  The  bank  opened  for  business 
August  29,  of  that  year.  It  was  changed  to  a  national  bank,  with  the 
same  amount  of  capital,  on  the  14th  of  February,  1865,  with  the  follow- 
ing directors  : 

David  R.  Carrier,  Vo.se  Palmer,  James  M.  Rose,  Samuel  McKee,  Joseph  Hardin, 
Hiram  Brown,  T.  W.  Morgan,  I.  L.  Moors,  Alonzo  Wood,  E.  P.  Rose,  Erastus  Kii'g, 
David  Gardner  and  Rufus  Wheeler.     Mr.  Carrier  remained  president  until  his  death  ia 


TOWN  OF  WINFIELD.  375 

1880,  when  Alonzo  Wood  was  elected  and  now  efficiently  fills  the  office.  The  vice- 
presidents  have  been  Hiram  Brown  to  February  10,  1859;  H.  H.  Babcock  to  February 
12,  1863;  James  M.  Rose  to  January  10,  1871;  Samuel  McKee  to  Januarys,  1878; 
Myron  A.  McKee  to  January  9,  1883;  Charles  D.  Wheeler  to  the  present  lime.  The 
cashiers  have  been  Curtis  Hemingway  to  May  10,  185G;  Alonzo  Wood  to  March  1, 
1858;  James  P.  Lee  to  April  3,  1809  ;  John  0.  Wheeler  to  the  present  time.  Follow- 
ing are  the  names  of  the  present  directors :  T.  W.  Morgan,  Alonzo  Wood,  John  0. 
Wheeler,  George  A.  Hardin,  Myron  A.  McKee,  H.  H.  Wheeler,  and  Charles  D. 
Wheeler. 

The  principal  merchants  of  West  Winfield  are  O.  H.  Wilcox,  J.  D. 
Folts,  I.  A.  Crandall,  Edward  McFarland  and  George  Bell,  who  keep 
general  goods ;  B.  S.  Davis,  grocer  and  baker ;  D.  S.  Marshall,  boots 
and  shoes  ;  Patterson  &  Eldredge,  hardware  ;  Frank  H.  Wilcox,  furni- 
ture;  H.  H.  Wilcox,  drugs;  Casler  &  Edick,  grocers;  George  A. 
Walker,  jeweler.  The  Cottage  Hotel  was  opened  by  J.  K.  Armling, 
in  January,  1892,  and  the  other  hotel  is  kept  by  Mrs.  Alonzo  Haggerty. 
Albert  B.  Crumb  is  postmaster  and  has  an  insurance  business. 

The  West  Winfield  Water  Works  were  established  as  a  private  enter- 
prise in  1S78,  the  water  being  pumped  from  six  artesian  wells  It  is  of 
great  benefit  to  the  village,  and  is  liberally  patronized.  The  proprie- 
tor is  Eev.  W.  A.  Fenn. 

The  schools  of  the  town  of  Winfield  are  taught  in  eleven  districts. 
The  first  school  in  the  town  was  probably  taught  by  Josiah  Harwood. 
On  the  14th  of  August,  1817,  a  j^ear  after  the  erection  of  the  town, 
Charles  Burt,  Larkin  Smith  and  Dr.  Abner  N.  Clark,  as  school  com- 
missioners, met  and  divided  tlie  town  into  twelve  districts.  There  has 
been  very  little  change  in  the  district  lines  since  that  time. 

Previous  to  the  year  1850  land  was  donated  in  the  village  for  an 
academy  site,  by  Colonel  David  R.  Carrier,  consisting  of  one  acre  on  a 
sightly  hill.  The  academy  was  established  in  1850,  with  Prof  L.  R. 
Bliss  as  principal.  Prof  Bliss,  who  was  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  College, 
was  very  active  in  raising  the  necessary  funds  for  the  institution,  and 
the  building  was  erected  in  the  summer  of  1850.  The  original  building 
was  60x40  feet  in  size,  and  in  1856  an  addition  32  x  36  feet  was  made, 
for  a  boarding  hall  and  principal's  residence.  The  academy  was  a  suc- 
cessful institution  ;  was  provided  with  chemical  and  philosophical 
apparatus  and  a  considerable  library.     In  the  year  1883  it  was  changed 


370  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

to  a  Union  Free  School,  as  a  part  of  the  school  system  of  the  town. 
The  principals,  after  Prof.  Bliss,  have  been  W.  W.  Bass,  G.  R.  Aiken, 
D.  M.  Haggart,  E.  O.  Hovey,  D.  T.  Blackstone,  A.  R.  Goodwin,  T.  W. 
Roberts,  S.  D.  Allen,  James  B.  McGifford,  F.  J.  House,  who  taught 
nine  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  A.  J.  Merrell  in  1892.  The  number 
of  teachers  is  seven  and  the  attendance  nearly  300. 

Newspapers. — West  Win  field  had  a  newspaper  as  early  as  1859,  when 
on  the  23d  of  August  appeared  the  first  number  of  the  Standard  Bearer 
under  the  management  of  Cornelius  Ackerman.  The  paper  passed 
through  many  vicissitudes  and  changes.  In  1870  it  was  sold  to  William 
McLaughlin,  and  he  transferred  it  within  a  year  to  John  H.  Cunningham. 
The  latter  changed  its  name  to  the  Winfield  Standard,  and  on  the  23d 
of  March,  1872,  sold  it  to  Miles  A.  Davis,  who  left  in  a  few  months  and 
the  establishment  reverted  to  Mr.  McLaughlin,  who  sold  it  to  R.  W. 
Ackerman,  son  of  the  first  publisher.  In  May,  1874,  H.  D.  Kellogg 
became  a  partner,  but  retired  in  eight  months.  In  March,  1875,  Will- 
iam R.  Merrill  purchased  the  property,  and  about  a  year  later  trans- 
ferred it  to  Frank  Spooner,  who  conducted  it  about  a  year  and  removed 

it  to  Brookfield.      On  the  1st  of  April,  1883,  Lansing  started 

the  West  Winfield  News.  About  a  year  later  it  passed  to  the  posses- 
sion of  C.  D.  Wheeler,  who  afterwards  associated  with  himself  H.  H. 
Wheeler.  Stillman  &  Fitch  bought  the  paper  in  1888,  and  on  the  15th 
of  April,  1889,  Clarence  G.  Fitch  bought  out  Stillman's  interest  and 
now  conducts  the  paper. 

The  West  Winfield  Star  is  a  handsome  newspaper,  which  was  started 
from  a  new  and  complete  plant  on  the  i8th  of  August,  1892,  by  F.  L. 
Brace.  It  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  promises  to  be  a  permanent 
organ. 

Church  History. — The  Congregational  Church  at  West  Winfield  was 
organized  in  1799  as  the  Second  Congregational  Church  of  Litchfield, 
by  Rev.  Eliphalet  Steele.  It  was  then  located  about  four  miles  north 
of  the  present  village,  and  in  1816  was  removed  to  the  turnpike  about  a 
mile  east  of  the  village.  In  1876  the  building  was  taken  down  and 
again  removed  to  its  present  site  in  the  village,  and  rebuilt  and  enlarged 
at  a  cost  of  $1 1,000.  The  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  18 18.  The 
first  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  Jesse  Churchill,  and  he  has  been  succeeded 
by  the  following : 


TOWN  OF  WINFIELD.  377 

Revs.  Jonathan  Hovey,  D.  Newell,  Edward  Everett,  Chauncey  Goodrich,  Chester 
Holcomb,  Chester  Brewster,  P.  S.  Pratt,  H.  B.  Wait,  M.  B.  Brown,  Wm.  J.  Knox,  C. 
H.  Beebe,  Jesse  Bradnack.  In  1872  and  1873  the  church  was  supplied  by  the  Auburn 
Theological  school.  In  1873  came  Rev.  L.  W.  Church;  then  Rev.  0.  A.  Kingsbury 
who  came  in  1885.  A.  E.  Kinmouth  closed  a  three  years'  pastorate  in  April,  1889,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  E.  A.  Burt. 

In  1890  about  $3,500  were  spent  on  the  interior  of  the  church  and 
the  purchase  of  an  organ.     The  present  church  officers  are  as  follow  : 

Deacons,  H  L.  Brace,  A.  A.  Leach,  Geo.  A.  Bonfoy ;  trustees,  A.  A.  Leach,  P.  H. 
Brown,  H.  Nichols,  E.  H.  Davis,  A.  C.  Day,  M.  A.  Spicer.  F.  L.  Brace,  clerk  and  su- 
perintendent of  Sunday-school.     The  membership  is  141. 

The  West  Winfield  Baptist  church  was  first  organized  in  1796  as  the 
Second  Baptist  Church  of  Litchfield.  In  1803  it  received  the  name  of 
the  Guild  Society,  in  honor  of  Deacon  Oliver  Guild,  who  contributed 
liberally  to  its  support.  In  1828  it  was  reorganized  under  the  name  of 
the  West  Winfield  Guild  Society,  which  name  it  bore  until  1880,  when 
it  was  changed  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  West  Winfield.  The 
first  church  building  was  erected  in  1803,  about  a  mile  north  of  the 
present  village  of  West  Winfield.  In  1826  the  society  purchased  their 
present  eligible  site  in  the  village,  and  removed  and  rebuilt  their  church 
at  a  cost  of  about  $1,400.  In  1857  $1,800  were  expended  on  the  build- 
ing, and  in  1863  it  was  enlarged  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  In  1877  ^  ses- 
sion room  and  audience  room  were  fitted  up  at  a  further  cost  of  $1,000. 
In  1 86 1  a  parsonage  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $1,900.  This  church  was 
burned  on  the  9th  of  May,  1889,  and  services  were  held  temporarily  in 
the  Congregational  church  and  in  the  academy.  Immediate  steps  were 
taken  to  rebuild,  and  the  following  committee  was  appointed  for  that 
purpose:  J.  B.  Murray,  chairman;  Dr.  J.  M.  Rose,  C.  J.  Wheeler,  T. 
W.  Morgan,  J.  E.  Davis,  W.  H.  Parkhurst,  E.  P.  McFarland.  Plans 
were  secured  and  the  present  beautiful  and  substantial  brick  edifice  was 
erected,  the  dedication  ceremonies  occurring  on  the  8th  and  9th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1890.  Several  costly  memorial  windows  were  presented  to  the 
new  church,  and  many  liberal  subscriptions  made  for  its  construction. 
The  church  cost  about  $23,000. 

The  pastors  previous  to  1826  were  Elder.s  Vining,  Simmons,  Philleo,  and  Holmes. 
From  1826  the  pastors,  as  far  as  known,  were  Elders  Clay,  Newell,  Putnam,  Rasco, 
Ferguson.  Nelson,  and  Tremaine.  From  1843  to  1847,  Rev.  A.  Kingsbury.  During 
48 


37S  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  next  several  years  Revs.  Alden,  Watkins,  and  Pixley  served  the  society.  From 
18.59  to  1866,  Rev.  H.  A.  Smith  preached;  18G6  to  1869,  Rev.  T.  N.  Hobart;  1869  to 
1872,  .supplies  by  Madison  University  students;  1872  to  1876,  Rev.  H.  Garlick  ;  part  of 
1876,  Rev.  A.  Reynolds;  1876  to  1878,  Rev.  S.  C.  Moore;  1878  to  1883,  Rev.  Wm.  A. 
Fenn;  1883,  one  year,  Rev.  P.  D.  Root;  supplied  by  Mr.  Fenn  to  July,  1885;  then 
Rev.  Thomas  E.  Jepson  to  close  of  1887;  from  the  spring  of  1888.  Rev.  Warren 
Saphore,  to  1891  ;  he  was  succeeded  by  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  D.  Kendall  Smith. 

The  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  1826.  The  present  churcli 
trustees  are  James  B.  Murray,  George  S.  Weeks,  Charles  J.  Wheeler; 
Sunday-school  superintendent,  O.  B.  Holmes.  The  membership  is  about 
140. 

The  Methodist  Church  of  West  Winfield  was  organized  in  the  year 
1827,  and  the  first  meeting  place  was  in  the  school-house.  In  1828  the 
first  church  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $1,200.  In  1855  $1,500  were  ex- 
pended in  repairs,  and  in  1865  the  church  was  burned.  The  present 
edifice  was  erected  in  1866,  and  cost  $9,000.  The  parsonage  is  valued 
at  $3,000. 

The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Ephraim  Hall,  and  he  has  been  followed  by  Revs.  John  Er- 
canbrack,  Wm.  Bowdish,  Wm.  Round,  Edwin  Dennison, Breckenridge,  Lewis  An- 
derson,   Loorais,  B.  W.  Goram,  J.  D.  Torry,  H.  Tremaine,  W.  Jerome,  H.  J.  Rand, 

3.  L.  Wells,  G.  0.  Elliott,  G.  Colgrove,  W.  E.  York,  J.  W.  Hall,  W.  N.  Burr,  J.  Pilkin- 
ton,  W.  B.  McDonald,  C.  Morgan,  Gordon  Moore,  W.  S.  Titus,  J.  B.  Darling,  C.  W. 
Brooks,  B.  W.  Jones,  S.  P.  Gray,  A.  C.  Loucks,  S.  T.  Dibble,  William  Williams,  W.  L. 
Tisdale,  and  the  present  pastor,  Wm.  H.  Bury.     The  member.ship  is  105. 

St.  Joseph's  Church  (Catholic)  was  organized  in  May,  1867,  by  Rev. 
Father  T.  J.  Smith.  During  about  eight  years  they  worshiped  in  a 
public  hall.  In  June,  1874,  the  corner-stone  of  a  new  church  was  laid 
and  the  building  was  finished  in  September,  1875  ;  its  cost  was  $8,000. 
Father  Smith  was  pastor  until  1874,  and  was  succeeded  by  Father  E. 
F.  O'Connor,  who  continued  until  1884.  Then  came  Father  M.  C. 
Gavin,  who  remained  to  1892,  and  was  succeeded  by  Father  Dennis  B. 
Collins.  Father  Gavin  purchased  the  Dr.  Spencer  residence  for  a  par- 
sonage and  it  burned  in  1889.  It  is  now  being  rebuilt.  The  church 
contains  about  eighty-five  families. 

Eas(  Winfield — Is  a  post-office  and  small  hamlet  about  two  miles  east 
of  West  Winfield,  on  the  turnpike.  In  the  old  days  of  staging  it  was  a 
busy  point,  but  now  it  contains  only  one  store  kept  by  Milton  West, 
who  is  also  postmaster.  Curtis  Day  owns  the  saw-mill  and  carries  on 
an  extensive  cider-mill  in  connection  with  it. 


'TOWN  OF  WINFIELD.  57^ 

Here  the  late  Benjamin  Carver  carried  on  a  mercantile  business  for 
many  years ;  he  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  Leiter,  whose  husband  is  of  the 
great  mercantile  firm  of  Field,  Leiter  &  Co.  of  Chicago.  Here  resided 
the  late  Dean  Burgess,  who  removed  to  Herkimer  and  was  for  many 
years  prominent  and  wealthy.  He  was  president  of  the  Mohawk 
National  Bank.  Here  was  the  home  of  George  Thomas,  a, merch- 
ant and  prominent  abolitionist,  who  removed  to  Utica  a  few  years  before 
his  death.  Samuel  McKee,  father  of  Hon.  M.  H.  McKee,  cashier  of 
the  Richfield  Springs  Bank,  still  resides  here.  Dr.  Abner  Clark  also 
lived  here  until  he  removed  to  Fredonia,  Chautauqua  county.  He  was 
a  descendant  of  the  pilgrims,  born  in  Connecticut;  his  sister  was  the 
wife  of  Nathan  Hardin. 

Wood's  Comers. — There  was  an  early  settlement  at  this  point,  which 
is  about  a  mile  south  of  West  Winfield.  In  1792  David  Wood  removed 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Jotham  Chapin,  from  Monson,  Hampden  county, 
Mass.,  being  then  twenty- seven  years  of  age,  and  purchased  of  John 
I  Morgan  two  farms,  then  being  in  a  wilderness.  One  of  them  is  now 
occupied  by  Colonel  Wood,  his  son  (the  president  of  the  West  Win- 
field  Bank),  and  the  other  is  known  as  the  Palmer  farm,  which  was 
many  years  owned  by  Vose  Palmer,  and  subsequently  by  Walter  H. 
Palmer,  the  father  of  Charles  J.  Palmer,  of  Little  Falls,  whose  brother 
now  occupies  the  farm.  About  the  same  period  Simeon  Bucklin  took 
up  and  began  clearing  a  farm  next  easterly  of  the  Corners,  which  is  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  his  son,  Robert  Bucklin,  whose  sister,  Phoebe 
Bucklin,  married  Avery  Backus,  and  they  occupied  the  farm  just  south 
of  the  Robert  Bucklin  farm.  About  the  same  period  Deacon  Charles 
Burt,  Larkin  Smith,  Joseph  Gates,  Eleazer  Brown,  Samuel  Brown, 
and  Adam  Burdick  settled  in  that  vicinity.  The  settlement  grew 
rapidly,  and  in  1825  Joseph  Hardin  taught  school  in  the  district  em- 
bracing that  territory,  having  one  hundred  scholars.  There  were  some 
Revolutionary  soldiers  who  lived  in  that  vicinity,  to  wit :  Joseph  Moors, 

Adam  Burdick,  John  Rutter,  James  Harris  and Vaugn.     About 

1790  the  place  known  as  "  Meeting- House  Green,"  about  two  miles 
and  a  half  north  of  West  Winfield,  was  settled.  In  this  neighborhood 
resided  Sewell  Town,  a  public-spirited,  energetic  man,  for  many  years 
a  magistrate.     Also  the    Leaches  and  Eldreds;  and  about  a  mile   west 


380  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

of  there  was  the  home  of  Elijah  Gates.  His  lands  were  sold  in  1832, 
a  portion  thereof  to  Nathan  Hardin,  and  the  other  portion  thereof  to 
Joseph  Hardin,  who  in  that  year  removed  from  the  town  of  Plainfield, 
Otsego  county.  Nathan  Hardin  was  the  father  of  Joseph  Hardin  and 
eleven  other  children,  who  grew  to  be  adults.  His  son,  Dennis  Hardin, 
was  a  merchant  and  banker  at  Leonardsville  ;  he  was  member  of  the 
Assembly  in  1852.  He  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  John  O.  Wheeler;  Mr. 
Wheeler  is  cashier  of  the  West  Winfield  Bank.  His  son,  General  A.  C. 
Hardin,  settled  early  in  life  in  Monmouth,  111.,  and  during  the  war  raised 
a  regiment  on  his  own  account,  and  was  distinguished  at  the  second  battle 
of  Fort  Donaldson.  In  1867  he  represented  his  district  in  Congress.  Dan- 
iel Hardin,  another  son,  resided  many  years  and  carried  on  a  mercantile 
business  at  Leonardsville,  and  now  resides  at  Saginaw  City  and  is  pres- 
ident of  the  Citizens'  National  Bank.  His  son  Nathan  resides  near  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.  His  oldest  son  was  Joseph  Hardin,  who  was  born  in 
Connecticut  in  1804  at  East  Hampton  ;  his  family  removed  to  Plainfield, 
Otsego  county,  about  the  year  1816,  where  they  resided  until  they  lo- 
cated in  the  town  of  Winfield,  above  stated.  Joseph  Hardin  resided  on 
the  farm  purchased  of  Elisha  Gates,  where  his  sons,  George  A.,  Abner 
Clark  and  William  H.  were  born.  He  removed  to  the  village  of  West 
Winfield  about  the  year  1838,  having  purchased  the  farm  just  westerly 
of  the  village  and  a  little  beyond  the  "  Old  Elm  Tree,"  which  has  been 
a  landmark  or  monument  for  over  125  years.  Large  portions  of  the 
farm  were  sold  for  village  lots,  and  the  site  of  the  Catholic  church 
by  Joseph  Hardin  prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred  by  reason  of  an 
accident  caused  by  the  overturning  of  a  wagon  in  the  summer  of  1870. 
His  widow  occupied  the  farm  until  her  death,  which  occurred  in  1877. 
Shortly  thereafter  it  was  sold  by  his  daughter,  Mary  E.  Hardin,  and  his 
son,  George  A.  Hardin,  the  heirs,  to  N.  D.  Taylor,  who  now  occupies 
what  has  not  been  sold  for  village  purposes.  The  homestead,  however, 
was  reserved  by  the  heirs,  and  was  occupied  by  Miss  Mary  E.  Hardin 
as  a  residence  until  the  time  of  her  death,  which  occurred  therein  on 
the  1 6th  day  of  August,  1 880.  Subsequently  it  was  conveyed  by 
George  A.  Hardin  to  Charles  D.  Wheeler,  a  second  cousin,  who  now 
occupies  the  same. 

Half  a  mile  north  of  the  Gates  farm,  already  mentioned,  was  a  neigh- 
borhood   which  was  settled  early  in  the   century,  where   were  the  resi- 


TOWN  OF  WINFIELD.  381 

dences  of  Anson  Backus,  Captain  Goff,  the  Braces  and  the  Holmeses. 
Anson  Backus  with  his  family  removed  to  Gaines,  Orleans  county, 
about  the  year  1836.  He  was  the  father  of  Amanda  Backus,  who  was 
born  in  the  "  Red  House"  on  the  Gates  farm  in  1803.  She  was  mar- 
ried to  Joseph  Hardin  in  1829,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  George 
A.  Hardin. 

Chepachet. — This  is  a  hamlet  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town,  with  a 
post-office,  over  which  James  Dager  is  postmaster,  at  the  railroad  sta- 
tion. There  is  good  water  power  here,  which  led  to  the  settlement  of 
the  locality  and  the  construction  of  mills.  The  first  dam  here  was  built 
by  George  Rounds  to  provide  power  for  a  saw-mill,  which  afterwards 
passed  to  possession  of  Isaac  Simmons,  and  later  to  Charles  Rice,  who 
constructed  a  new  dam  above  the  old  one  and  erected  a  grist-mill  and 
the  large  stone  house  still  standing.  A  distillery  was  once  operated  by 
Benjamin  Carver  where  the  shop  of  George  Davis  is  now  located. 
Charles  Rice  sold  the  grist-mill  and  sawmill  to  Sanders  Dodge,  and 
the  former  was  burned  about  1840.  The  present  grist-mill  was  built 
by  Elmer  Angell ;  he  also  had  a  blacksmith  and  trip-hammer  shop. 
A  dam  was  early  in  existence  below  the  others,  which  furnished  power 
for  a  cloth-dressing  factory.  It  stood  on  a  part  of  the  farm  of  William 
Green,  and  was  demolished  by  him  about  1885.  Charles  Rice  at  one 
time  had  a  furnace  here,  and  it  is  said  that  he  cast  the  first  iron  plows 
used  in  the  county ;  it  stood  on  the  place  now  owned  by  George 
Bailey.  Much  of  the  business  activitj'  of  this  hamlet  has  disap- 
peared. 

North  Winfield — Is  a  post-office  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town  ; 
the  office  was  established  forty- one  years  ago  and  Josiah  Warner  was 
the  postmaster.  One  year  later  it  was  taken  by  Nathaniel  Morgan, 
n3w  of  West  Winfield,  who  kept  it  forty  years,  to  1891.  Earl  M. 
Rider  is  the  present  postmaster.  Mr.  Morgan  formerly  kept  a  store 
there,  but  there  is  now  no  business  carried  on  at  this  point.  A  saw  and 
grist-mill  and  cheese  box  factory  are  operated  by  Mr.  Rider;  they 
were  built  many  years  ago  by  Zadock  Rider. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  this  town  with  date  of  their  in- 
cumbency: 

James  Orton,  1816-17,  Matthew  Eeith,  1818-26;  Abraham  Woodruff,  1827;  Sim- 
eon Bucklin,  1818-32;  Benjamin  Caiver,  1833-37;  David  R.  Carrier,  1838-39,  1853- 


382  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUXTT. 

54;  Richard  Bonfoy.  1840-41;  Caleb  Dodge,  1842  ;  Samuel  McKee,  1843-44;  Zeuas 
Eldred,  1845-47,1862-63;  Levi  S.  Knight,  1848-49 ;  Nathaniel  M.  Morgan,  1850; 
Almond  Crandall,  1851-52:  George  Thomas,  1855:  Walter  Palmer,  1856-59;  Myron 
Eldred,  1860-61;  S.  S.  Morgan,  1864-69;  N.  D.  Taylor,  1870-72;  Emery  Bartlett, 
1871  ;  Henry  H.  Morgan,  1873  ;  Isaac  T.  Burgess,  1874;  Henry  M.  Morgan,  1875-78; 
Myron  A.  McKee,  1879-81 ;  Delevan  L:  Cook,  1882-83  ;  Philip  H.  Brown!  1884-86 ; 
C.  D.  Wheeler,  1887;  Dennis  A.  Dewey,  1888-90:  Frank  L.  Brace.  1892-92. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  TOWN  OF  LITCHFIELD. 

THIS  town  was  formed  from  German  Flats  at  the  same  time  as 
Frankfort — February  5,  1796.  It  includes  within  its  boundaries 
parts  of  Bayard's  and  Staley's,  and  a  small  part  of  Conrad  Frank's  pat- 
ents. The  town  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Frankfort ;  on  the  east  by 
Columbia  ;  on  the  south  by  Winfield,  and  on  the  west  by  Oneida  county. 
Its  surface  is  elevated  about  500  feet  above  the  Mohawk  and  is  moder- 
atelj'  hilly.  What  are  known  as  West  Dry  Hill  and  East  Dry  Hill  are 
connected  with  elevated  lands  which  form  a  water- shed,  the  streams  on 
the  northern  side  flowing  to  the  Mohawk  and  those  on  the  southern  side 
to  the  Susquehanna.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  town  is  Kibby's  Pcnd, 
a  small  body  of  water  without  visible  outlet  or  inlet.  Cedar  Lake,  in  the 
southwest  part,  contains  twenty- five  acres.  Wheelock's  Pond,  contain- 
ing about  five  acres,  named  after  Alvin  Wheelock,  an  early  settler,  is 
the  source  of  Moyer  Creek,  which  flows  west  and  northward  from  near 
the  center  of  the  town.  The  east  branch  of  the  Unadilla  has  its  source 
in  the  western  part  and  flows  south.  While  some  of  the  hill  soil  is  thin 
in  some  localities,  most  of  the  town  is  arable  and  fertile.  There  are 
several  springs  in  the  town  the  waters  of  which  are  impregnated  with 
sulphur. 

Litchfield  was  not  settled  until  after  the  Revolution,  when  in  1786 
Elijah  Snow,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  settled  on  what  is  known  as 
Wheelock's  Hill,  formerly  called  "  Snow's  Bush."  William  Brewer 
and    Ezekiel  Goodale,  of    Massachusetts,   John   Andrews,    Christopher 


TOWN  OF  LITCHFIELD.  383 

Rider  from  Connecticut,  Ebenezer  Drewry  (or  Drury)  and  John  Everett 
from  New  Hampshire,  and  John  and  Eleazer  Crosby  from  Connecticut, 
came  into  the  town  about  the  year  1787.  Samuel  Miller  from  Connect- 
icut, came  in  1788,  and  James  Gage  and  Nathaniel  Ball  from  New 
Hampshire  arrived  about  the  same  time.  Selah  Hoicomb  settled  here 
in  1 791.  Other  early  settlers  were  Nathaniel  Fish,  Silas  Hamilton, 
John  Locke,  William  Hadley,  Ira  Wilkinson,  Timothy  Fuller,  Harry 
Crane,  John  Ross,  William  Brayton,  Daniel  Ellsworth,  John  S.  Avery, 
David  BeaJs,  John  Paddock,  Samuel  Matthews,  James  Schooley,  and 
the  Gilletts  in  the  Crane's  Corners  vicinit}',  William  Brewer,  the  Un- 
derwoods on  Jerusalem  Hill,  John  Ingersol,  Abner  Rising,  the  Gaylord 
and  Congdon  families  on  Jerusalem  Hill,  Aaron  Goodier  at  what  is 
known  as  Goodier's  Corners,  the  Washburns,  Burpees,  and  others  else- 
where mentioned.  Selah  Hoicomb  settled  in  the  Cedarville  section,  as 
also  did  Nathaniel  Fish  ;  William  Hadley,  also,  whose  grandson,  J.  I. 
Hadley,  is  still  living.  A.  B.  Wilkinson  died  in  1890;  he  then  occu- 
pied the  homestead  of  his  father,  Ira;  Timothy  Fuller  settled  at  Jeru- 
salem Hill  where  he  has  grandsons  still  living  ;  Jeremiah  Kinne  is  rep- 
resented by  his  son  Jeremiah  ;  and  John  S.  Avery,  who  lived  to  be 
nearly  a  centenarian,  is  represented  in  the  town  by  his  son  William  ; 
Samuel  Matthews  by  his  grandson  Chauncey  at  Cedarville ;  David 
Beal  by  his  grandson  Oliver;  the  James  Schooley  home  is  owned  by 
his  son  Andrew ;  Chester  D.  Gaylord  occupies  the  homestead  of  his 
father,  Lyman,  near  North  Litchfield,  and  Samuel  Norton  the  home- 
stead of  his  father,  Russell,  in  that  vicinity.  James  Congdon  is  repre- 
sented by  his  son,  A.  G.  Congdon,  near  Cedar  Lake ;  and  Richard 
Smith  by  his  son  W.  H.  Smith  in  the  same  section.  Lewis  Devendorf 
was  a  son  of  Henry,  and  C.  T.  and  E.  F.  Wheelock  are  grandsons  of 
Alvin ;  (see  history  of  Winfield).  The  farm  of  Lester  Smith  is  now 
owned  by  Seymour,  and  Aaron  Goodier's  homestead  by  his  grandsons, 
near  Goodier's  Corners.  Representatives  also  of  the  families  of  Nathan- 
iel Ball  (his  grandson,  H.  H.,  being  town  clerk),  children'^of  Ebenezer 
Bennett,  Archibald  Parker,  and  others  still  reside  in  the  town.  Jonas 
Washburn  settled  early  on  Jerusalem  Hill  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by 
his  son,  Edward  V.  Washburn  ;  and  in  the  same  vicinity  Lyman  Gay- 
Jord  lives  on  the  farm  settled  by  Nathan  Underwood.     Ransford  Gole's 


384  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

father  settled  early  at  North  Litchfield,  and  George  E.  Holland,  the 
present  merchant  and  postmaster,  bought  the  farm  twenty-one  j-ears 
ago.      He  also  carries  on  the  manufacture  of  lime. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Jeremiah  Everett ;  there  are  now 
nine  districts  in  the  town.  The  first  store  was  kept  by  David  Davis 
and  the  first  tavern  by  Joseph  Sheppard.  John  Littlejohn  established 
the  first  grist-mill  about  1 806. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  on  the  5  th  of  April,  1796,  and  the 
following  officers  were  elected: 

Supervi.'ior,  Abel  Brace;  town  clerk,  Josiali  Shepard ;  asses.sors,  John  Littlejohn, 
Wm.  C.  Jones,  Jeremiah  Holnie-s ;  overseers  of  the  poor,  Joseph  Hooker  and  Joseph 
Walker;  commissioners  o£  highways,  Asa  Way,  Oliver  Harwood,  Samuel  Murray; 
constables,  Peleg  Harwood,  Abel  Brace,  jr.,  Timothy  Oreenly ;  collectors,  Abel  Brace, 
jr.,  Timothy  Greenly  ;  school  commissioners,  Abel  Brace,  Tilley  Richardson,  Josiah 
Shephard. 

The  first  road  laid  out  after  the  formation  of  Litchfield  is  described 
as  "a  road  from  Aaron  Budlong's  to  Josiah  Shepard's,"  and  was  sur- 
veyed by  Israel  Porter  and  recorded  in  May,  1796.  The  old  Utica  and 
Minden  turnpike  crossed  this  town  and  the  Ilion  and  Cedarville  plank 
road  was  built  in  1848;  it  was  a  toll  road  until  1868.  The  Utica  and 
Burlington  plank  road  crossed  the  town,  ending  at  Burlington  Fiats. 

At  the  present  time  there  is  no  manufacturing  of  any  account  in 
Litchfield.  The  farming  community  is  fairly  prosperous  and  carries  on 
cheese-making  to  a  large  extent.  There  are  six  cheese  factories  in  the 
town,  one  of  which,  the  Kinne  factory,  was  the  second  one  established 
in  the  county.  In  early  years  wool  was  extensively  produced,  but  since 
1870-75  little  has  been  done  in  this  industry.  The  Litchfield  furnace 
was  established  in  18 16,  on  Moyer  creek,  near  the  Frankfort  town  line. 
The  ore  used  came  from  Oneida  county,  and  considerable  smelting  and 
casting  was  done  for  a  number  of  years.  Charcoal  was  used  in  the  fur- 
nace, which  gave  the  farmers  who  were  clearing  their  lands  quite  a 
source  of  profit.     Elisha  Wetmore  was  the  last  owner  of  tlie  furnace. 

There  are  a  few  small  hamlets  in  Litchfield,  but  no  village  of  impor- 
tance. Cedarville,  a  part  of  which  is  in  the  town,  has  been  sufficiently 
noticed  in  the  history  of  Columbia.  Crane's  Corners  (Litchfield  post- 
office)  is  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  town,  and  was  named  after  Harry 
Crane,  before  named  as  an  early  settler,  who  kept  a  tavern  there  in  early 


TOWN  OP  LITCHFIELD.  385 

years.  John  Ecker  was  an  early  merchant  and  Roswell  Champion 
carried  on  a  tannery.  Warner  Wheelock  kept  a  store  a  number  of 
years.  There  is  no  business  there  now.  Stephen  Matthews  is  post- 
master, succeeding  Thomas  Gary,  and  he  succeeded  Seymour  Gage,  who 
had  the  office  a  number  of  years. 

North  Litchfield  is  a  hamlet  and  post-office  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  town,  with  George  E.  Holland  as  postmaster.  This  has  been  known 
as  Day's  Corners,  after  Almeron  Day,  who  kept  a  store  here.  Mr.  Hol- 
land took  the  post  office  in  1875,  buying  out  the  business  of  Mr.  Day. 
He  also  carries  on  the  manufacture  of  lime,  in  which  business  John  E. 
Salisbury  and  Dixon  &  Lewis  are  also  engaged  in  that  vicinity. 

Cedar  Lake  is  a  hamlet  and  post-office  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
town.  Edwin  Goodier  is  postmaster,  succeeding  Almeron  Norton  in 
1891.  The  old  saw-mill  belongs  to  the  estate  of  John  Gird.  A  store  is 
kept  by  Duane  Histed  and  B.  F.  Wheeler  is  the  blacksmith. 

A  post-office  was  established  ten  or  twelve  years  ago  at  Norwich 
Corners,  where  a  store  was  formerly  kept.  N.  L.  Harrison  is  the  pres- 
ent postmaster. 

The  town  of  Litchfield  is  divided  into  nine  school  districts,  and  while 
there  is  no  institution  of  learning  in  the  town  of  higher  grade  than  the 
common  schools,  these  are  kept  up  with  sufficient  vigor  to  suffice  for 
the  needs  of  the  community. 

Churches. — The  First  Baptist  church  of  Litchfield  was  organized  at  the 
house  of  Nathaniel  Ball  on  the  15th  of  March,  1795.  Meetings  were  held 
in  private  houses  until  the  school-house  at  North  Litchfield  was  finished 
in  1815.  The  first  pastor  was  Elder  Harris.  The  first  church  building 
was  erected  in  1834,  and  it  was  remodeled  in  1875.  Services  have  been 
kept  up  with  considerable  regularity,  either  by  settled  pastors  or  by 
students  from  Madison  University. 

Congregational  (Presbyterian)  Church. — A  church  that  was  Congre- 
gational in  form  was  organized  in  the  town  in  August,  1796;  but  its 
history  is  unknown  and  unobtainable.  On  the  24th  of  December,  1840, 
"  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  for  the  purpose  of  enjoying 
social  and  religious  privileges,  met  at  the  school-house  near  John  Under- 
wood's and,  agreeable  to  the  statute  of  this  State,  formed  themselves 
into  a  religious  society  called  the  Litchfield  First  Congregational  Socie- 
49 


386  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ty,  with  constitution  and  rules  of  government."  The  first  trustees  were 
Ebenezer  Cowles,  Timothy  Foster,  Wm.  Brewer,  Francis  Smiley,  John 
Underwood,  Isaac  Jillet  and  Eliphalet  Fuller.  In  April,  1813,  the 
church  took  the  name  of  the  Litchfield  Presbyterian  Society  and  joined 
the  presbytery  of  Oneida,  with  Rev.  Thomas  Mills  as  pastor ;  he  con- 
tinued until  1820.  The  first  church  building  was  commenced  at  Jeru- 
salem Hill  about  the  year  18 10,  and  was  finally  finished  in  18 14.  This 
building  in  course  of  time  fell  into  decay  and  a  smaller  church  was 
erected  across  the  road.  In  1890  this  building  was  removed  to  near  the 
site  of  the  first  one.  Services  have  been  generally  regular,  either  by 
settled  pastors  or  by  students  of  Auburn  Theological  Seminary.  Rev. 
John  H.  Pollock  is  the  present  pastor. 

The  Norwich  Congregational  Church  —  Was  organized  in  1799,  with 
over  eighty  members.  The  first  church  was  built  in  1802,  and  was  struck 
by  lightning  and  burned  in  18 10.  In  the  following  year  the  present 
church  was  erected.  In  1842  it  was  remodeled.  The  first  minister  was 
Rev.  John  Eastman,  who  remained  ten  years.  In  about  the  year  1845 
an  unhappy  dissension  arose  in  the  church  which  divided  into  two 
factions,  each  of  which  had  services  most  of  the  time  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  and  until  1866,  when  they  were  again  united  under  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  David  Biggar.  In  May,  1876,  the  society  united  with 
the  Jerusalem  Hill  church.  At  the  present  time  the  society,  though 
small,  is  prosperous  and  active. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  — At  Cedar  Lake  was  formed  prob- 
ably previous  to  1 8 1 3.  Aaron  Goodier,  one  of  the  pioneers,  and  an  esti- 
mable preacher,  was  ordained  as  a  deacon  in  that  year.  A  church  was 
built  in  1838,  and  dedicated  by  Aaron  Goodier  and  Zachariah  Paddock  ; 
this  was  burned  in  1858,  and  the  present  church  erected  in  its  place  in 
1862. 

The  Methodist  Society  — At  Crane's  Corners  was  formed  very  early 
in  the  present  century,  for  a  wooden  church  owned  by  the  society  was 
standing  in  1804.  A  new  church,  which  is  still  in  use,  was  built  about 
the  year  1862,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  There  is  no  service  held  there  at 
the  present  time.  This  church  and  the  ones  at  Frankfort  Hill  and 
Cedar  Lake  were  served  by  the  same  ministers  for  many  years. 

The  First  Universalist  Society  —  Of  North  Litchfield  was  organized 
March  19,  1838,  with  Samuel  Rider,  Horace  E.  Ball  and  William  Wet- 


TOWN  OP  FRANKFORT.  387 

more  as  trustees ;  Boughton  Everett,  clerk.  Rev.  Dolphus  Skinner 
and  T.  D.  Cook  were  among  the  early  ministers.  Rev.  O.  A.  Brown- 
son  served  the  church  for  many  years. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  this  town,  with  date  of  their  in- 
cumbency : 

1796,  Abel  Brace;  1799,  Abel  Brace  and  Francis  Smiley;  1800,  Francis  Smiley; 
180],  Francis  Smiley  and  Mason  Hatfield;  1802,  Mason  Hatfield;  1805,  Jared  J. 
Hooker;  1806,  Selah  Holcomb ;  1808,  Abraham  Woodruff;  1810,  Benjamin  Wood ; 
1812,  George  Paddock  ;  1813,  James  Orton  ;  1816,  Matthew  Keith  ;  1817,  John  Everett; 
1822,  John  Ross;  1824,  Samuel  Fish;  182G,  Stephen  Crosby;  1828,  Thomas  Phelon ; 
1830,  Samuel  Rider;  1832,  Selah  Holcomb;  1833,  Thomas  Phelon;  1835,  Jonathan 
Butler;  1838,  Samuel  Rider;  1840,  Blias  W.  Fish;  1842,  Alanson  Townsend;  1844, 
Julius  C.  Warren  ;  1846,  Blias  W.  Fish  ;  1847,  Amasa  B.  Miller;  1848,  William  Bray- 
ton  ;  1850,  Anson  Rider;  1852,  James  M.  Dodge;  1854,  Boughton  Everett;  1856, 
Horace  E.  Ball  ;  1858,  Archibald  Parker ;  1860,  Alonzo  L.  Fish ;  1863,  Philander 
Rewry;  1865,  Archibald  Parker;  1867,  Alonzo  L.  Avery  ;  1871,  Jacob  M.  Bealg;  1873, 
Chauncey  Matthews ;  1878,  Chauncey  Matthews ;  1879-1883,  H.  L.  Harrison  ;  1884  1887, 
Levi  C.  Smith;   1888-1890,  Irving  K.  Fish;    1801-1892,  B.  B  Holcomb. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE   TOWN   OF   FRANKFORT. 

THE  town  of  Frankfort  was  formed  from  German  Flats  on  the  5th  of 
February,  1796.  In  1798  a  part  of  it  was  annexed  to  Deerfield  in 
Oneida  county.  It  is  bounded  northerly  by  the  town  of  Schuyler; 
easterly  by  Herkimer  and  German  Flats ;  southerly  by  Litchfield,  and 
westerly  by  Oneida  county.  The  Mohawk  River  flows  along  its  north- 
ern boundary.  The  town  is  watered  by  many  small  brooks,  and  the 
soil  is  fertile.  Limestone  exists  in  the  southwestern  part,  from  which 
excellent  lime  is  made. 

Frankfort  contains  a  considerable  portion  of  Cosby's  Manor,  and 
about  one  and  one-quarter  of  a  tier  of  great  lots  in  Bayard's  patent, 
four  lots  in  Burnetsfield,  and  about  half  a  lot  in  Frank's  patent,  four  and 
a  half  lots  in  Staley's,  and  a  part  of  Colden's  patent.  The  original 
western  limit  of  the  town  was  at  the  foot  of  what  is  now  Genesee  street 


388  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

in  Utica.  After  leaving  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  which  averages 
about  half  a  mile  in  width  in  this  town,  the  surface  is  hilly.  Moyer 
Creek  flows  into  the  Mohawk  at  Frankfort,  and  Ferguson  Creek  dis- 
charges into  the  river  about  a  mile  from  the  west  boundary  of  the  town. 
The  principal  business  of  the  farming  community  is  dairying,  which  is 
very  successfully  pursued. 

Frankfort  received  its  name  from  Lawrence  Frank,  who  was  among 
the  early  settlers.  The  first  permanent  settler  was  Jacob  Folts,  who 
came  in  1723,  with  other  Palatines.  He  was  given  lot  No.  3,  of  the 
Burnetsfield  patent,  south  of  the  river,  and  afterwards  became  owner  of 
the  adjoining  lot.  No.  2.  This  lot  remained  in  possession  of  members 
of  the  Folts  family  until  recent  times.  Conrad  Folts  was  a  brother  of 
Jacob,  and  was  lost  in  the  Mohawk  in  June,  1793,  leaving  nine  children, 
among  whom  was  Jacob  C.  Folts,  who  was  the  ancestor  of  Jacob  J. 
Folts.  Col.  James  Folts  was  another  prominent  member  of  this  family. 
The  ancestral  home  of  the  family  was  erected  by  Jacob  C.  Folts,  and 
for  many  years  was  the  finest  residence  in  the  town.^  Other  early 
settlers  were  Andrew  Piper,  David  Dederick,  Aaron  James,  Evan 
Evans,  Joseph  Harris,  John  Morris,  John  Myers,  Adam  Weber.  Some 
of  these  were  of  Welsh  origin,  of  which  nationality  a  large  number  set- 
tled in  the  upper  Mohawk  valley  about  the  year  1800  and  later. 

Sylvester  Joslin,  whose  farm  is  still  owned  by  his  granddaughter,  was 
an  early  settler  of  P'rankfort ;  also  Christopher  Joslin,  who  has  a  grand- 
son living  in  Frankfort  village  ;  as  well  as  Alexander  Watson,  whose 
farm  is  occupied  by  his  grandson,  Alexander  B.  Watson.  Amos  Till- 
inghast  came  early,  and  his  farm  is  in  part  occupied  by  his  descendants ; 
also  John  Joslin,  whose  land  is  occupied  by  Merritt  F.  Joslin  ;  Aaron 

1  To  Jacob  Folts  was  assigned  lot  Ko.  3  on  the  south  side  of  the  Mohawk  River.  This  lot  is  in 
the  town  of  Frankfort  and  is  now  owned  by  Daniel  W.  Folts,  who  is  a  descendant  in  a  direct  line 
from  the  original  proprietor  of  the  lot,  andiwhich  has  been  m  the  same  name  and  blood  for  more 
than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years.  Jacob  Folts,  the  original  proprietor  of  lot  No.  3,  was  a  useful 
man  in  the  church  of  German  Flats  and  to  his  country.  He  held  a  commission  in  the  Provincial 
army,  issued  by  Governor  Moore,  bearing  date  October  8,  176S.  He  became  owner  of  the  adjoining 
lot  No.  2  before  the  War  of  the  Revolution  ;  and  by  his  will,  which  is  dated  October  16, 1793,  he  gave 
to  his  grandson,  Warner  Folts,  his  lot  No.  3,  and  to  his  grandson,  Jacob  C.  Folts,  lot  No.  2.  He 
died  in  1807,  at  the  great  age  of  97  years,  and  consequently  was  only  13  years  of  age  when  lot  No.  3 
was  originally  assigned  to  him.  His  grandson,  Warner  Folts,  was  the  father  of  Daniel  W.  Folts, 
the  present  owner  and  occupant  of  lot  No.  3 ;  and  his  grandson,  Jacob  C.  Folts,  was  the  father  of 
Col.  James  Folts,  the  present  owner  and  occupant  of  lot  No.  2.  The  present  occupant  of  lot  No.  3 
is  in  the  fourth  generation  of  the  same  name  and  blood  as  owner  of  the  lot.— From  Samuel  Earl's 
writings  of  1876. 


TOWN  OP  FRANKFORT.  Mi 

Budlong,  still  represented  by  his  grandson  Robert ;  Samuel  Ferguson, 
by  his  grandson,  James  D.  ;  William  Bridenbecker,  by  his  grandsons, 
Judson  and  Sherwood  B.,  sons  of  Alexander.  These  men  and  others 
laid  the  foundation  of  the  prosperous  town;  opened  roads,  built  mills 
and  cleared  the  forests. 

Others  who  settled  in  this  town  and  became  prominent  in  its  affairs 
were  John  B.  Dygert,  Chauncey  Devendorf,  who  was  for  forty  years  a 
merchant ;  Edward  Davis,  who  lived  about  two  miles  west  of  Frankfort 
village  ;  Epaphroditus  Palmer,  a  prominent  farmer  just  east  of  the  vil- 
lage; William  H.  Tisdale,  who  is  still  living  ;  and  Robert  Etheridge. 
Sketches  of  others  appear  a  little  further  on. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  undoubtedly  held  in  1796,  but  the  rec- 
ords are  mutilated  and  do  not  show  its  proceedings.  In  1797  the 
following  town  officers  were  elected  : 

Joseph  McKee,  Benjamin  Levaley,  David  Dederick,  Benjamin  Ballon,  Jeremiah 
Powell,  Ezekiel  Baker,  Thomas  Whitcomb,  and  Samuel  Wood,  overseers  of  highways, 
fence  viewers  and  poundmasters  ;  Joseph  McKee,  Solomon  Johnson  and  Joseph  Lowe, 
commissioners  of  schools ;  and  it  was  ''  voted  that  the  next  annual  town  meeting  be 
held  at  the  house  of  David  Dederick.     Attest  Joseph  JIcKee,  town  clerk." 

The  usual  town  regulations  were  adopted.  In  1799  it  was  voted  that 
the  town  be  divided  "  into  four  wards  for  the  convenience  of  erecting 
pounds."  Running  at  large  of  cattle,  the  height  of  fences,  etc.,  were 
regulated  by  early  ordinances.  Some  of  the  numerous  entries  relative 
to  stray  cattle  are  very  curious,  as  witness  the  following: 

In  1815  Michael  Widrig  had  taken  up  '■'  four  calfs  ;  one  of  them  a  Bool  Calf,  and 
three  are  black,  one  with  a  wite  face,  and  the  other  two  some  wite  spots  on  their 
forret."  Jesse  Hamblin  took  up  "  one  Red  Cow  a,  bout  twelve  years  old,  without  any 
mark,  the  Right  horn  Lops  down  and  a  short  tale  ;  "  and  Jacob  Hofstater  records  "  one 
Red  Cow  with  a  pease  of  wood  on  her  horns." 

Warner  Folts,  of  this  town,  had  at  least  one  slave  as  late  as  1822, 
concerning  which  the  following  record  appears: 

I,  Warner  Folts,  of  the  town  of  Frankfort,  in  the  county  of  Herkimer,  farmer,  do 
certify  that  a  negro  girl  named  Susan,  to  whose  service  I  am  entitled,  was  born  of 
Flora,  a  slave,  then  owned  by  Mr.  Doneken,  in  Canajoharie,  in  the  county  of  Mont- 
gomery, on  the  28th  day  of  February,  1804,  according  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge, 
information  and  belief. 

Caleb  Budlong,  Town  Clerk.  Warner  Folts. 


39(5  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

There  were  at  first  eight  road  districts  in  the  town  ;  and  in  1832,  pre- 
vious to  which  date  the  school  records  are  lost,  there  were  eleven 
school  districts. 

It  is  believed  that  there  was  a  grist-mill  and  a  saw-mill  on  the  creek 
just  east  of  the  site  of  Frankfort  village  previous  to  the  Revolution,  which 
were  both  burned  by  the  French  and  Indians  in  1757.  In  1794  John 
Hollister  built  another  saw-mill,  and  near  it,  on  Moyer  creek,  Adam  I. 
Campbell  built  a  grist-mill  in  1808.  In  1823  it  was  abandoned  and  a 
second  was  built  near  the  other,  which  last  mentioned  one  was  burned 
in  1853.  A  paper-mill  was  erected  on  the  site  which  was  converted 
into  a  distillery,  and  that  into  the  present  grist- mill. 

The  first  tavern  in  the  town  was  kept  in  1795  by  John  Myers,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  northwest  from  the  present  village  of  Frankfort,  on 
the  State  road. 

About  1816  Matthew  and  Michael  Myers  built  a  large  ashery  on  the 
bank  of  the  river  near  the  village,  which  was  successfully  operated  for 
many  years.  George  W.  Henry  established  a  manufactory  of  cow-bells 
in  1823,  and  later  engaged  in  various  enterprises.  Several  attempts 
have  been  made  in  Herkimer  and  Oneida  counties  to  develop  iron  in- 
dustries, both  in  smelting  and  manufacturing.  The  Frankfort  furnace 
was  established  in  18 19,  by  a  stock  company,  bringing  its  ore  from 
Clinton,  Oneida  county.  It  was  quite  successful  for  some  years,  but 
was  finally  abandoned.     The  town  of  Salisbury  has  an  iron  ore  bed. 

The  Frankfort  Woolen  Factory  was  built  in  1807  by  Joseph  Ingham, 
of  Schuyler,  and  Joseph  Collins,  of  Frankfort.  It  has  continued  to  do 
business  until  the  present  time,  the  first  primitive  machinery  being 
used  down  to  1865,  when  Robert  Kerr  purchased  it  from  Mr.  Collins, 
and  refitted  it  with  modern  machinery.  It  was  the  first  woolen  factory 
in   Herkimer  county. 

Dr.  Caleb  Budlong  was  the  first  physician  in  the  town  and  village  of 
Frankfort;  he  was  one  of  the  four  persons  who  made  up  the  first  gradu- 
ating class  of  Fairfield  Medical  College  in  1817.  The  first  attorney 
was  Samuel  Chapman.  Later  Col.  George  B.  Judd  was  a  prominent 
lawyer  in  this  town. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  Frankfort,  with  date  of  their 
incumbency : 


TOWN  OP  FRANKFORT.  "  391 

In  1796,  James  Kipp;  1798,  Joseph  McKee ;  1801,  Aaron  Budlong;  1806,  Warner 
Folts;  1807,  John  Joslin ;  1822,  Joseph  French;  1825,  Samuel  Ethridge ;  182G,  John 
B.  Dygert;  1828,  Erastus  Everett;  1832,  Warner  Folts;  1833,  Robert  Cook;'  1835 
Caleb  Budlong;  1839,  John  Morgan;  1841,  Warner  Dygert;  1843,  William  Briden- 
becker  ;  1844,  James  Macauley ;  1845,  Lewis  F.  Joslin;  1846,  Charles  Crow:  1847 
Chauncey  Devendorf;  1848,  Edward  Davis  ;  1849,  Edward  Davis,  jr. ;  1850,  Epaphro'- 
ditus  Palmer;  1851,  AVilliam  Gates,  jr  ;  1853,  James  M.  Hulser;  1854,  George  John- 
son ;  1855,  William  Gates;  1856,  Peter  J.  Hotaling;  1859,  Richard  Davis;  1860, 
William  H.  Tisdale  ;  1861,  Robert  Ethridge  ;  1863,  Lewis  Davis  ;  1864,  Robert  Ethridge; 
1865,  Thomas  Devendorf ;  1867,  Archibald  McGowan  ;  1870,  John  W.  Bridenbecker- 
1871,  P.  A.  Skifif;  1874,  W.  H.  H.  Parkhurst ;  1875,  William  W.  Crosby;  1878-188l| 
W.  W.  Crosby;  1882-1885,  George  L  Seaman;  1886-1889,  John  Lottis;  1890.  C.  w! 
Harter;   1891,  George  L  Seaman  ;   1892,  John  T.  Kerivan. 

The  building  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  later  opening  of  the  railroad, 
with  a  station  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town  (though  just  in  the 
edge  of  Schuyler)  inspired  the  hope  felt  all  along  the  line,  that  they 
would  lead  to  the  rapid  development  of  the  town  and  village ;  but  such 
a  hope  was  to  a  large  extent  groundless,  as  must  always  be  the  case  with 
the  larger  number  of  railroad  towns.  The  opening  of  the  West  Shore 
road,  however,  in  1883,  proved  a  boon  to  Frankfort,  through  the  liber- 
ality of  her  citizens.  When  it  became  known  that  the  immense  shops 
of  the  new  railroad  would  be  located  where  the  most  generous  offers 
were  made  of  land  and  other  conveniences,  the  people  of  Frankfort 
village  and  other  citizens  of  the  county  and  State  fairly  out -bid  all 
other  points,  gave  the  company  real  estate  valued  at  about  $75,000 
and  secured  the  prize.  The  present  great  shops,  employing  several 
hundred  men  at  all  seasons,  were  erected,  and  have  been  the  means  of 
giving  the  village  a  degree  of  vitality  and  thrift  which  it  could  not 
otherwise  have  acquired. 

In  1872  the  village  of  Frankfort  was  connected  with  Ilion  by  a  street 
railroad,  giving  frequent  and  easy  connection  with  that  village,  as  well 
as  with   Mohawk  and  Herkimer  by  similar  lines. 

In  1807  there  were  only  seven  houses  within  the  limits  of  the  present 
corporation  of  Frankfort  village.  About  18 10  Jacob  Weaver  opened 
a  tavern  here,  and  in  18 14  Matthew  and  Michael  Myers  opened  a  store 
nearly  opposite  the  woolen  factory.  In  1809  a  grist-mill  was  built, 
which  is  still  standing,  and  in  1811  a  tannery  was  erected  by  a  Mr. 
Qriswold;  this  was   continued    in   operation  until  about   i860.     Elias 


392  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY". 

Palmer  made  grain  cradles  here  for  a  number  of  years,  and  until  the 
sale  of  harvesting  machines  killed  his  business.  A  distillery  was  oper- 
ated for  some  years  after  1820. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1863,  the  village  was  incorporated,  and  under 
the  charter  the  first  election  was  held  on  the  25th  of  May,  when  the 
following  persons  were  elected  trustees :  J.  W.  Bridenbecker,  presi- 
dent ;  A.  W.  Sheldon,  Isaac  Piper,  M.  Golden,  Samuel  Z.  Hoard. 
The  population  was  given  in  1870  as  1,083;  't  is  now  (1892)  about 
2,800. 

Fire  Department. — At  the  time  of  the  incorporation  of  the  village, 
the  apparatus  for  extinguishing  fires  consisted  of  one  hand  engine.  This 
soon  became  nearly  worthless,  and  in  1886  the  authorities  purchased  a 
second-hand  hand  engine  which  was  in  effective  use  until  1883,  when 
an  Amoskeag  steamer  was  purchased  second-hand  at  a  cost  of  $1,100. 
The  former  Columbian  Engine  Co.  took  the  steamer  in  charge,  and 
with  it  was  connected  the  Niagara  Hose  Company.  This  engine  and 
company  are  now  known  as  Columbian  Steamer  &  Hose  Co.  No.  2,  with 
the  following  officers  :  D.  E.  Tisdale,  president ;  W.  C.  Abbott,  vice- 
president  ;  G.  F.  Tyne,  secretary ;  H.  S.  Ballda,  treasurer ;  Martin 
Tucker,  jr.,  foreman;  John  Owens,  1st  assistant  foreman;  L.  E.  Nipe, 
2d  assistant  foreman. 

In  1886,  a  hook  and  ladder  truck  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $625, 
and  the  H.  H.  Ingham  H.  &  L.  Co.  No.  3  was  formed,  which  now  has 
the  following  officers  :  B.  E.  Durst,  president ;  W.  H.  Thomas,  vice- 
president ;  C.  P.  Johnson,  secretary;  H.  C.  Loris,  treasurer;  J.  W. 
Powers,  foreman;  Robert  Gordon,  1st  assistant  foreman;  Frederick 
Parshall,   2d  assistant  foreman. 

In  1890  a  second  steamer  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $i,200,  and 
Honahan  Steamer  &  Hose  Co.  No.  I  was  formed  with  the  following 
present  officers:  Y.  F.  Wells,  president;  T.  J.  Costello,  vice-president; 
Frank  Phillips,  secretary  ;  H.  Steele,  treasurer  ;  Thomas  Ashby,  fore- 
man ;  Edward  Manning,  ist  assistant  foreman  ;  F.  D.  Deuel,  2d  as- 
sistant  foreman. 

The  present  brick  engine-house  was  built  in  18843!  a  cost  of  $3,500, 
and  in  it  all  the  modern  apparatus  is  kept.  The  old  hand  engine  is 
kept  on  Main  street,  and  the  first  steamer  on  the  match  factory  premises. 


TOWN  OF  FRANKFORT.  393 

The  following  are  the  department  officers  in  1892  : 

Thomas  Honahan,  chief;  R.  J.  Peuster,  1st  assistant  chief;  John  Manning,  jr.,  2d 
assistant  chief;  E.  J.  Garner,  president;  Frank  Staring,  M.  D.  Eagan,  and  B.  J.  Owen, 
vice-presidents ;  John  Kerivan,  jr.,  secretary ;  C.  C.  Barter,  treasurer. 

Manufacture  of  Matches. — The  village  of  Frankfort  has  been  known 
during  many  years  as  the  location  of  a  large  match- making  industry. 
This  was  first  established  by  William  Gates  in  1844.  His  first  building 
was  only  twelve  feet  square,  and  was  situated  some  fifty  rods  from  the 
present  factory,  on  the  bank  of  the  canal.  There  the  first  matches 
were  cut  by  hand,  with  a  kind  of  plane,  which  cut  about  three  at  a  time 
in  width  and  a  strip  about  three  feet  long.  These  were  cut  in  pieces 
twice  the  length  of  the  matches  to  be  made,  and  dipped  at  both  ends 
into  melted  sulphur.  After  drying  in  frames  they  were  cut  in  the  mid- 
dle, put  in  hand-  made  boxes  and  peddled  about  in  near-by  places.  Mr. 
Gates  made  also  the  block  matches,  which  were  split  in  blocks  but  not 
wholly  separated,  and  were  dipped  a  single  block  at  a  time.  Those 
early  matches  brought  a  price  more  than  ten  times  as  high  as  the  pres- 
ent price  of  matches. 

Mr.  Gates  saw  the  great  need  of  machinery  with  which  to  perform 
the  work  he  had  been  doing  by  hand,  and  set  himself  about  the  task  of 
inventing  and  making  it.  The  result  of  his  efforts,  combined  to  some 
extent  with  the  aid  of  others,  finally  resulted  in  machinery  for  making 
matches  and  the  small  boxes  in  which  they  are  sold,  that  seems  almost 
human  and  intelligent  in  its  action.  William  Gates  died  July  28,  1877, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  sons,  the  style  of  William  Gates's  Sons  being 
adopted  August  I,  1877.  Frederick  Gates,  one  of  the  sons,  is  now  a 
prominent  capitalist  of  Harriman,  Tennessee. 

Schools — Bank — Press. — There  are  now  fifteen  school  districts  in  the 
town  of  Frankfort,  of  which  two  are  in  the  village,  conducted  under 
the  Union  Free-school  system.  The  graded  school,  over  which  W.  F. 
Moshier  is  principal,  assisted  by  six  teachers,  is  one  of  the  best  in  the 
county.  A  new  school  building  is  being  erected  at  a  cost  of  $20,000, 
with  accommodations  for  500  pupils.  The  building  is  of  brick  and  will 
contain  ten  rooms 

In  the  year  1854  the  Frankfort  Bank  was  incorporated  under  the  gen- 
eral   law,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000.     The  first  officers  were  :   William 


394  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Bridenbecker,  president;  William  Gates,  vice-president;  R.  H.  Pome- 
roy,  cashier  ;  and  later  Robert  Ethridge,  cashier.  Business  was  con- 
tinued until  about  1870,  when  the  affairs  of  the  institution  were  closed 
up.  The  village  was  then  without  a  bank  until  1886,  when  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Frankfort  was  organized  with  a  capital  of  $50,000, 
and  Henry  Churchill  was  chosen  president.  He  has  held  tlie  office  un- 
til the  present  time.  The  cashier  was  and  still  is  A.  W.  Haslehurst, 
who  is  also  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Herkimer  ;  this  leaves 
the  immediate  charge  of  the  Frankfort  bank  in  the  hands  of  George 
H.  Watson,  as  assistant  cashier,  who  has  been  in  the  position  since  the 
bank  was  organized.  The  directors  are  Henry  Churchill,  H.  G.  Hun- 
ger, George  P.  Folts,  L  R.  Hunt,  W.  W.  Crosby,  George  A.  Smith, 
John  Loftis,  George  H.  Watson,  A.  W.  Haslehurst.  The  bank  has  a 
surplus  of  $9,000  and  about  $88,000  deposits.  The  old  bank  building 
was  purchased  and  is  now  occupied. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1881,  J.  G.  Hardell  started  a  newspaper  in 
Newport,  Herkimer  county,  called  the  Newport  Advertiser,  which  he 
continued  until  1883,  when  he  enlarged  it  to  eight  pages  and  changed 
the  name  to  the  Newport  Register.  In  1885  he  removed  it  to  Frank- 
fort and  changed  the  name  to  conform  to  the  new  location.  The  paper 
enjoys  a  circulation  of  about  1,000  and  is  liberally  supported. 

Churches. — The  Baptist  church  in  Frankfort  was  formed  by  a  few 
persons  who  were  granted  letters  of  dismission  from  the  church  in 
Schuyler,  in  December,  1828.  The  church  was  organized  by  a  council 
at  Masonic  Hall,  Frankfort,  January  27,  1829.  This  movement  was 
effected  chiefly  by  Elder  Stephen  Wilkins,  who  was  the  first  pastor. 
In  addition  to  several  supplies  who  served  the  church  at  different  short 
periods,  the  society  has  had  as  regular  pastors: 

Elders  N.  G.  Chase,  18.30-32;  Lewis  Ranstead,  1833-36;  Rev.  Thomas  Houston, 
1830-42;  Rev.  Ne*eU  Boughton,  1842-46;  and  th-n  Rev.  R.  G.  Toles  became  pastor  in 
1849;  Rev.  William  B.  Curtis  in  1853;  Rev.  M.  Mumford  in  1854;  Rev.  G.  P.  Martin 
in  1859;  Rev.  J.  C.  Ward  in  1860;  Rev.  A.  Lindsay  in  1869;  Rev.  A.  Le  Roy,  a  part 
of  1873  ;  Rev.  H.  M.  Perry  to  1876 ;  Rev.  H.  Garliek,  who  began  in  1876 ;  Rev.  M.  W. 
Hayues,  1880-83;  Rev.  Amos  Myers,  1883-85;  Rev.  J.  A.  Ford,  1885-88;  Rev.  J.  R. 
Shaw,  1888-92. 

Services  were  held  in  various  places  until  1834,  when  the  first  build- 
ing was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  $1,300.      It  was  burned  in    1861,  and  in 


Town  of  frankfort.  395 

the  same  year  another  and    a  larger  structure  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$2,500.     The  church  membership  in  1S92  was  153. 

There  was  a  Methodist  class  in  Frankfort  long  before  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  church,  which  took  place  about  the  year  1842.  The  society 
grew  in  numbers,  but  it  was  not  made  a  station  until  1849,  '"^  which 
year  the  first  church  building  was  erected  ;  it  was  of  brick  and  cost 
$1,800.  It  was  dedicated  in  February,  1850,  Rev.  B.  F.  Devendorf 
preaching  the  sermon.  About  twenty  years  later  the  site  of  the  old 
Dutch  Reformed  church  was  purchased  by  the  Methodist  society,  and 
there  the  present  church  edifice  was  erected.  The  old  Reformed  church 
was  moved  away  to  make  room  for  the  new  one.  The  Reformed 
church  building  was  the  first  church  erected  in  Frankfort,  and  was  built 
about  the  year  1825.  The  new  church  cost  about  $6,000,  and  was 
dedicated  in  June,  1869.  The  pastors  of  the  church  have  been  as  fol- 
low : 

1850-51.  D.Stone;  1852-53,fT.  D.  Mitchell;  1854,  R.  S.  Frasier ;  ]  855-56,  A.  M. 
Smith;  1857,  J.  V.  Ferguson;  1858-59,  Orra  Squire;  1860-61.  C.  H.Austin;  1862-63. 
F.Zimmerman;  1864-65,  Cyrus  Phillips;  1866-68,  W.  L.  Tisdale  ;  1869-71,  B.  F.  Bar- 
ker ;  1872-74,  S.  P.  Gray;  1875,  J.  L.  Humphrey  ;  1876-78,  M.  R.  Webster;  1879-82, 
William  F.  Brown;  1882-85,  Harlow  Skeel ;  1885-88,  R.  J.  Smith;  1888-90,  J.  L. 
Humphrey  ;  1890-92,  S.  W.  Brown. 

Other  Methodist  societies  existed  at  an  early  day  in  this  town,  serv- 
ices being  held  in  school-houses  and  elsewhere.  These  were  consoli- 
dated in  1840,  under  the  pastorate  of  L.  Beach,  and  in  that  year  a 
church  was  built.  It  was  used  until  1872,  when  another  was  erected  in 
its  place  at  Frankfort  Hill,  costing  $8,000.  The  society  has  prospered 
satisfactorily  and  still  holds  services  with  regularity. 

About  the  year  1820  a  class  was  formed  at  West  Frankfort,  with 
Samuel  Barnes  as  leader.  On  the  28th  of  January,  1839,  the  class  was 
organized  into  a  church,  which  was  called  the  Third  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Frankfort.  A  church  was  built  in 
1840;  was  repaired  in  1873-4  and  rededicated  February  18,  1874. 
The  church  property  is  worth  about  $2,000. 

The  First  Universalist  church  of  Frankfort  was  organized  in  1838, 
and  Rev.  Dolphus  Skinner,  a  very  able  man,  was  pastor  from  that  time 
until  1850.  From  1838  until  1844  meetings  were  held  in  Masonic 
Hall,  but  in  the   last  named   year  the  present  church  was  built.     The 


39G  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtJNTt. 

present  membership  is  sixty.  Mr.  Skinner  was  succeeded  in  the  pas- 
torate by  Richard  Eddy,  and  he  by  Josiah  Bartlett  in  1851.  D.  C. 
O'Daniels  was  pastor  in  1854;  T.  D.  Cook  in  1857;  Daniel  Ballou  in 
1865,  and  again  in  1873,  and  for  a  number  of  years  thereafter.  W.  H. 
Grigsby  and  C.  B.  Richardson  also  served  the  church  between  1868  and 
'  S73.     J.  J.  Drayton  preaches  at  the  present  time  in  Frankfort  and  Utica. 

St.  Alban's  Episcopal  church  of  Frankfort  was  organized  in  1888. 
A  church  building  had  already  been  erected  in  1886  at  a  cost  of  about 
$3,000.  The  first  rector  was  Rev.  Sheldon  M.  Griswold,  of  Ilion,  who 
preached  to  the  mission  while  the  church  was  being  provided.  The 
church  has  since  been  served  by  pastors  from  Herkimer  and  Ilion,  Rev. 
William  Mason  Cook,  of  the  latter  place,  officiating  at  the  present  time. 
There  are  about  forty  communicants. 

St.  Peter's  and  St.  Paul's  Catholic  church  was  formed  under  the  ad- 
ministration of  Rev.  Father  J.  H.  Halpin,  now  of  Herkimer,  Decem- 
ber 16,  1885.  A  substantial  and  commodious  brick  church  belongs  to 
the  congregation.  When  Father  Halpin  went  to  Herkimer  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  Patrick  Wallace. 

There  are  five  post-offices  in  the  town  of  Frankfort,  the  one  at  Frank- 
fort village  being  undercharge  of  Thomas  Honahan  as  postmaster.  At 
Frankfort  Center  the  postmaster  is  W.  L.  Tisdale.  At  the  Gulf  John 
Alvord  has  the  post-office ;  at  McGowan's,  A.  W.  McGowan  is  post- 
master. At  Frankfort  Hill  H.  C.  Pryne  is  postmaster.  There  is  no 
business  of  consequence  at  any  of  these  points. 

The  present  (1892)  officers  of  Frankfort  village  are  as  follow:  Pres- 
ident, C.  C.  Harter ;  trustees,  George  Russell,  G.  F.  Tine,  A.  L.  Ash- 
ley, W.  W.  Duell ;  clerk,  Frank  Duel!. 

West  Frankfort  (now  known  as  Harbor  Station,  on  the  West  Shore 
Railroad),  is  a  small  settlement  in  the  western  part  of  the  town,  where  a 
hotel  is  kept  by  D.  C.  Penny,  and  stores  by  John  Near  and  Frank  Van 
Dyke.      Mail  is  received  at  Utica,  four  miles  distant. 

Frankfort  Center  was  formerly  known  as  Howard's  Bush,  and  there 
has  long  been  a  saw-mill  and  cheese  factory  there.  McGowansville,  or 
East  Frankfort,  is  on  the  canal  about  a  mile  east  of  Frankfort.  It  re- 
ceived its  name  from  Hon.  Archibald  C.  McGowan,  ex-senator,  who 
settled  there  in  1854,  and  is  still  living.  He  built  a  dry  dock  at  that 
f)oint,  and  has  for  many  years  carried  on  a  mercantile  business. 


Town  of  schuylee.  397 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE   TOWN   OF    SCHUYLER. 

THE  town  of  Schuyler  was  formed  from  the  town  of  Herkimer 
April  10,  1792.  Since  that  date  the  town  of  Trenton  was  taken 
from  it  in  1797  ;  Deerfield  (Oneida  county)  in  1798,  and  a  part  of  New- 
port in  1S06.  A  part  of  Herkimer  was  annexed  in  1808,  and  rean- 
nexed  to  Herkimer  in  181 1.  (See  New  York  session  laws.)  Schuyler 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Newport ;  east  by  Herkimer ;  south  by  the 
Mohawk  River,  and  west  by  Oneida  county.  The  valley  of  the  Mohawk, 
with  an  average  width  of  one  and  one-half  miles,  constitutes  the 
southern  part  of  the  town,  comprising  about  6,000  acres,  which  is  a 
rich  productive  section  ;  while  the  hilly  region  of  the  remainder  of  the 
town  is  a  slaty,  gravelly  soil,  quite  well  adapted  to  tillage.  The  streams 
are  small  and  flow  into  the  Mohawk.  The  whole  of  Kast's  patent  and 
parts  of  Cosby's  manor  and  Hasenclever's  and  Walton's  patents  consti- 
tute the  territory  of  the  town. 

Among  the  white  men  who  penetrated  the  wilderness  in  the  western 
part  of  what  is  now  Herkimer  county  as  early  or  earlier  than  the  Pala- 
tine settlements  were  made  at  Fort  Herkimer  (German  Flats),  was 
John  Jurgh  Kass  (or  Kast,  as  now  written).  He  was  one  of  the  thrifty 
Germans  who  saw  the  possibilities  of  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  it  is 
known  that  he  was  among  them  in  1720  trading  them  ammunition  and 
trinkets  for  their  valuable  furs.  A  tradition  exists  that  he  also  sold  them 
the  coveted  rum,  and  that  for  a  keg  of  the  "  fire  water  "  he  bought 
about  1 1,000  acres  of  choice  land,  which  he  described,  and  that  in  1724 
his  titled  was  confirmed  to  him  by  Great  Britain.  This  was  the  earliest 
date  of  a  patent  in  this  country,  although  the  Burnetsfield  grantees 
(Kast  being  one)  settled  on  their  lands  a  year  earlier.  Some  of  the  de- 
scendants of  Kast  are  still  living  in  this  county. 

The  town  of  Schuyler  probably  sufifered  but  little  in  the  French  and 
Indian  war,  its  situation  on  the  west  of  the  frontier  saving  it,  in  a  large 
measure,  from  savage  incursions.      Permanent  settlement  began  in  the 


398  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMKR  COUNTY. 

eastern  part  of  the  town  about  the  year  1764,  when  Peter  Hasenclever, 
an  enterprising  and  wealthy  German  from  Wurtemberg,  came  to  the 
colon}'  and  erected  iron  works  on  the  Hudson  River  near  West  Point; 
he  also  established  trading  posts  farther  west,  and  obtained  a  site  for 
settlement  at  what  is  now  East  Schuyler.  During  the  period  preceding 
the  Revolution  this  was  the  extreme  western  settlement  in  this  State. 

While  in  Wurtemberg  on  a  visit  Hasenclever  pictured  to  the  German 
peasants  the  wonders  of  the  new  world  in  such  glowing  colors  that  a 
number  of  them  consented  to  emigrate.  Hasenclever  provided  them 
with  means  for  their  passage  to  his  settlement,  and  agreed  to  supply 
them  and  their  families  with  subsistence  for  three  years  in  return  for 
their  service.  He  built  an  ashery,  probably  the  first  frame  building, 
and  the  first  manufactory  of  any  kind  within  the  present  bounds  of 
Schuyler.  He  also  had  a  store  (the  first  in  Herkimer  county),  which 
was  situated  on  land  now  occupied  by  the  widow  of  D.  I.  Briden- 
becker.  Potash  and  other  products  were  shipped  by  Hasenclever 
down  the  Moliawk  in  flat  boats,  and  merchandise  and  provisions  re- 
turned in  the  same  manner.  He  also  began  to  build  a  saw-mill  on  a 
small  stream  flowing  into  the  Mohawk.  This  settlement  he  named 
"  New  Petersburg."  Over  thirty  log  houses  were  built  for  tlie  people 
employed  by  Hasenclever,  among  whom  were  families  named  Briden- 
becker.  Staring,  Bargy  (formerly  written  Birchi),  Clemens,  Widrig, 
Oyer  (formerly  written  Aiyer  and  Irer),  Finster,  Keller,  Steinway,  and 
others.  Descendants  of  several  of  these  families  still  occupy  land  on 
which  their  ancesters  first  settled. 

The  Revolutionary  War  was  the  cause  of  the  destruction  and  abandon- 
ment of  New  Petersburg.  The  business  of  the  ashery  and  the  trading 
were  broken  up  and  Hasenclever  left  the  country  for  good.  The  ash- 
ery stood  on  ground  now  owned  by  Luther  P.  Staring. 

Early  in  the  struggle  for  independence  the  settlers  in  Schuyler  real- 
izing their  exposed  situation,  adopted  measures  for  protection.  A 
piece  of  ground,  now  also  owned  by  Mr.  Staring,  and  on  the  rising  land 
on  which  his  house  now  stands,  was  enclosed  by  high  pickets  and  was 
known  as  the  "  fort."  Within  this  enclosure  three  or  four  log  houses 
were  built,  into  which  the  families  retired  at  night,  while  during  the 
day  they  worked  on  the  near-by  lands.     The  place  was  much  harassed 


TOWN  OF  SCHUYLER.  399 

by  the  Indians  and  tories,  and  several  of  the  inhabitants  were  killed  or 
taken  prisoners.  The  attacks  at  last  became  so  frequent  that  the  people 
were  impelled  to  flee  into  Fort  Dayton,  abandoning  their  homes  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  Among  the  women  who  petitioned  the  Legisla- 
ture after  the  war  for  assistance,  were  several  widows  of  settlers  at  New 
Petersburg. 

Schuyler,  as  we  have  seen,  was  a  part  of  Herkimer  until  1792.  Be- 
fore that  year  a  good  many  families  from  the  Eastern  States  had  come 
into  this  part  of  the  valley,  purchased  the  farms  of  some  of  the  Germans, 
and  settled  permanently  on  the  hill  land  back  from  the  flats.  In  early 
times  it  was  a  prevailing  theory  that  tlie  valley  would  be  extremely 
wealthy  as  a  place  for  settlement  and  living,  and  nearly  or  quite  all  of 
the  early  emigrants  located  first  on  the  high  ground.  The  first  roads 
were  often  on  the  hill  sides.  The  increase  of  population  following  the 
Revolution  led  to  the  division  of  Herkimer  and  the  creation  of  Schuyler. 
The  town  was  named  in  honor  of  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler,  who,  with  his 
relatives,  the  Bleeckers,  owned  a  considerable  tract  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Cosby's  Manor,  Possession  of  several  extensive  lots  was  obtained, 
after  some  difficulty,  by  surveying  five  lots  of  one  hundred  acres  each 
across  the  large  lots.  This  tract  was  nearly  midway  between  the  river 
and  the  head  line  adjoining  Hasenclever's  patent ;  it  was  just  half  a  mile 
wide  and  nearly  two  miles  long,  and  has  been  known  as  the  "five  hun- 
dred acre  tract."  The  original  large  lots  in  the  manor  were  surveyed 
with  the  lines  running  at  right  angles  from  the  river  to  the  north  head 
line  and  numbered  from  east  to  west;  but  as  Kast's  patent  was  within 
the  manor,  those  lots  that  lay  between  that  patent  and  the  head  line 
were  much  shorter  than  those  east  and  west  of  them,  and  hence  have 
been  and  are  known  as  "  Short  Lots." 

The  "Windfall,"  so  called,  is  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town.  It 
gained  its  name  from  a  portion  of  the  original  forest  that  was  felled  by 
a  tornado.  George  Whaley  and  the  Barbers  were  the  first  settlers  in 
that  section. 

"  The  Bush  "  was  thus  named  by  the  Germans,  it  remaining  an  un- 
broken forest  long  after  the  lower  settlements  were  made.  Haywood 
Minott,  and  three  Johnson  brothers,  Lyman,  Josiah  and  Rawson,  were 
among  the  pioneers  in  this  immediate  locality.  The  section  has  been 
known  as  Minott's  Corners. 


400  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

A  little  north  of  East  Schuyler  (or  New  Petersburg,  or  Germantown, 
by  all  of  which  names  it  has  been  known)  was  Stone  Arabia,  situated  on 
high  ground,  the  neighborhood  of  which  was  long  known  by  the  Yan- 
kees as  "  the  Dutch  Settlement."  In  this  vicinity  Baultis  Bridenbecker 
settled  on  land  that  is  still  in  possession  of  members  of  the  family.  His 
grandsons,  D.  I.  and  Amos  Bridenbecker,  were  prominent  among  the 
farmers  of  the  town.  Luther  P.  Staring  also  lived  on  land  that  was  set- 
tled by  his  grandfather,  and  later  was  owned  by  his  father.  A  son  of 
Daniel  Oyer  still  lives  on  the  farm  where  his  great-grandfather  settled, 
who  was  killed  in  the  battle  ofOriskany.      He  spelled  his  name  "  Iver." 

The  central  and  western  parts  of  the  town  were  not  much  settled  un- 
til about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  Elisha  Ladd  came  in 
1804,  and  Stephen  and  Elisha  Rose  came  from  Connecticut  and  settled 
in  the  "  Short  Lots."  Jonathan  Richardson  came  in  early  and  also  the 
Budlongs.  Thomas  Wood,  Charles  Brown,  and  Charles  Christian  were 
among  the  first  settlers  at  West  Schuyler.  Descendants  of  most  of  these 
are  still  residents  here.  The  first  brick  house  in  town  was  built  at  West 
Schuyler  by  Lovel  Burch  in  1830,  and  Calvin  Wood  built  one  soon 
afterward  ;  both  are  yet  standing.  Hiram  Tanner  built  the  third  about 
a  mile  north  of  West  Schuyler. 

After  the  failure  of  Hasenclever  to  build  a  saw-mill,  no  other  was 
built  until  about  1798,  when  John  Finster  erected  one  at  East  Schuyler, 
on  the  Bridenbecker  Creek,  opposite  his  house.  Later  he  built  another 
lower  down  on  the  same  stream,  and  both  were  of  great  importance  to 
the  pioneers,  in  giving  them  lumber  for  houses  and  barns.  Elisha  Rose 
built  the  second  mill  in  the  town  on  the  Staring  Creek  and  a  Mr.  Augur 
also  built  one.  These  long  ago  disappeared.  A  saw- mill  was  built  in 
1826  on  the  Mohawk  by  Amos  Smith,  Robert  Burch  and  Mason  Barken 
on  what  is  known  as  the  Bradstreet  farm  ;  it  was  not  operated  very  long. 
Two  grist-mills  had  been  built  on  the  Staring  Creek,  but  they  long  ago 
succumbed  to  the  ravages  of  time.  One  of  them  was  built  by  Dr.  Joseph 
Carder,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  grandsons,  Homer  and  Horace. 
The  other  was  built  by  Robert  Hinchman,  and  was  about  half  a  mile 
below  the  Carder  mill.  A  grist-mill  was  also  built  by  a  man  named 
Brown  above  those  mentioned  and  on  a  small  stream  flowing  into  Star- 
ing Creek,  near  where  the  State  road  crosses  the  creek ;  he  also  built  a 


TOWN  OF  SCHUYLER.  401 

saw-mill  on  the  same  site,  which  he  operated  a  short  time.  All  of  these 
have  disappeared.  About  1845  Vaugn  Sweet  bought  the  clothing- mill 
at  West  Schuyler  and  built  a  grist-mill  on  the  site  ;  with  the  failure  of 
wa^er  this  mill  was,  like  the  others,  abandoned.  A  cloth-dressing  mill 
was  built  at  West  Schuyler  not  far  from  18 1 2,  by  Charles  Brown,  which 
passed  to  possession  of  Lovel  Burch,  who  operated  it  several  years  when 
lack  of  that  class  of  business  in  a  farming  community  caused  its  abandon- 
ment. Robert  Burch  carried  on  an  early  tannery  at  West  Schuyler, 
and  there  was  one  at  East  Schuyler,  both  of  which  disappeared  many 
years  ago.  All  of  these  early  manufactories  have  been  displaced  by  the 
more  profitable  cheese  factories  ;  of  these  there  are  now  five  in  the 
town. 

Among  the  very  early  merchants  it  is  said  that  a  man  named  Thomp- 
son kept  a  store  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  between  the  turnpike 
and  the  river,  on, land  owned  in  later  years  by  James  Staring,  near  the 
fording  place.  Hasenclever  had  a  store  near  where  Nicholas  and  James 
Bridenbecker  live.  Philip  Knapp  had  a  store  at  the  end  of  Richardson 
lane.  A  store  was  also  located  near  where  the  half-way  house 
was  formerly  kept,  and  one  has  existed  many  years  at  East  Schuyler, 
generally  in  connection  with  the  post-office.  Among  the  merchants 
there  have  been  David  Smith,  A.  G.  Colwell,  Jesse  Johnson,  George  H. 
Elwell,  Duane  Richardson,  Edward  Haver  (who  is  also  now  post- 
master), and  Newell  Miller.  The  latter  has  also  the  grist-mil!  at  East 
Schuyler.  Isaac  Tallman,  Ira  Gordon,  Warren  Budlong,  and  Dorman 
Robbins  kept  stores  at  West  Schuyler,  Brayton  Wood  and  William  H. 
Griffith  are  the  present  merchants  of  that  place,  the  latter  succeeding 
L.  D.  Goodwin  &  Son. 

Adam  Staring,  it  is  said,  kept  the  earliest  tavern  of  which  there  is 
any  knowledge,  ..1  a  log  dwelling  where  the  fort  stood  at  the  time  of 
the  Revolution.  Amos  Smith  afterwards  built  a  public  house  near 
where  Staring  had  been,  which  was  used  as  a  stopping-place  for  stages 
and  in  which  the  post-office  at  East  Schuyler  was  kept.  Next  west- 
ward from  this  was  the  popular  half-way  house,  so  called  from  its  being 
midway  between  Utica  and  Herkimer.  The  construction  of  the  rail- 
road caused  its  removal,  after  which  it  was  used  as  a  farm  house. 
Judge  Henri  Staring  kept  a  tavern  at  one  period,  and  nearly  two  miles 

51 


402  niSTORT  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

west  William  K.  Knapp  had  a  public  house.  At  West  Schuyler  Charles 
Brown  built  a  commodious  tavern  in  i8li,  in  which  he,  Isaac  Tallman 
and  Ira  Gordon  kept  a  tavern  or  store,  the  latter  during  a  period  of 
twenty-two  years.  It  is  in  this  building  that  Brayton  Wood  now  car- 
ries on  business.  The  heavy  stage  travel  of  olden  times  through  this 
valley  gave  liberal  support  to  these  various  public  houses;  but  with 
the  building  of  the  canal  and  railroads  they  rapidly  fell  into  disuse.  At 
the  present  time  there  is  no  tavern  in  the  town. 

Schuyler  was  divided  into  school  districts  in  1813,  but  schools  had 
been  taught  in  the  town  long  previous  to  that  date.  A  German  school 
was  taught  at  East  Schuyler  under  the  patronage  of  Mr.  Hasenclever, 
and  another  very  early  in  the  Stone  Arabia  section.  A  receipt  is  in 
existence  given  by  "  Henry  Andrew  Cramer,  a  schoolmaster,"  dated  at 
"New  Petersburg,  iSth  March,  1791,"  acknowledging  that  "Jacob 
Widrig  paid  one  scheple  (three  pecks)  of  wheat,  three  scheples  of  maize, 
and  one  shilling  for  church  and  school  bill  in  the  year  1790  to  the  end 
of  March,  1791,  in  full  of  all  demands."  A  small  school  was  taught  by 
Cramer's  wife  in  their  dwelling  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Ira  P.  Bud- 
long.  This  was  the  old  Cramer  homestead.  The  first  school-house 
was  built  on  the  site  of  the  present  one  in  district  No.  4  in  1809,  and 
others  followed  soon  after  the  division  into  districts.  There  are  now 
nine  districts  in  the  town. 

The  Great  Western  Turnpike  passes  through  this  town,  but  it  existed 
as  a  roadway,  although  more  crooked  than  at  present,  long  before  the 
turnpike  company  was  formed  in  1802.  The  company  took  possession 
of  the  road,  straightened  and  otherwise  improved  it  and  charged  toll. 
What  has  been  known  as  the  "  Steuben  road  "  is  partly  in  this  town, 
some  of  it  having  been  discontinued.  It  received  its  name  from  Baron 
Steuben,  who  was  desirous  of  opening  a  highway  from  his  home  in 
Oneida  county  to  the  village  of  Herkimer,  and  accordingly  employed  a 
large  number  of  men  for  that  purpose.  He  laid  out  the  road  on  the 
high  land  between  the  Mohawk  and  West  Canada  Creek,  so  as  to  avoid 
bridging  the  small  streams  that  flow  to  the  river  and  the  creek.  An 
early  road  was  opened  during  the  Revolution,  from  near  the  former  resi- 
dence of  Judge  Staring,  where  the  turnpike  crosses  Staring  Creek  to  the 
river,  and    where   there  was  a  good    fording  place.      It  was  long  ago 


J 


TOWN   OF  SCHDTLER.  403 

abandoned.  The  State  road,  laid  out  by  commissioners  appointed  by 
the  State,  leads  from  West  Canada  Creek  through  "  the  Bush."  There 
are  four  bridges  across  the  Mohawk  in  this  town,  two  at  the  east  and 
two  at  the  west  end. 

With  no  village  of  importance  in  a  favorable  locality,  the  town 
of  Schuyler  received  little  direct  benefit  from  the  opening  of  the  rail- 
roads through  the  valley.  Even  if  it  had  been  otherwise,  the  proxim- 
ity of  the  inhabitants  to  the  thriving  city  of  Utica  would  have  precluded 
any  consequent  growth  from  the  railroad.  The  town  population  is 
almost  wholly  of  farmers,  and  many  of  the  older  families,  especially  of 
the  northern  part,  have  gone  away  and  their  lands  have  passed  to  the 
possession  of  others. 

The  first  town  meeting  in  Schuyler  was  held  on  the  second  of  April, 
1793,  at  the  house  of  Captain  George  G.  Weber.  The  following  officers 
were  elected  : 

Francis  Guiteau,  town  clerk;  Isaac  Brayton,  supervisor;  George  Witherick,  G.  G. 
Weber,  W.  Fanning  and  J.  Stafford,  sr.,  assessors;  Ezra  Pain,  John  Ladd  and  Thomas 
Nicholas,  commissioners  of  highways;  Abel  Austin,  collector;  James  Denslow,  Abel 
Austin  and  Andrew  Bennett,  constables;  John  Warren  and  Peter  Fox,  poormasters; 
James  Gary,  James  Denslow,  John  Warren,  Nicholas  Weber,  David  Andrew,  Nicholas 
Staring,  Nathaniel  White  and  Thomas  Cain,  pathmasters.  The  spelling  of  these  names 
is  as  they  appear  on  the  records. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  this  town,  and  date  of  their  in- 
cumbency : 

Isaac  Brayton,  1793-06;  William  Fanning,  1796-98;  Henry  Coffin,  1798-1800; 
Benjamin  Larned.  1800-02 ;  Asaph  Mather,  1802-04;  Robert  Burch,  1804-07,  1814-  15; 
Gideon  Johnson,  1807-14-15-26;  Thomas  Burch,  1826-29;  Joshua  Mather,  1829-31- 
32-34;  Lovel  Burch,  1831-32;  Calvin  Wood,  1834-36;  Nathan  Budlong,  1836-38; 
Nathan  Budlong,  jr.,  1838-39-40-41-42-44 ;  George  Burch,  1839-40  ;  Vaughn  Sweet, 
1841-42-44-45;  Henry  N.  Staring,  184,5-47;  Charles  B.  Ingham,  1847-49;  Samuel 
Budlong,  18-19-51 ;  Warren  Richardson,  1851-52  ;  Erasmus  W.  Day,  1852-55,  1859-CO; 
John  W.  Davison,  1853-54,  1860-62;  Leland  L.  Kane,  1855-57,  1862-71;  Warren  D. 
Budlong.  1857-58;  James  B.  Ladd,  1858-59,  1871-73;  John  M.  Budlong,  1873-74, 
1877-83;  Warren  W.  Richardson,  1874-76;  W.  V.  Minott,  1884-85;  Duane  M. 
Richardson,  1886-91  ;  Rufus  H.  Smith,  1892. 

The  town  of  Schuyler  has  been  represented  in  the  Legislature  of  this 
State  by  Robert  Burch  in  18 1 1  and  1812;  Olmsted  Hough  in  1813  ; 
George  Burch,  son  of  Robert  Burch,  in  1840;  Harris  Lewis  in  1857 
and  1858;  and  Erasmus  W.  Day  in  1S69. 


404  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

It  is  known  that  the  German  early  settlers  held  regular  religious 
services  from  the  first,  as  they  did  in  all  the  towns  in  which  they  dwelt. 
The  first  building  in  which  public  services  were  held  was  Hascnclever's, 
and  the  first  building  erected  for  church  services  was  the  school- house 
(intended  also  for  school)  already  alluded  to  in  district  No.  4.  This 
building  was  erected  by  personal  contributions  and  was  used  for  many 
years  for  school  and  church  purposes.  It  was  removed  in  1836  to  make 
room  for  the  present  school-house. 

The  Baptist  society  at  East  Schuyler  erected  a  church  building  in 
1821-22,  on  the  site  since  occupied  by  the  stone  school  house  of  district 
No.  3.  In  1833  this  building  was  taken  down  and  again  erected  about 
a  mile  east  of  West  Schuyler.  The  membership  declined,  the  church 
became  disorganized  and  the  owner  of  the  land  demolished  the  building 
under  his  lease. 

In  1835  the  Methodist  Protestant  church,  a  small  society  in  "Stone 
Arabia"  and  "  the  Bush,"  feeling  the  need  of  a  larger  and  more  com- 
modious place  of  worship  than  the  old  square-roofed  school-house 
afforded,  consulted  with  the  few  aged  members  of  the  old  Lutheran 
society,  and  with  others  who  were  not  members  of  any  religious  society, 
and  all  united  to  build  a  meeting  house.  At  the  first  meeting  the  fol- 
lowing persons  were  chosen  trustees:  Francis  H.  Pruyn,  Daniel 
Bridenbecker,  Philip  Finster,  Frederick  Rinia,  Peter  Finster,  Jacob  P. 
Oyer  and  Peter  Rima ;  and  Alexander  Johnson  was  elected  clerk.  The 
house  was  built  by  J.  D.  W.  Heald  on  a  site  donated  by  Peter  Finster. 
Tliis  church  was  occupied  by  the  Methodist  Protestants,  although  occa- 
sionally other  denominations  had  services  there  for  thirty- two  years, 
when  it  was  suffered  to  decay,  and  was  finally  sold  and  taken  down. 

In  June,  1853,  the  people  of  West  Schuyler  held  a  meeting  prepara- 
tory to  building  a  church.  A  small  Methodist  society  had  existed 
there  for  some  time  and  was  then  under  care  of  Rev.  T.  D.  Mitchell. 
It  was  resolved  to  build  a  church  with  room  for  Sabbath-school,  to  be 
called  "  Embury  Chapel."  William  Budlong,  Hiram  Tanner,  Warren 
Day,  William  Vivyan  and  E.  W.  Day  were  elected  trustees.  The 
result  of  this  action  was  the  erection  of  the  present  church  over  which 
Rev.  Stephen  Cobb  is  pastor.  On  the  7th  of  August,  1865,  a  meeting 
of  Methodists  was  held,  with  Rev.  L.  J.  Cooper  as  chairman.     Gilbert 


Town  of  Newport.  4o5 

Palmeter,  August  Klock  and  George  Widrig  were  elected  trustees,  and 
it  was  resolved  to  erect  a  church  to  be  known  as  "The  First  Methodist 
Protestant  Church  of  Schuyler."  The  plans  were  consummated  in  the 
erection  of  the  church  near  the  Miller  cemetery,  northeast  from  West 
Schuyler.  The  Methodists  built  a  church  at  the  "Windfall,"  in  1866, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $2,000,  which  is  still  in  existence.  Another  Methodist 
church  was  built  in  the  Staring  neighborhood  in  the  central  part  of  the 
town  in  1862.  No  services  are  now  held  here  and  the  membership 
is  small  in  all  the  churches  thus  described.  At  East  Schuyler  a  Union 
church  was  erected  in  1868  on  the  site  of  the  old  Protestant  Methodist 
and  Lutheran  church  by  Free  Methodists  and  others.  The  trustees 
were  Newell  Miller,  John  Sheaf,  Daniel  Oyer,  Ira  Finster,  and  A.  L. 
Johnson.      Irregular  services  are  held  here. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE   TOWN    OF   NEWI'ORT. 

NEWPORT  lies  in  the  western  part  of  the  county  and  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Russia  ;  on  the  east  by  Fairfield  and  Norway  ;  on  the 
south  by  Schuyler  and  Herkimer,  and  on  the  west  by  Oneida  county. 
It  was  formed  from  Herkimer,  Fairfield,  Norway,  and  Schuyler,  April  7, 
1806.  The  surface  of  the  town  is  broken  by  ridges  of  highlands  which 
rise  from  400  to  500  feet  on  each  side  of  the  narrow  intervale  of  West 
Canada  Creek.  This  stream  flows  southeast  across  the  town  near  the 
center.  White  Creek  flows  southerly  through  the  eastern  part.  The 
soil  is  clayey  loam,  with  some  gravel  on  the  high  lands.  A  part  of 
Hasenclever's  and  Walton's  patents,  and  portions  of  the  second  and 
third  allotments  of  the  Royal  Grant  constitute  the  town.  There  were 
no  settlements  in  the  town  prior  to  the  Revolution. 

Daniel  Campbell,  of  New  York  city,  obtained  title  to  the  land  where 
Newport  village  is  situated  in  July,  1786,  of  the  commissioners  of 
forfeitures,  but  he  did  not  settle  on  it.  William,  Ephraim  and  Benja- 
min Bowen  purchased  this  land  in  1788  and  1789.      Christopher  Hawkins 


406  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

was  the  first  permanent  settler  in  Newport  and  became  its  first  super- 
visor. He  was  from  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  the  town  received  its  name 
from  the  fact  that  many  of  its  early  settlers  came  from  the  State  in 
which  the  city  of  Newport  is  situated.  Hawkins  first  came  into  the 
town  of  Fairfield  and  removed  to  Newport  in  1791,  settling  on  the  farm 
south  of  the  village  now  owned  by  the  heirs  of  David  D.  Crumby.  In 
the  spring  of  1791  Hawkins  erected  a  small  house  for  the  Bowens  on 
the  lands  they  had  purchased.  In  1793  Benjamin  Bowen  built  the  first 
saw- mill  in  the  town,  and  the  next  year  put  up  a  grist-mill,  both  of 
which  were  on  the  West  Canada  Creek  in  the  limits  of  the  present 
village  of  Newport,  and  on  the  site  of  the  present  mill.  Soon  following 
the  pioneers  came  Joseph  Benchley,  William  Wakely,  John  Burton, 
Stephen  Hawkins,  George  Cook,  Edward  Coffin,  John  Nelson,  John  G. 
Green,  John  Churchill,  George  Fenner,  and  William  Whipple,  all  of 
whom  settled  prior  to  1798;  and  Israel  Wakely,  Westel  Willoughby, 
Levi  Bowen,  and  Sherman  Wooster  came  soon  afterward.  These  families 
were  all  from  New  England.  Churchill,  Coffin,  Green,  Bowen  and 
Nelson  purchased  lands  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek,  and  the  others  on 
the  east  side  and  near  the  site  of  the  village.  Descendants  of  several  of 
them  are  now  living  in  the  town.  The  first  death  was  that  of  Silas 
Hawkins,  in  1793.  The  first  school  was  taught  by  Abby  Justine  in 
1795,  near  the  village  site.  William  Wakely  kept  the  first  hotel  in  1793 
near  the  present  residence  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Holcomb.  George  Cook  was 
the  first  merchant  and  his  store  was  near  the  site  of  the  Catholic  church. 
Nahum  Daniels  occupied  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge  streets,  where 
the  hotel  is  ;  it  was  formerly  a  store  kept  by  Samuel  Perry,  father  of  the 
late  Stuart  Perry.  John  Burton  owned  the  farm  afterwards  occupied  by 
his  son  Darius,  now  owned  by  William  Reynolds.  John  Burton  was  a 
carpenter  and  built  for  Benjamin  Bowen  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Miss  Frances  Waterman. 

The  first  town  meeting  held  after  the  organization  of  the  town  was 
held  on  the  3d  of  March,  1807.  Westel  Willoughby  was  chosen  mod- 
erator and  the  following  officers  were  elected  : 

Christopher  Hawkins,  supervisor;  Phineas  Slieniian,  lovvn  clerk;  Stephen  Brayton, 
Cyrus  Butterfield  and  Seth  Smith,  assessors;  Dan  Post  and  Joseph  Terry,  overseers  of 
the  poor  ;  WilHam  Wakely,  Joseph  Benchley  and  James  Keith,  commissioners  of  high- 
ways; Biisha  Enos,  jr.,  and  Thaddeus  Ketcliuni,  constables;  Ehsha  Enos,  collector; 
Ehsha  Eaos,  Jairus  Bragg,  Jabez  Lyon  and  Elnathan  Stephens,  poundkeepers. 


TOWN  OF  NEWPORT.  407 

The  usual  votes  were  taken  to  control  horses  and  cattle,  offerino- 
bounties  on  wild  animals,  etc.,  and  on  the  9th  of  March,  1807,  the  town 
was  divided  into  twenty  road  districts.  The  first  census  of  the  town, 
taken  in  1807,  showed  199  heads  of  families.  The  first  board  of  school 
commissioners  was  elected  in  181 3,  and  consisted  of  Sherman  Wooster, 
Darius  Hawkins,  and  Samuel  Keith. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  the  town  of  Newport  from  its 
organization  to  the  present  time: 

Christopher  Hawkins,  1807-16;  1823;  Sherman  Wooster,  1817-22,  1824-33  ;  Henry 
Carter,  1834-3G ;  Standish  Barry,  1837,  1843-46 ;  Daniel  Post,  1838 ;  William  S.  Benchley, 
1841-42;  Henry  L.  Ward,  1847,  1867-71;  Aaron  G.  Swift,  1848-50 ;  Harvey  Farring- 
ton,  1851-52;  John  C.  Harris,  1853  ;  Ira  L.  Cady,  1854-57;  John  G.  Barry,  1858-59- 
1861-66 ;  Nathan  Bowen,  1860 ;  John  H.  Wooster,  1865  (resigned  in  April)  ;  Richard 
K.  Brown,  1872 ;  William  Getman,  1873-74  (resigned) ;  Henry  G.  Burlingame,  1875-76  ■ 
Waldo  Sherman,  1877;  Henry  W.  Dexter,  1878;  A.  J.  Browne,  1879,  1885;  Warren 
A.  Brayton,  1880-1882;  C.  J.  Mather,  1883;  Thomas  E.  Merritt,  1884,  1887;  Daniel  P. 
Wooster.  1886;  George  H.  Hurlbut,  1888;  Frank  E.  Pearoe,  1889,  1890;  Clinton  A. 
Moon,  1891 ;  Fred  D.  Mather,  1892. 

The  settlers  in  Newport  down  to  about  1830  continued  to  come  from 
New  England  ;  but  after  that  time  and  following  the  opening  of  the 
Erie  Canal,  many  emigrants  from  Ireland  located  in  the  town,  and  at 
the  present  time  probably  constitute,  with  their  descendants,  one.  quar- 
ter of  the  population,  most  of  them  being  among  the  farmers. 

Col.  Standish  Barry  was  born  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1794.  He 
removed  to  Newport  with  his  father-in-law,  Capt.  Ezra  Pierce,  in  18 16, 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  there  and  at  Middleville,  continuing 
until  1847.  I"  the  last  named  year  he  was  elected  clerk  of  the  county 
and  held  that  office  two  successive  terms.  At  the  organization  of  the 
Newport  Bank,  in  1858,  Col.  Barry  was  chosen  cashier,  and  occupied 
that  position  several  years;  he  was  also  at  one  time  vice-president  of 
the  National  Herkimer  County  Bank,  at  Little  Falls.  In  September, 
1861,  he  was  appointed  assistant  treasurer  of  the  United  States  by  the 
late  Gen.  Francis  E.  Spinner,  holding  that  office  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  at  Newport,  October  20,  1866.  His  widow,  Mrs. 
Lydia  C.  Barry,  is  still  living  at  Newport.  Col.  Barry's  surviving  chil- 
dreu  are  :  John  Barry,  Mrs.  Sherman  Wooster  and  Mrs.  Jane  B.  Pom- 
eroy,  of  Newport;   Mrs.  A.  M.  Mills,  of  Little  Falls. 


408  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

The  elder  Sherman  Wooster  came  to  Newport  in  1804,  was  super- 
visor several  terms,  and  was  father  of  the  venerable  Sherman  Wooster, 
who  still  lives  in  the  village.  Henry  Carter  was  an  early  merchant. 
William  S.  Benchley  kept  tavern  in  the  village  many  years,  and  at  one 
period  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  hats  Jeduthun  Steele, 
Ralph  Waterman  and  William  F.  Fraser  were  lawyers  in  Newport  be- 
fore 1825.  Daniel  Post  was  a  prominent  early  farmer  two  miles  east  of 
the  village.  The  late  Harry  Waterman  was  for  many  years  a  promi- 
nent citizen,  and  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  the  town. 
Stuart  Perry,  the  inventor,  was  born  here  in  1837,  and  lived  at  what 
has  long  been  known  as  "  Perry's  Park,"  in  which  formerly  stood  the 
house  of  Dr.  Westel  Willoughby. 

Newport  is  essentially  a  dairy  town  and  one  of  the  best  in  the  county. 
There  are  four  prosperous  cheese  factories  in  the  town,  and  since  the 
opening  of  the  railroad  and  its  recent  extension  by  the  Adirondack 
and  St.  Lawrence  Company,  the  markets  are  easily  accessible. 

The  Village  of  Nczvport — Was  incorporated  March  20,  1857,  and  on 
the  5th  of  May  the  first  officers  were  elected  as  follow:  President, 
Linus  Yale ;  trustees,  John  G.  Barry,  Hezekiah  S.  Bowen,  Elijah 
Holmes  and  William  S.  Benchley;  assessors,  Jeremiah  Fenner,  Arza 
Newman,  George  B.  Hawkins  ;   clerk,  Clinton  A.  Moon. 

The  following  have  been  presidents  of  the  village  since  its  incorpora- 
tion : 

Linus  Yale,  1857;  ■John  H.  Woo.ster,  1858-G4  ;  William  Getman,  1865-69;  Albert 
M.  Mills,  1870,  1871;  Elisha  Thornton,  1872;  George  W.  Payne,  1873;  Henry  W. 
Dexter,  1874,  1875;  Albert  J.  Browne,  1876,  1877;  William  A.  Ingham,  1878;  George 
H.  Hurlburt,  1880;  E.  P.  Iladcock,  1881;  A.  J.  Browne,  1882  ;  T.  E.  Merritt,  1883; 
Jesse  A.  Perkins,  1884;  D.  P.  Wooster,  1885;  A.  J.  Browne,  1887;  D.  P.  Wooster, 
1888;  J.  T.  Davis  and  F.  D.  Mather,  1889;  Thomas  Bowen,  1890;  W.  A.  Ingham, 
1891  ;  H.  W.  Dexter,  1892.  William  E.  Stronp,  Benjamin  K.  Brown,  and  Howard 
Voorhees  are  trustees  ;  Charles  L.  Fellows,  clerk. 

The  stone  bridge  across  the  creek  at  Newport  was  built  in  1853  and 
cost  $4,000.  The  residence  of  Sherman  Wooster  was  built  by  his 
father  in  18 16,  and  its  substantial  walls  are  nearly  as  perfect  to-day  as 
then.  Dr.  Westel  Willoughby  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  village  in 
early  years  and  provided  himself  with  a  beautiful  home  on  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  creek.  (A  further  sketch  of  Dr.  Willoughby  will  be  found 
in  the  chapter  on  the  medical  profession.) 


TOWN  OF  NEWPORT.  409 

Bank. — The  Dairyman's  Bank  was  established  in  Newport  in  1853, 
and  continued  in  existence  until  1857.  Harvey  Doolittle  was  the  prin- 
cipal founder  and  manager.  He  was  also  cashier  and  largely  interested 
in  the  Agricultural  Bank  at  Herkimer,  which  failed  and  carried  with  it  the 
Dairyman's  Bank,  causing  a  loss  to  depositors  of  about  thirty  per  cent. 
In  1858  the  Bank  of  Newport  was  organized  under  the  banking  laws  of 
the  State,  with  William  W.  Sweezey  as  president,  and  Standish  Barry  as 
cashier.  This  institution  was  continued  thus  until  1866,  when  it  was 
reorganized  as  a  national  bank,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000.  Varnum  S. 
Kenyon  was  made  the  first  president  under  the  new  organization,  and 
William  Getman  cashier.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Kenyon  in  1874, 
George  H.  Thomas  was  elected  president  and  has  held  the  office  ever 
since.  Mr.  Getman  died  in  1873  and  Joseph  T.  Wooster  was  chosen 
cashier,  and  is  still  in  that  position.  The  present  directors,  besides  the 
two  officers  named,  are  D.  B.  Wooster,  Elisha  Thornton,  H.  W.  Dex- 
ter. The  deposits  are  about  $90,000,  with  surplus  and  profits  of  about 
$38,000.  The  bank  building  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge  streets 
was  erected  in  1854  by  the  firm  of  Perry  &  Sweezey,  composed  of  Sam- 
uel Perry,  Stuart  Perry,  and  William  Sweezey,  who  were  then  extensive 
dealers  in  butter  and  cheese. 

Manufactures.  —  Within  recent  years  Newport  has  awakened  to  the 
fact  that  she  is  in  possession  of  valuable  water  power;  that  her  shipping 
facilities  are  good  and  being  rapidly  made  much  better  through  the  build- 
ing of  the  new  railroad,  and  that  manufacturing  enterprise  is  one  of  the 
chief  elements  in  the  healthful  growth  of  a  village.  This  feeling  has  led 
to  the  establishment  of  several  properous  concerns,  which  will  be  followed 
by  others.  A  tannery  was  built  at  Newport  in  early  years,  which  was 
being  operated  in  1 846  by  Orin  Brown,  who  sold  it  in  that  year  to  Henry 
Waterman.  Afterwards  it  passed  through  the  hands  of  H.  G.  Burlin- 
game,  Snell  &  Ingham,  and  Luke  Snell.  In  1889  Mr.  Snell  sold  it  to 
the  Newport  Improvement  Company,  an  organization  of  citizens  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  advancing  the  interests  of  the  place.  By  this  com- 
pany the  property  was  leased  to  Woodin  &  West  for  a  period  of  forty- 
nine  years,  on  advantageous  terms,  provided  they  would  operate  a 
factory.  They  immediately  established  a  plant  for  the  manufacture  of 
knit  underwear  and   continued  until  June,  1S90,  when  they  sold  out  to 


410  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  West  Brothers,  who  immediately  doubled  the  capacity  of  the  fac- 
tory, and  now  employ  seventy- five  hands,  mostly  girls.  Their  large 
product  finds  a  ready  market.  The  firm  is  composed  of  Eugene  and 
George  West. 

The  Adirondack  Knitting-Mills  were  started  in  December,  1891,  and 
now  employ  thirty- five  hands,  making  ladies',  misses'  and  children's 
jersey  ribbed  underwear  in  various  kinds  of  fibre.  The  company  was 
organized  with  a  capital  of  $5,500,  with  M.  N.  Pearce  as  president,  C. 
A.  Moore,  secretary,  and  W.  A.  Ingham,  treasurer. 

The  saw-mill  in  Newport  is  now  operated  by  the  estate  of  Henry  G. 
Burlingame  and  the  grist-mill  by  M'chael  Gallagher.  F.  D.  Mather, 
M.  N.  Pearce,  D.  Wells,  Dr.  L,  C  Jexter  and  M.  J.  Brett  are  pros- 
perous merchants  in  the  village  ;  and  E.  C.  Spellman  and  Samuel 
Hodge  are  proprietors  of  the  Spellman  House  and  the  Ingham  House 
respectively.  The  postmaster  is  George  Hurlbut,  who  succeeded  F.  D. 
Mather.  Hon.  Elisha  P.  Hurlbut,  e.x-justice  Supreme  Court,  resided 
here  for  several  years  after  1855,  and  removed  to  Albany. 

In  1 86 1  a  committee  was  appointed  by  the  trustees  of  the  village  to 
buy  a  fire  engine  with  the  fund  that  had  been  raised  for  that  purpose, 
amounting  to  $802.  The  engine  was  purchased  of  Cowing  &  Com- 
pany, of  Seneca  Falls,  and  is  still  in  use.  The  company  is  designated  as 
Wadsworth  Fire  Company,  No.  3.  The  engine-house  was  built  about 
1876,  with  a  village  lock-up  in  the  lower  story.  A  chief  of  police  is 
appointed  by  the  trustees,  Henry  Joubin  now  filling  the  office. 

Schools  and  Churches. — Previous  to  its  incorporation  in  1847  the  vil- 
lage of  Newport  was  divided  into  school  districts,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  creek.  With  the  incorporation  of  the  place  the  two  districts  were 
consolidated  with  the  view  of  establishing  a  graded  school ;  but  in  spite 
of  the  efforts  of  several  prominent  citizens  to  this  end  the  project  failed, 
and  the  old  school-house  continued  to  be  occupied  until  1875,  when  the 
present  commodious  school  building  was  erected.  The  district  was  or- 
ganized as  a  union  free  school  district  in  1877.  There  are  now  eight 
school  districts  in  the  town. 

Besides  the  churches  now  in  the  village  of  Newport,  there  were 
formerly  three  others,  all  located  near  the  hamlet  known  as  Martin's 
Corners.  These  were  a  Welsh,  a  Baptist  and  the  old  Roman  Catholic 
church,  all   of  which  have   substantially  disappeared,  as  far  as  societies 


fOWN  OF  NEWPORT.  411 

and  congregations  are  concerned,  the  churches  in  the  village  receiving 
a  large  share  of  those  who  formerly  attended  at  that  point.  In  New- 
port village  there  are  four  churches — Methodist,  Baptist,  Universalist 
and  Roman  Catholic  ;  but  the  material  for  their  historj'  is  very  meager. 
The  Universalist  church  had  its  origin  in  an  organization  of  March  28, 

1842,  composed  of  persons  who  joined  together  to  erect  a  church  under 
the  name  of  the  Newport  Union  Association ;  the  union  embraced 
Universalists,  Unitarians  and  Episcopalians.  Soon  afterward  the  two 
last  denominations  failed  to  support  stated  preaching,  and  the  property 
passed   to   the    Universalists   according  to  the  compact.     In  January, 

1843,  the  Universalists  and  Unitarians  organized  under  the  name  of 
"The  First  Christian  Society  of  the  Universalists  and  Unitarians  of  the 
Town  of  Newport."  December  28,  1844,  a  new  constitution  was 
adopted,  giving  the  society  a  distinctive  Universalist  character.  On 
the  1st  of  March,  1858,  the  society  title  was  dropped  and  the  name  of 
"  The  Church  of  the  Reconciliation  of  the  town  of  Newport  "  added. 
Previous  to  the  erection  of  the  present  building  meetings  were  held  in 
the  school- house  and  in  the  old  stone  church  of  the  Baptists.  The 
present  church  was  built  in  1843.  The  building  has  been  improved 
and  repaired  recently.  There  has  not  been  regular  preaching  in  this 
church  for  some  time. 

The  date  of  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  church  in  Newport  is 
unobtainable  ;  but  previous  to  its  organization  the  Methodists  were  in 
union  with  the  Presbyterians  and  erected  the  building  that  was  sold  to 
the  Catholics  in  1844.  Between  that  year  and  1871  the  Methodists 
had  no  church  edifice  here.  In  June,  1871,  the  president  building  was 
dedicated,  and  the  parlors  were  added  in  1887.  The  present  pastor  of 
the  church  is  Rev.  Rev.  W.  F.  Ball,  who  lives  in  Newport,  and  preaches 
here  and  at  Poland.      He  has  been  in  Newport  since  1884. 

The  present  Catholic  church  building  was  purchased  of  the  Method- 
ists and  Presbyterians  in  1844  through  Henry  Waterman.  The  Cath- 
olic society  is  organized  under  the  name  of  St.  John's,  and  is  connected 
with  the  Church  of  the  Assumption  of  Middleville.  In  1844  the  parish 
was  ministered  to  by  Rev.  Father  John  Herbs,  who  was  succeeded  by 
Father  Fitzgerald,  and  he  by  Father  Keating.  Father  Thornton  was 
the  next  pastor,  and  was  succeeded  by  Father  Burke.  In  1875  Rev. 
Father  Henry  Herfkins  came  to  the  church  and  still  remains  in  charge. 


412  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTlT. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE   TOWN    OF   NORWAY.^ 

THE  town  of  Norway  was  organized  April  lo,  1792,  by  act  ot 
Legislature. 

Its  boundaries  included  the  towns  of  Fairfield,  Russia,  Ohio,  and 
Wilmurt,  and  that  portion  of  Newport  lying  easterly  of  the  West  Can- 
ada Creek  in  Herkimer  county;  portions  of  Oneida,  Lewis  and  Clinton 
counties;  all  of  Hamilton,  and  a  large  portion  of  St.  Lawrence.  About 
thirty-five  towns  are  now  located  within  its  former  limits.  Fairfield 
was  taken  off  in  1796;  Remsen  (Oneida  county),  in  1798;  Russia  (as 
"  Union  "),  and  a  part  of  Newport,  in  1806,  and  Ohio  (as  "West  Bruns- 
wick ")  in  1823.     Since  that  date  no  boundary  changes  have  occurred. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  elevated  and  rolling.  It  is  drained  by 
numerous  small  streams  flowing  northward  and  westward  into  Black 
and  White  Creeks,  tributaries  of  West  Canada  Creek,  and  a  few  rivulets 
flowing  easterly  into  Spruce  Creek,  a  tributary  of  East  Canada  Creek. 
An  elevated  ridge  extending  from  southeast  to  northwest,  through  the 
central  portion  of  the  town,  forms  its  geographical  backbone,  or 
"grand  divide."  Before  settlement  an  unbroken  forest  of  splendid 
timber  covered  the  whole  surface,  composed  mainly  of  maple  and  beech, 
with  a  generous  sprinkling  of  birch,  elm,  basswood,  butternut,  and  ash, 
and  a  border  of  hemlock  along  the  streams.  A  narrow  strip  of  ever- 
green timber  extends  along  the  northern  border  of  the  town,  and  sev- 
eral small  cedar  swamps  are  located  in  the  eastern  part.  The  soil  in  the 
main  is  strong  and  rich,  and  admirably  adapted  to  grazing. 

One  event  that  antedates  the  coming  of  the  first  pioneers  deserves 
mention:  In  October,  1781,  Butler  and  Ross,  with  a  force  of  British 
tories  and  Indians,  came  from  Canada,  via  Oswego,  and  engaged  in  a 
murdering  raid  in  the  Mohawk  valley.  Near  Johnstown  they  were  so 
roughly   handled   by  the  American   forces   under  Colonel  Willett,  that 

*  Prepared  by  Fred.  Smith,  of  Norway. 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  4l3 

they  were  forced  to  retreat,  and  chose  a  direct  route  for  home  through 
the  unbroken  wilderness.  On  the  night  of  October  29,  1781,  Butler 
camped  about  four  miles  northeast  of  Norway  village,  and  the  location 
has  since  borne  the  name  of  "  Butler's  Ridge."  Colonel  Willett  left 
Fort  Dayton,  now  Herkimer,  the  same  day  with  some  400  patriot  sol- 
diers to  intercept  the  enemy.  He  followed  up  West  Creek  to  a  point 
near  where  Middleville  is  now  located,  and  then  struck  through  the  for- 
est in  a  northeast  direction,  and  camped  a  mile  and  a  half  southerly  of 
Butler.  His  scouts  discovered  the  tory  camp  during  the  night,  and 
early  next  morning  both  armies  were  on  the  march.  Near  the  Black 
Creek  fording  place  the  rear  of  Butler's  forces  were  overtaken  and  a 
skirmish  ensued  ;  one  or  two  soldiers  were  killed,  and  here  Norway  soil 
drank  the  blood  of  the  Revolution.  The  allied  forces  of  Butler  made 
a  hurried  retreat  across  the  present  town  of  Ohio,  closely  followed  by 
Willett,  and  at  West  Creek  the  notorious  Butler  was  killed  and  the  pur- 
suit abandoned. 

The  first  attempt  to  settle  was  made  in  the  year  1786,  by  a  Mr.  Whip- 
ple and  Christopher  Hawkins,  from  Rhode  Island,  who  made  a  small 
clearing  and  erected  a  log  shanty  about  one  mile  west  of  the  site  of 
Norway  village.  Before  making  much  headway  in  their  enterprise, 
they  found  they  had  made  a  mistake  in  locating  their  lot,  and  of  course 
abandoned  it.  The  next  year,  1787,  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  wit- 
nessed the  first  permanent  settlement. 

Jeremiah  Potter  was  born  in  Cranston,  R.  I.,  March  3,  1737.  He 
was  the  father  of  a  large  family  of  children,  among  whom  were  Fisher, 
Jeremiah,  jr.,  Angel,  Lemuel,  Philip  W.,  Keziah,  Mary  and  Sarah. 
Marvelous  stories  of  the  cheap  and  fertile  lands  of  the  Royal  Grant  in 
"York  State"  had  reached  their  ears,  and  they  resolved  to  leave  *'  Lit- 
tle Rhody  "  and  carve  out  new  homes  in  the  then  far-  off  and  almost 
unknown  wilderness.  Late  in  the  winter  or  early  in  the  spring  of  1787 
the  three  sons  first  named,  and  the  daughters  Mary  and  Sarah  started 
for  "  the  Grant."  The  lot  they  selected  was  No.  4  of  the  third  allot- 
ment of  the  Royal  Grant,  containing  300  acres,  being  300  rods  in  length 
east  and  west,  and  160  rods  in  width.  The  owner  of  the  property  re- 
sided at  Albany,  and  he  gave  the  Potters  a  lease  for  twenty-one  years, 
with  the  privilege  of  purchasing  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  for  twenty 


4l4  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

shillings  per  acre.  The  southeast  corner  of  tlie  lot,  near  where  the  first 
clearing  was  made,  is  about  half  a  mile  directly  north  from  Norway  vil- 
lage. The  first  year's  attempt  of  the  Potter  boys  in  farming  was  but  a 
partial  success;  a  very  early  frost  seriously  injured  their  growing  crops. 
Winter  set  in  early  in  November;  snow  fell  to  the  depth  of  nearly  four 
feet  and  remained  until  April.  To  add  to  their  misfortunes,  their  pota- 
toes froze  during  the  first  cold  weather.  Having  no  bread,  they  were 
dependent  during  the  early  part  of  winter  upon  beans  and  a  small 
amount  of  pork  that  they  had  brought  with  them.  These  were  con- 
sumed before  spring,  and  for  some  time  they  mostly  subsisted  upon 
frozen  potatoes,  and  an  occasional  rabbit  they  killed.  A  cow  they 
brought  with  them,  the  first  in  the  town,  they  wintered  in  good  condi- 
tion upon  browse  and  the  few  cornstalks  they  had  raised,  and  she  was, 
no  doubt,  found  an  important  addition  to  their  supplies.  With  their 
nearest  neighbors  seven  miles  away,  it  is  needless  to  add  that  their  first 
winter  in  their  wilderness  home  was  long,  dreary,  and  lonesome.  About 
the  1st  of  April,  1788,  their  parents  and  other  members  of  the  family 
arrived.  The  land  was  paid  for  and  divided  among  the  family.  The 
three  daughters  married  as  follows :  Keziah,  Clark  Smith  ;  Sarah, 
Rufus  Eaton  ;  and  Mary,  Dr.  Amos  Haile,  all  of  the  town  of  Fairfield, 
and  well  known  as  being  among  the  early  and  most  reputable  citizens 
of  that  town. 

Jeremiah  Potter  died  January  27,  1813  ;  his  wife  May  13,  1826. 
They  are  both  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Norway  village.  All  of  the 
sons  left  the  town  at  an  early  day,  except  Philip  W.,  the  youngest,  who 
died  May  13,  1861,  and  was  the  last  representative  of  the  Potter  family 
in  the  town.  The  Potter  family  was  a  fair  average  of  the  New  England 
emigrants  of  that  day.  If  undue  prominence  has  been  given  this  fam- 
ily it  is  on  account  of  its  members  being  the  first  settlers. 

Who  next  settled  after  the  Potters  is  not  positively  known ;  it  is 
quite  certain  that  other  families  came  into  their  immediate  neighbor- 
hood very  soon  after  their  arrival. 

Thomas  Manly  came  into  this  town  from  Bennington  county,  Ver- 
mont, in  the  spring  of  1789;  made  a  small  clearing  and  erected  a  log 
cabin  about  one  mile  directly  south  of  Norway  village.  He  moved  his 
family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and  son  Ira,  then  but  a  few  weeks  old,  into 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  415 

the  town  in  March,  1790,  on  an  ox  sled.  Manly  was  a  man  of  energy, 
intelligence  and  integrity,  and  at  once  became  prominent  in  town  and 
county,  affairs.  He  died  in  this  town  January  21,  1852,  aged  eighty- 
eight  years  and  six  months. 

David  Underhill,  John  and  David  Corp  and  N.  Fanning,  all  from 
Vermont,  settled  in  the  town  either  in  1789  or  1790;  Underhill  near 
Manly's,  the  others  about  a  mile  and  a  half  easterly  from  Norway  vil- 
lage. Several  families  by  the  name  of  Brayton,  from  Rensselaer 
county,  located  about  the  same  date  two  miles  southeast  of  Norway 
village,  but  soon  removed  from  town. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  was  that  of  a  child  of  Gideon  Brayton; 
the  first  death  that  of  the  wife  of  Elihu    Hinman. 

John,  Andrew  and  Amos  Coe  and  Captain  David  Hinman,  from 
Southbury,  Conn.,  settled  in  Norway  previous  to  1790.  They  located 
a  short  distance  northerly  from  Norway  village.  John  Coe  was  a  man 
of  decided  ability ;  a  noted  law  character,  and  a  successful  practitioner 
in  justices'  courts.  Ira  Coe,  a  son  of  Amos,  was  a  prominent  farmer, 
magistrate  and  lawyer.  In  1840  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of 
the  County  Court.      He  died  in  this  town  February  5,  1861. 

From  1790  to  1800  Norway  was  settled  rapidly  with  emigrants  from 
the  eastern  counties  of  the  State  and  from  New  England.  The  beginning 
of  the  century  found  the  town  dotted  over  with  clearings  and  log  houses, 
there  being  at  that  date  over  one  hundred  and  sixty  families  residing 
within  the  present  town  limits  ;  more  families  than  at  this  date,  not  enu- 
merating village  residents. 

Some  of  the  prominent  settlers  during  this  period  deserve  notice  : 
Edward  Henderson  came  from  Vermont  in  1792  and  settled  in  the 
south  part  of  the  town.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary 
Mathews,  was  a  woman  of  remarkable  talents  and  intelligence.  Daniel 
C,  a  son,  was  one  of  the  leading  citizens  in  this  town.  He  was  a  jus- 
tice for  many  years,  served  as  supervisor  one  term,  and  was  elected 
member  of  Assembly  in  1826.  He  died  in  the  town  in  i860.  Hugh, 
another  son,  removed  to  Illinois,  but  died  while  on  a  visit  to  Norway  in 
1856. 

David  Smith,  who  came  from  Massachusetts  in  1793,  James  Giles, 
Stephen  Babbitt,  Nathaniel  Post  and  William  Forsyth  were  prominent 


410  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

early  settlers  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  town  ;  James  Norton,  Jared 
Dorman,  Benjamin  Nichols,  Sylvanus  Ferris  and  Benjamin  Hall  were 
leading  citizens  in  the  eastern  portion.  Ferris  was  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful early  settlers.  He  purchased  a  farm  two  miles  east  of  Norway 
village;  paid  for  it  by  the  ashes  saved  and  sold  in  clearing  it  off; 
erected  good  farm  buildings  ;  bought  several  adjoining  farms,  and  traf- 
ficked considerably  in  farm  produce.  He  removed  to  the  town  of  Rus- 
sia about  1830  with  two  of  his  sons,  leaving  four  married  sons  on  good 
dairy  farms  and  in  good  circumstances.  In  1835  the  western  fever  in- 
duced him  to  visit  Illinois,  and  he  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  country 
that  he  purchased  a  section  of  land  for  himself  and  one  for  each  of  his 
si.K  sons  in  Knox  county,  and  near  the  present  flourishing  city  of  Gales- 
burg.  Soon  after  he  and  all  his  sons  but  Timothy  H.  removed  there, 
where  he  died  at  a  ripe  old  age. 

Moses  and  Uriah  Tompkins  came  into  the  town  from  the  vicinity  of 
Albany  in  1793;  Stephen,  another  brother,  a  few  years  later.  Before 
coming  they  had  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the  northeast  part  of  the 
town,  without  seeing  it,  of  a  Methodist  minister,  who  represented  that 
it  was  timbered  with  a  splendid  growth  of  pine.  They  found  fine  tim- 
ber, but  the  pines  were  all  hemlocks,  and  the  land  poor  and  frosty.  To 
the  credit  of  that  minister  it  should  be  said  his  misrepresentations  were 
not  intentional.  Pardon  Tillinghast,  Philip  Angell,  Samuel  Brainard, 
William  Service,  John  Vandenburgh,  Clark  Baker,  Samuel  Rathbun, 
Sylvanus  and  Josiah  Crosby,  John  Pullman,  Moses  Gage,  Samuel 
Western,  Timothy  Johnson,  Christopher  Cadman,  Joseph  Bly,  Jacob 
Bullock  and  Benjamin  Benjamin  each  deserves  notice. 

Daniel  Hurlbut,  an  early  blacksmith,  was  a  man  of  considerable 
prominence.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the  county  judges  in  1817,  and 
held  that  position  three  years.  His  three  sons,  William  H.,  Seth  and 
Elisha  P.,  were  well  known  and  prominent  citizens. 

Jared  Smith  moved  from  Freehold,  Greene  county,  in  1797.  He  had 
previously  emigrated  from  Southbury,  Conn.,  which  was  the  native 
town  of  a  number  of  early  settlers,  including  the  Coe,  Hinman,  John- 
son, Curtis,  Hine  and  Munn  families.  He  was  a  magistrate  for  some 
years,  and  died  in  the  town  in  1846.  About  or  soon  after  1800  Na- 
thaniel Salisbury,    Ebenezer    Hurd,   Daniel   Carpenter,   Jared  Thayer, 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  417 

Danforth  Doty,  Caleb  Sheldon,  Amos  and  Simeon  Ives,  Samuel  Sher- 
man and  Noble  Ross  settled  in  Norway.  Two  of  Carpenter's  sons, 
Samuel  and  Azel,  became  large  land  owners  and  wealthy.  Salisbury 
and  Ross  were  mechanics  and  farmers ;  were  men  of  character  and  in- 
fluence, and  lived  to  an  advanced  age. 

Dairying. — The  early  settlers  had  their  full  share  of  the  toils  and  pri- 
vations incident  to  pioneer  life,  but,  hardy  and  hopeful,  thej'  battled 
courageously  and  successfully  with  adverse  circumstances.  A  great 
majorit}'  who  remained  and  patiently  followed  agricultural  pursuits  ac- 
quired competence ;   many  wealth. 

The  forests  were  reduced  to  ashes ;  crops  and  herds  of  sheep  fol- 
lowed, wool  and  flax  furnished  clothing — spinning  wheels  and  looms 
were  found  in  almost  every  household.  The  magnificent  maples  fur- 
nished an  abundant  supply  of  sugar. 

The  New  England  emigrants  brought  with  them  the  art  of  cheese- 
making,  and  were  not  slow  in  finding  the  soil  much  better  adapted  to 
grazing  than  grain- growing.  Small  dairies  of  from  six  to  ten  cows 
date  back  to  1806-10.  The  few  small  cheese  manufactured  were  con- 
sumed at  home  or  peddled  around  among  the  country  merchants.  Col- 
onel Jared  Thayer  was  one  of  the  early  dairymen  who  took  a  special 
interest  in  developing  cheese  dairying.  He  located  two  miles  east  of 
Norway  village  on  what  has  long  been  known  as  "  Dairy  Hill,"  and 
kept  the  first  twenty- cow  cheese  dairy  in  the  county.  Norway  claims 
the  pioneer  dairymen  that  have  since  given  a  world-wide  celebrity  to  Her- 
kimer county  dairy  products.  In  1 820  but  few  large  dairies  were  estab- 
lished, but  within  ten  years  after  dairying  became  the  leading  industry. 

Sylvanus  Ferris,  Nathaniel  Salisbury,  James  Norton,  Isaac  Smith, 
Danforth  Doty,  Azel  Carpenter,  Lewis  Barnes  and  D.  C.  Henderson 
were  among  the  early  cheese- makers  in  Norway. 

A  cheese  factory  was  built  at  Norway  village  in  1864,  and  there  are 
now  seven  in  the  town.  The  village  factory  makes  up  the  milk  from 
nearly  900  cows,  and  claims  to  turn  out  more  cheese  than  any  other  fac- 
tory in  the  world.  With  the  exception  of  four  or  five  private  dairies, 
all  the  cheese  is  manufactured  at  factories.  Within  the  past  twenty 
years  farm  lands  have  depreciated  one-half  in  value,  and  the  mortgage 
indebtedness  of  the  town  is  larger  tlian  at  any  former  period. 


418  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Pioneers  in  Norway  Village. — The  first  settlers  where  Norway  village 
is  now  located  were  Seth  Smith,  his  sons  Josiah  and  Dudley,  and  his 
son-in-law  Solomon  Howe.  Seth  Smith  was  born  in  Northampton, 
Mass.,  September  25,  1734;  the  sons  were  born  in  Suffield,  Conn., 
whence  the  family  emigrated  to  Dorset,  Vt.,  and  from  there  to  Norway 
in  1795  or  1796.  Josiah  Smith  erected  a  log  cabin  a  few  rods  north- 
east of  the  Baptist  Church ;  his  brother  one  on  the  west  side  of  the 
road  a  little  south  of  the  same  church.  Their  father  located  his  cabin 
some  little  distance  north,  near  the  present  cheese  factory,  and  Solomon 
Howe  nearly  opposite  "  Lieutenant  Smith's,"  as  the  old  gentleman  was 
familiarly  known.  Nearly  east  from  Josiah  and  Dudley  Smith,  a  dis- 
tance of  some  thirty  rods,  lived  Daniel  Tuttle ;  about  the  same  distance 
south  a  family  named  King.  These  were  the  only  known  families  re- 
siding on  or  near  the  location  of  the  village  at  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century.  The  Smiths  prospered  ;  they  cleared  off  the  adjacent 
forests,  bought  out  their  neighbors,  and  were  among  the  first  well-to-do 
settlers  of  the  time  ;  but  little  thought  that  their  farms  were  to  be 
parceled  out  into  lots,  upon  which  the  pleasant  village  of  Norway  is 
built.  By  common  consent  the  future  town  center  was  fixed  at  Cook's, 
a  half-mile  north,  and  doubtless  would  have  remained  there  but  for  the 
laying  out  and  opening  of  the  old  "  State  road."  The  location  of  this 
road  was  sharply  contested  by  the  prominent  citizens  of  this  and  the  ad- 
joining towns;  men  were  no  more  devoid  of  selfishness  then  than  now, 
and  the  "best  route"  of  course  ran  by  their  doors  or  through  their 
farms.  Josiah  Smith,  James  Norton  and  Jared  Dorman,  and  perhaps 
others,  assisted  not  a  little  by  Stephen  Ayres,  surveyor,  living  just  east 
of  the  town  line,  controlled  the  location  through  this  town.  The  road 
was  surveyed  in  1806  and  opened  during  the  coming  two  years;  the 
road  fixed  not  only  the  location  of  Norway  village,  but  also  Salisbury 
Corners,   Cold   Brook  and   Russia. 

About  1806  Josiah  Smith  opened  a  tavern  in  the  village,  and  about 
the  same  time  was  appointed  postmaster.  From  1810  to  1816  two 
stores,  the  old  Union  church  and  several  dwelling-houses  were  built. 
George  Gardinier  and  Sylvanus  Smith,  blacksmiths;  Benjamin  Marvil, 
carpenter;  Henry  Wilcox,  tailor;  Galen  Barstow,  harness  maker; 
James  Churchill  and  Dean  Gay,  coopers  ;  and  George  A.  Coppernoll, 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  419 

David  Humphreville,  and   Lyman  Swan,  shoemakers,  were  some  of  the 
mechanics  who  first  located  in  the  village. 

During  the  next  ten  years  a  few  dwelling-houses  were  erected.  In 
1829  the  tavern  formerly  occupied  by  Levi  Brainard  was  built;  in  1831 
the  Baptist  church,  and  in  1834  the  large  building  now  occupied  for  a 
store,  dwelling-houses  and  shops,  on  the  corner  of  the  State  road  and 
Main  street,  and  the  present  hotel  on  the  opposite  corner.  Several 
dwellings  were  built  during  the  same  period.  Robert  H.  Crandall 
built  all  or  most  of  the  buildings  last  mentioned.  Only  the  M.  E. 
Church  and  a  few  dwellings  have  since  been  erected.  The  village  at- 
tained its  full  growth  in  1840.  Without  water-power  or  any  manfac- 
turing  interests,  it  will  simply  remain  the  town  center  in  the  future.  It 
contained  in  1892  thirty- three  dwelling-houses,  three  churches,  two 
stores,  a  blacksmith  shop  and  a  hotel,  and  about  one  hundred  inhab- 
itants. 

Schools. — The  first  school  in  Norway  was  taught  by  Jeanette  Hen- 
derson in  1793,  in  a  log  school-house  on  the  Jerseyfield  road,  a  little 
south  of  the  State  road.  Miss  Henderson  was  a  sister  of  D.  C.  Hen- 
derson, and  afterward  married  John  H.  Sherwood,  and  died  at  an  ad- 
vanced age  in  Steuben  county.  Charles  Morton,  Samuel  Brainard, 
Charles  King  and  John  Moon  were  early  teachers  of  note. 

In  1806  Miss  Phebe  Smith  was  hired  to  teach  school  in  the  Barnes 
district  for  one  dollar  per  week,  on  condition  that  she  should  "  board 
around  "  and  receive  any  kind  of  merchantable  produce  for  pay. 

Population  and  Civil  History. — The  town  boundaries  have  not  been 
changed  since  1823,  when  the  town  of  West  Brunswick  (since  Ohio) 
was  set  off. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  by  the  census  of  1825  was  1,168,  the 
number  of  males  and  females  being  exactly  the  same.  The  succeeding 
enumerations  have  been  as  follow:  1830,  1,151;  1835,  1,131;  1840, 
1,046;  1845,  1,079;  1850.  1.052;  1855,  1,059;  i860,  1,105;  1865, 
1,080;    1870,  1,117;   1875,  1,054;   1880,  1,045;  1890,817. 

In  no  other  town  in  the  county  has  the  population  remained  so  uni- 
form in  numbers  as  in  this  since  1825  up  to  1880.  The  decrease  of  the 
farming  and  increase  of  the  village  population  has  been  about  equal  for 
the  past  fifty  years.     But  few  descendants  of  the  early  settlers  remain  in 


420  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

the  town.  A  good  deal  of  the  enterprise  of  our  forefathers  consisted  of 
frequent  removals.  The  familiar  names  of  an  early  day,  Potter,  Manly, 
Tillinghast,  Henderson,  Ferris,  Barnes,  Cole,  Brainard,  Coe,  Babbitt, 
Corp,  Benjamin,  Dorman,  Brunson,  Ross,  Reynolds,  Hemingway,  Hor- 
ton,  Sheldon,  Foisyth,  Cadman,  and  many  others  are  now  unknown 
in  the  town. 

About  1850  Irish  Catholics  commenced  immigrating  into  Norway 
and  have  continued  until  about  one- fourth  of  the  population  is  com- 
posed of  that  class.  Generally  they  are  industrious,  economical,  possess 
good  judgment,  are  good  citizens,  and  succeeding  as  well  as  could  be 
expected  under  the  present  depressed  state  of  farming  interests.  The 
great  majority  of  the  early  settlers  were  natives  of  New  England  ; 
probably  fully  one- half  were  from  Rhode  Island.  Connecticut  and 
Massachusetts  furnished  about  equal  numbers,  and  quite  a  number  came 
from  Vermont.  The  two  Du  Bois  families  were  descendants  of  the  French 
Huguenots,  and  came  from  New  Jersey  to  Saratoga  county,  and  from 
there  here.  A  few  settlers  were  of  German  origin ;  two  families,  those 
of  John  and  Robert  English,  weie  Protestant  Irish. 

Tiie  first  town  meeting,  as  required  by  the  act  of  organization,  was 
held  at  the  house  of  William  Whipple,  supposed  to  be  near  or  at  the 
village  of  Newport.  Early  town  meetings  were  held  at  Jeremiah  Pot- 
ter's, Arnold  Willoughby's  and  George  W.  Cook's.  In  1806,  when  the 
town  of  "  Union,"  afterwards  changed  to  Russia,  was  set  off,  the  ensu- 
ing town  meeting  for  Norway  was  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Josiah  Smith,  and  from  1807  to  1831,  inclusive,  with  the  exception  of 
four  years,  town  meetings  were  held  at  the  same  place.  The  exceptions 
were  1808,  when  they  were  held  at  Arnold  Willoughby's;  1816  and  1S25, 
at  the  Union  church  in  Norway  village,  and  1819,  at  the  old  Methodist 
meeting  house,  situated  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  the  village. 

We  give  a  complete  list  of  supervisors  from  the  organization  of  the 
town : 

Benjamin  Bowen,  1793;  Josliua  Remington,  1794,  1795;  Benjamin  Uinman,  1796; 
Thomas  Manly,  1797-99,  1803-09,  1835,  1837;  Samuel  Wright,  1800,  1802;  Westel 
Willoughby,  jr.,  1801  ;  Sylvanus  Ferris,  1810-12,  1814;  Stephen  Babbitt,  1813;  Jame.s 
Gile.s  1815;  Roland  Sears,  1816;  Henry  Tillinghast,  1817-22.  1824-26,  1828-31,  1834, 
183(;;  David  Clark,  1823,  1827;  David  Ilumphreville,  1832,  1833,  1849;  William  H. 
Hurlbut,  1838-40,  1842  ;  Abram  L.  Hemingway,  1841  ;  Kathaniel  S.  Henderson,  1843, 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  421 

1845,  1846;  Henry  Tillinghast,  jr.,  1844,  1863;  Lathan  Gray,  1847,  1848;  David  Du 
Bois,  1850,  1851;  Daniel  C.  Henderson,  1852;  Ira  Coe,  1853;  Hiram  T.  Horton,1854, 
1856;  Morgan  Norton,  1855;  Abram  Hurd,  1857,  1858;  Stephen  R.  Millington,  1859; 
Frederick  Smith,  1860;  Benjamin  Austin,  1861;  W^ilham  Carpenter,  1862  ;,  Sylvanus 
B.  Legg,  1804;  William  La  Due,  1865-07;  Munson  Bunnell,  1868-72,  1883-84; 
Lorenzo  D.  Gage,  1873  ;  Luke  T.  Du  Bois,  1874-82 ;  Charles  B.  Gray,  1885-87  ;  Zenas 
B.  Smith,  1888;  William  P.  Van  Vechien,  1889-91  ;  Daniel  W.  Blj,  1892. 

Mills,  Tattfieries  and  Shops. — The  first  saw- mill  in  the  town  was  built 
in  1793  by  Captain  David  Hinman,  about  half  a  mile  northwest  of  Nor- 
way village  on  Sulphur  Spring  Brook.  The  next  was  built  by  W.  H. 
and  G.  W.  Cook  about  1795,  on  Black  Creek.  They  soon  sold  it  to 
James  Jackson  &  Bro.  A  saw-mill  was  standing  on  the  same  site  in 
1878. 

The  first  grist-mill  was  built  by  Carpenter  Cole  in  1793,  about  two 
and  a  half  miles  northeast  from  Norway  village  on  the  Coe  Swamp 
Brook.  I  judge  it  was  a  rude  affair,  as  one  of  the  old  settlers  face- 
tiously described  it  as  "  the  mill  that  ground  a  kernel  of  corn  into  two 
pieces,  and  the  meal  was  prepared  for  use  by  sifting  it  through  a  lad- 
der."    It  was  used  but  a  few  years. 

Green  Garner,  an  enterprising  Rhode  Island  Yankee,  came  into  the 
town  not  far  from  1796  and  bought  200  acres  of  land  southerly  from  Nor- 
way village,  and  the  mill  sites  on  the  Manly  Brook,  a  mile  south  of  the 
village.  He  erected  a  saw- mill  in  1798  and  a  grist-mill  and  distillery  in 
1803.  About  1809  he  sold  his  farming  lands  to  Henry  Tillinghast  and 
Samuel  Carpenter,  and  his  mill  property  to  Adam  Coppernoll,  and  re- 
moved to  Great  Bend,  Jefferson  county-  Thomas  Manly  subsequently 
purchased  the  mill  property.  The  mills  were  in  use  until  1832  and  then 
abandoned.  Isaac  Crosby  built  a  grist-mill  at  Black  Creek  about  1830. 
It  was  afterward  bought  by  Joseph  Western.  It  was  not  used  for  mill- 
ing purposes  over  twenty  years. 

Henry  Tillinghast  first  commenced  the  tanning  business  in  the  town 
soon  after  he  settled  here  in  1793,  and  followed  it  in  connection  with 
farming  for  many  years.  Asa  Lord,  an  early  settler  from  Connecticut, 
had  a  small  tannery  on  Barnes  street,  where  he  followed  the  business  of 
shoemaking  in  connection  with  tanning.  He  removed  from  town  to 
Madison  county  in  iSio. 

Mitchell  Hinman  had  a  small  tannery  in  Wolf  Hollow,  on  the  road 
leading  to  Fairfield,  near  the  south  bounds  of  the  town ;   Isaac  Crosby 


422  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

one  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Nathaniel  Morse,  and  John  and  Timo- 
thy Smith  one  at  Norway  village,  previous  to  1810.  About  1818  Levi 
Brainard  built  a  tannery  at  Sulphur  Spring,  where  he  and  others  fol- 
lowed the  business  for  some  twenty  years.  Alfred  Rurwell  built  a 
small  tannery  at  Norway  village  about  1835  ;  subsequently  it  came  into 
the  possession  of  Amos  Tuttle,  and  afterward  of  Tuttle  &  Lamphier. 
It  was  a  short  lived  concern.  Soon  after  Peter  Crosby  made  an 
effort  at  the  tanning  business  on  Barnes  street ;  it  did  not  amount  to 
much.  In  1853  a  large  tannery  was  erected  at  Grayville,  by  Oliver, 
Harvey  and  William  Ladue.  It  is  claimed  that  $150,000  was  invested 
in  the  enterprise,  and  seventy-five  hands  employed.  It  is  now  owned 
by  T.  E.  Proctor,  of  Boston,  but  business  was  discontinued  in  1887. 

Vale  &  Eddy  built  a  fulling  mill  in  1793  on  the  Hurricane  Brook,  a 
short  distance  above  where  the  State  road  crosses  the  stream.  How 
long  it  has  been  in  operation  I  have  been  unable  to  learn  ;  probably 
but  a  few  years.  Another  fulling-mill  was  built  about  18 16,  on  the 
Manly  Brook,  just  above  the  bridge  on  the  Fairfield  road,  probably  by 
Thomas  Manly.  It  was  operated  by  Brush  &  Rockwell,  and  others, 
and  was  in  use  fifteen  or  twenty  years.  A  fulling  and  carding- mill  was 
built  at  Norway  village  by  a  Mr.  Doty,  previous  to  1820;  it  soon 
passed  into  the  possession  of  William  Hurlbut  and  Thomas  Ives,  and  a 
little  later  Hurlbut  bought  out  Ives,  and  continued  in  business  until 
about  1850,  when  he  abandoned  the  clothing  business,  and  manufac- 
tured cheese  boxes  for  several  years.  Arnold  Willoughby,  previous  to 
1800,  erected  a  small  shop,  dammed  an  insignificant  stream  that  flowed 
passed  his  house  to  secure  water  power,  and  commenced  the  manufac- 
ture of  wheels — "  big  wheels  "  to  spin  rolls,  "little  wheels"  to  spin  flax, 
besides  quill  wheels  and  reels.  He  followed  the  business  until  his  death, 
in  1832,  when  it  was  continued  for  a  short  time  by  his  son,  Amos  C. 
Willoughby. 

There  were  in  1892  three  saw-mills  run  by  water  power.  Within 
the  town  bounds  are  the  deserted  sites  of  five  tanneries,  five  saw-mills, 
three  grist-mills,  three  carding-mills  and  one  distillery. 

Early  Inn-Keepers. — Amos  Coe  and  Thomas  Bra)'ton  are  each  said 
to  have  been  the  first  inn- keeper  in  town.  Bray  ton  was  located  on  the 
Jerseyfield   road,  south   of  the   State  road  crossing,    and   his   opening 


,  TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  423 

dates  back  to  1793  ;  Coe's  cannot  be  ascertained,  neither  is  it  known 
how  long  eitlier  continued  in  business. 

Cook's  store  was  a  sort  of  semi  tavern  ;  in  fact,  if  a  bar  constitutes 
part  of  a  tavern  all  the  early  stores  can  make  a  similar  claim,  as  the  sale 
of  liquors  was  an  important  item  in  their  business. 

Josiah  Smith  opened  a  tavern  at  Norway  village  previous  to  1806, 
and  continued  in  the  business  until  183  i,  when  he  sold  his  property  and 
removed  to  Whitesboro,  Oneida  county. 

The  opening  of  the  State  road  created  a  great  demand  for  taverns  ; 
on  the  western  border  of  the  town  Eli  and  Zephi  Brockett  kept  a  tavern 
soon  after  the  opening  of  this  road  ;  at  a  later  date  and  a  mile  further 
east  Russell  Hine  embarked  in  the  business.  Two  miles  east  of  the 
village,  at  the  intersection  of  the  Jerseyfield  and  State  roads,  two  tav- 
erns, but  a  short  distance  apart,  kept  open  doors  in  friendly  competi- 
tion for  weary  travelers  for  many  years.  Among  others  who  erected 
"  sign  posts  "  at  this  point  were  Pinney,  Dr.  Mabee,  Stockholm,  Shib- 
nah  Nichols,  Havens  and  Benjamin  Hall  and  Armstead.  A  mile 
further  east,  Dorman  first  and  Colvin  after  were  in  the  tavern  business. 
None  of  these  early  taverns  on  the  State  road  lacked  custom.  In  1829 
Levi  Brainard  built  a  hotel  in  the  village,  and  for  a  year  two  rival 
houses  existed. 

In  1834  Frederick  Mason  built  the  present  hotel  at  the  village. 
William  H.  Hurlbut  was  the  first  landlord  ;  he  was  followed  by  A. 
Hurlbut  &  Hill,  J.  D.  Henderson,  Addison  Manly  and  Elias  B.  Pull- 
man, who  purchased  the  property  about  1844,  and  ran  the  hotel  in  con- 
nection with  his  farm  some  twenty  years.  Pullman  sold  the  hotel  to 
George  W.  Hadcock  and  it  has  since  had  half  a  score  of  owners  and 
occupants. 

Amos  Ives  and  Bailey  Legg  were  former  tavern  keepers  on  the  road 
leading  from  Norway  village  to  Grayville,  and  Joshua  Bennett,  William 
B.  Smith,  Seymour  Bullock  and  Hiram  Gettman,  from  1820  to  1840 
did  something  in  the  tavern  business  at  Black  Creek  or  Westernville. 

Post-offices  and  Post  Routes. — Josiah  Smith  was  the  first  postmaster 
appointed  in  18 13  and  kept  the  ofifice  about  twenty  years  in  his  hotel. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Levi  Brainard,  who  held  the  position  two  years. 
David  Du  Bois  was  appointed  in  1830,  and  was  postmaster  for  seven- 


424  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

teen  years.  During  all  this  time,  and  for  some  years  after,  the  mail 
route  was  over  the  old  State  road.  At  first  weekly  and  semi- weekly 
trips  on  horse-back  were  made.  About  1850  the  mail  route  was 
changed,  and  since  that  time  news  has  come  from  the  outside  world  via 
Herkimer  ?nd  Newport.  Joseph  C.  Crane,  William  Vandenburgh, 
Jeremiah  Smith,  Charles  K.  Johnson,  Alonzo  Rust  and  John  B.  Root 
have  since  been  postmasters.  Dexter  W.  Smith  was  appointed  July 
I,  1878.  He  was  succeeded  by  H.  J.  Vrooman,  J.  C.  F.  Walker  and 
Nathan  Smith.     J.  H.  Bliss  is  the  present  incumbent. 

Merchants  and  Stores. — Of  Norway's  first  merchants,  Thaddeus 
Scribner  &  Brother,  but  little  is  known.  They  came  about  1790  or 
1 79 1,  located  a  short  distance  north  of  the  present  village  of  Norway 
and  remained  but  a  short  time.  Peter  Swinburne  opened  a  small  store 
soon  after  on  the  Jerseyfield  road,  a  little  north  of  where  the  State  road 
now  crosses  the  former.  He  removed  at  an  early  day  to  Deer  River, 
Lewis  county,  where  he  died  in  1832. 

George  W.  and  William  H.  Cook  came  into  the  town  in  1792  from 
Dutchess  county,  with  both  capital  and  enterprise.  They  purchased 
400  acres  of  land  just  north  of  Norway  village  ;  erected  a  large  building 
which  served  the  double  purpose  of  store  and  dwelling  ;  kept  a  large 
and  varied  stock  of  goods  for  the  times,  and  for  some  twelve  years 
secured  a  large  trade.  William  H.  Cook  was  appointed  sherifif  of  the 
county  March  17,  1802,  and  held  that  position  for  four  years,  in  suc- 
cession. He  was  again  appointed  in  1808  and  held  the  office  one  year. 
The  Cooks  left  town  for  New  York  about  r8o8.  At  an  early  day 
Dr.  Westel  Willoughby,  Dr.  Moses  Tombling  and  John  Nicholson  were 
engaged  in  trade  on  a  small  scale  at  localities  not  far  distant  northerly 
from  Norway  village.  Nicholson  removed  to  Herkimer,  and  was  elected 
member  of  Congress  in  1808. 

Horace  Dorman,  a  Mr.  Weed  and  Preserved  Hall  had  small  stores 
in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  town,  and  Parsons  &  Brother  and  Dr. 
Roland  Sears  at  the  sulphur  springs  at  an  early  date. 

The  first  store  kept  at  Norway  village  was  opened  about  the  }-ear 
1800  by  Nathan  Hinman  The  house  in  which  the  store  was  located 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  hotel.  Soon  after  Truman  White  and 
one  Carr  were  in    trade  here.     Carr's  store  was  near  where  Gage's  shop 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  425 

now  stands.  Still  later,  probably  about  1810,  Cooper  &  Sanford  built 
a  store  and  embarked  in  trade  ;  two  years  later  they  sold  out  to  Fred- 
erick Mason,  who  came  from  New  London,  Conn.  Mason  was  a  man 
of  decided  business  ability,  and  well  adapted  to  attain  success  as  a 
country  merchant.  He  continued  in  trade  until  1838,  when  he  sold 
his  property  to  Charles  W.  Lowerie,  and  soon  thereafter  removed  to 
Brooklyn,  where  he  died. 

Charles  Bradley  built  the  store  now  occupied  by  J.  H.  Bliss  in  18 16, 
and  continued  in  trade  for  about  ten  years,  a  portion  of  the  time  in 
partnership  with  Henry  Waterman,  late  of  Newport.  Bradley  died  in 
1825,  when  Buell  &  Hallett  purchased  the  store,  and  after  continuing 
the  business  for  a  time,  sold  to  Stevens  &  Nichols,  who  were  in  trade 
a  short  time,  when  A.  H.  Buell  again  became  proprietor,  with  John  P. 
Mabee  as  a  partner.  Three  years  after  Mabee  sold  his  interest  to 
William  Vandenburgh,  who  continued  business  with  Buell  two  years, 
when  he  retired,  and  the  firm  of  Buell  &  Willard  was  formed  in  1839. 
In  1844  George  N.  Willard  bought  Buell's  interest  and  continued  alone 
until  1848,  when  he  sold  to  Stebbins  &  Ives.  J.  H.  Ives  &  Co.  bought 
out  the  last  named  firm  in  1852,  which  was  succeeded  by  the  "  Norway 
Union  Store  Company  "  in  1855,  which  existed  three  years.  Jefferson 
Tillinghast  occupied  the  store  for  a  year  or  two  after.  The  store  was 
afterward  used  for  a  tin  and  a  shoe  shop  until  1876,  when  it  was  pur- 
chased by  D.  W.  Smith  &  Co.,  who  continued  the  business  until  1886, 
when  it  was  sold  to  J.  F.  C.  Walker.  This  store  is  now  occupied  by 
J.  H.  Bliss. 

After  Mason's  discontinuance  of  business  his  store  was  occupied  two 
years  by  Burrell  &  Ives,  who  were  followed  by  C.  W.  Lowerie,  Lowerie 
&  Henderson,  Stebbins  &  Ives  and  A.  Rust.  In  i860  the  building  was 
remodeled  into  a  dwelling  house. 

About  1850  Alonzo  Rust  bought  the  large  corner  building  opposite 
the  hotel,  where  he  did  business  until  1 863.  He  was  followed  by  Root  & 
Service  and  J.  B.  Root.  In  1867  another  "  Union  Store  Company  "  was 
organized  for  a  term  of  ten  years.  Its  stockholders  comprised  most  of 
the  farmers  of  the  town,  and  A.  S.  White,  C.  A.  Walker,  J.  M.  Salis- 
bury and  J.  M.  Root  served  as  agents.  Ten  years'  experience  and 
$3,000  loss  convinced  the  stockholders  that  they  were  not  adapted  for 
5i 


426  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

mercantile  pursuits.  Frederick  Smith  occupied  this  store  from  Sep- 
tember, 1877,  to  April  1883. 

Zenas  Smith  was  in  trade  about  two  years  in  1886-87.  He  was  fol- 
lowed by  J.  C.  F.  Walker,  who  now  occupies  the  building. 

In  1853  a  store  was  begun  in  connection  with  the  Grayville  tannery, 
and  is  still  in  successful  operation. 

Norway's  Centennial. — One  of  the  most  notable  events  in  this  town's 
history  was  the  centennial  celebration  of  its  settlement  by  the  Potters 
in  1787.  It  occurred  September  7  and  8,  1887,  and  was  a  marked  suc- 
cess, in  spite  of  unfavorable  weather  on  the  first  and  main  day  of  the 
gathering.  The  programme  had  been  carefully  prepared  and  was  suc- 
cessfully carried  out.  Nearly  or  quite  2,000  people  were  present. 
Large  delegations  from  the  adjoining  towns  attended  and  guests  were 
present  from  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island  and  most  of  the 
Western  States,  including  California.  Inspiring  music  was  furnished  by 
the  Cold  Brook  drum  corps  and  brass  band.  The  exercises  at  the 
platform  were  opened  with  prayer  by  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Austin.  Fred. 
Smith  read  an  interesting  historical  sketch  of  the  town.  Addresses 
were  delivered  by  Hon.  H.  H.  Holt  of  Michigan,  Hon.  G.  W.  Smith 
of  Herkimer  and  Hon.  P.  H.  McEvoy  of  Little  Falls.  Fine  poems 
were  read  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Austin  of  Ilion  and  Hon.  J.  D.  Henderson  of 
Herkimer.  A  free  ride  from  the  railroad  at  Newport  and  return,  a  free 
dinner  served  in  the  Mason  mansion  and  a  warm  welcome  for  all  at- 
tested the  hospitality  of  Norway's  citizens. 

The  second  day  of  the  celebration  was  held  in  the  old  Union  church, 
and  took  the  form  of  a  social  love  feast.  It  will  long  be  remembered  as 
a  season  of  intense  interest,  as  anecdotes  and  reminiscences  of  the  olden 
time  were  related. 

"  Friends  and  schoolmates  meet  once  more, 
Playmates  who  wandered  o'er  the  hills    > 

lu  by- gone  years — now  aged  men 

And  matrons  gray — in  sweet  converse 

Recall  their  childhood  hours  again." 

The  success  of  the  celebration  was  largely  due  to  the  efforts  of  Fred. 
Smith,  who,  January  i,  1887,  commenced  the  publication  of  a  small 
monthly  newspaper,  Norway  Tidings,  that  awakened  a  great  interest  in 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  427 

the  centennial.  The  Httle  paper  was  continued  for  four  j  ears,  was  lib- 
erally patronized  and  gathered  up  a  large  amount  of  local  history  that 
otherwise  would  have  been  lost. 

Religious  Meetings  and  Societies. — The  first  religious  meetings  were 
held  by  Rev.  Mr.  Robertson  in  1792,  upon  the  authority  of  the  "  State 
Gazetteer;"  but  by  what  denomination,  I  am  unable  to  tell.  A  ma- 
jority of  the  early  settlers  from  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  were 
Presbyterian  in  sentiment,  while  those  from  Rhode  Island  were  Baptist. 
The  first  definite  information  concerning  religious  matters  in  town  is 
obtained  from  the  journal  of  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander,  who  made  a  mission- 
ary tour  in  the  Mohawk  valley  in  1801.  Mr.  Alexander  reached  Nor- 
way November  10,  1801,  and  remained  until  the  23d  of  the  month, 
visiting  and  preaching  in  this  and  the  adjoining  towns  of  Fairfield  and 
Salisbury.  In  the  closing  portion  of  his  journal  Mr.  Ale.vander  asserts  : 
"In  the  whole  county  of  Herkimer  there  is  neither  a  Presbyterian  nor 
Congregationalist  minister.  The  people  seem  in  general  to  be  growing 
up  in  ignorance  and  wickedness." 

The  next  year  another  Massachusetts  missionary,  of  like  religious 
faith,  the  Rev.  John  Taylor,  visited  the  Mohawk  and  Black  River  coun- 
try. He  reached  Norway  July  28,  1802,  and  from  his  journal  we  take 
the  following  : 

Norway,  *  *  *  A  young  gent  by  the  name  of  Johnson  has  preached  in  this  town 
for  several  Sabbaths,  and  the  people  have  hired  him  for  three  or  four  Sabbaths  to  come. 
There  is  a  considerable  congregation  of  Presbyterians.  But  it  is  in  this  town  as  in  all 
those  parts.  Tiiere  is  a  mixture  of  Baptists,  of  Methodists,  Universalists  and  Deists. 
In  the  various  parts  of  the  town  there  is  preaching  by  sectarians  of  almost  all  kinds 
every  Sabbath.  There  is  one  Methodist  church,  numerous  ;  two  Baptist  churches  and 
part  of  a  third  ;  no  meeting-houses. 

A  religious  association  styled  the  ' '  Calvary  Society  "  was  early  formed ; 
its  members  were  composed  of  different  denominations,  as  well  as  those 
not  church  members.  One  of  its  objects  was  to  procure  preaching,  and 
raise  money  to  defray  the  expense.  Its  book  of  records  dates  back  to 
1803.  April  5,  1803,  the  association  "  voted  to  make  choice  of  the  Rev. 
Caleb  Alexander  for  their  minister,  to  preach  in  said  society  one- third 
part  of  the  time,  and  that  they  give  him  $100  a  year  for  his  services." 
At  a  meeting  held  at  Josiah  Smith's,  December  6,  1806,  "  it  was  found 
that  the  funds  of  said  society  were  reduced  to  $66.50,  in   consequence 


428  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTV*. 

of  deaths  and  removals  from  town.  Voted  that  the  trustees  make  a 
statement  of  the  funds  to  the  Rev.  C.  Alexander,  and  know  if  he  will 
continue  to  preach  in  said  society  for  that  amount."  "  An  assessment 
of  eighty-six  and  a  half  cents  on  each  dollar  then  collectable  "  was  voted 
in  order  to  make  a  settlement  with  Mr.  Alexander.  In  October,  1813, 
"at  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  it  was  resolved  to  build  a  meeting-house 
on  Dudley  Smith's  lot."  The  building  of  the  first  church  in  the  village 
of  Norway  was  an  event  that  awakened  unusual  interest.  Subscriptions 
to  the  amout  of  $1,640.75  were  made. 

The  Presbyterian  church,  organized  in  1798,  was  the  leading  church 
in  the  town  for  over  thirty  years.  Among  the  clergymen  who  preached 
for  this  church  were : 

Revs.  William  Williams,  Mr.  Harrower,  Phinias  Robinson,  Samuel  Sweezy,  Charles 
Bowie.'!,  David  Chassell,  Seth  Burt,  Mr.  Camp,  Isaac  Foster,  Mr.  Duncan,  Mr.  Cargon, 
Mr.  Pratt,  and  Richard  Knight. 

The  church  began  to  wane  in  members  and  prosperity  after  1830,  and 
disbanded  soon  after  1850.  Among  the  prominent  Presbyterians  of 
early  days  were  Seth  Smith,  Sylvanus  Ferris,  Zadock,  Amos  and  Zenas 
Bronson,  Abram  Cole,  Josiah  Smith  and  Galen  Barstow. 

Both  the  old  Union  and  Baptist  churches  were  adorned  with  high 
steeples,  but  during  a  severe  thunder  shower,  June  4,  1856,  both  were 
blown  off  and  have  never  been  replaced.  On  the  nth  of  April,  1871, 
the  old  church  was  again  visited  by  the  elements  ;  a  stroke  of  lightning 
shattered  it,  but  did  not  set  fire  to  it;  it  was  repaired  the  same  season, 
but  is  now  unfit  for  use.     It  was  last  used  for  a  festival  in  March,  1891. 

The  early  history  of  the  Methodist  church  in  this  town  is  shrouded  in 
mystery.  Probably  a  Methodist  society  was  formed  previous  to  1800, 
as  missionary  Taylor  reports  a  "  numerous "  Methodist  church  in 
1802.  Comfort  Barnes,  and  his  sons  Luther,  Lewis  and  Cavit,  with 
their  families,  and  some  of  their  neigbors,  were  Methodists.  The  Jer- 
seyfield  road  was  a  stronghold  of  Methodism.  The  first  church  build- 
ing erected  in  the  town,  and  probably  the  first  Methodist  church  in  the 
county,  was  built  on  the  road  directly  east  from  Norway  village  in 
1809.  It  was  used  as  a  church  until  1839,  when  it  was  sold,  removed 
and  converted  into  a  barn.  Revs.  Joseph  Willis  and  Asa  Cummins 
were  appointed  to  labor  on   the  Herkimer  circuit  in  1808,  and  are   said 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  429 

to  have  been  the  first  circuit  preachers  in  the  town.  Rev.  W.  Brown 
was  associated  with  Willis  in  1809.  Herkimer  circuit  then  extended 
from  St.  Johnsville  on  the  east  to  Trenton  on  the  west.  Rev.  Messrs. 
Dunham,  Lippitt,  Chandley  Lambert,  David  Shepard,  John  Ercan- 
back,  Calvin  Hawley,  and  Jolin  Wallis  were  among  the  early  preachers. 
The  prominent  members,  besides  those  already  mentioned,  of  this  early 
church  were  Uriah  Tompkins,  William  Comstock  and  wife,  Stephen 
Comstock  and.  his  wife,  Eunice  Comstock,  Thomas  Rathbun,  John 
Kennedy,  Asahel  Burlingame,  Moses  Gage  and  his  wife,  William  and 
David  Haskins,  and  Selah  Griswold,  About  the  time  the  old  church 
was  abandoned  two  new  Methodist  societies  were  organized.  The 
members  living  in  the  central  part  of  the  town  met  at  Norway  village 
March  20,  1837,  chose  the  Rev.  John  Roper  and  Jeremiah  Smith  pre- 
siding officers,  and  Charles  H.  Austin,  secretary  ;  resolved  that  their 
church  title  should  be  "The  First  M.  E.  Church  of  the  Town  of  Nor- 
way," and  that  Jeremiah  Smith,  Johnson  Smith,  Joel  Du  Bois,  Stephen 
Gage  and  Ackland  Salisbury  be  trustees  of  said  society.  The  members 
living  in  the  north  part  of  the  town  met  at  the  Barnes  district  school- 
house  May  29,  1837,  designated  their  society  as  "The  Second  M.  E. 
Church  of  Norway,"  and  elected  Benjamin  Austin,  Joseph  Western, 
Hiram  Getman,  Stephen  Case  and  Seymour  Bullock  trustees.  A  small 
but  neat  and  commodious  church  was  built  at  Norway  village  in  1837, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000,  and  a  similar  church  at  Black  Creek  soon 
after.  Rev.  George  Gary  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon  of  the  church 
at  Norway  village. 

The  Sth  of  September,  1870,  another  Methodist  society  was  formed 
at  Gray,  designated' "  The  First  M.  E.  Church  of  Gray;"  James  V. 
Du  Bois,  W.  W.  Bullock,  J.  M.  Brown,  V.  R.  Tompkins  and  S.  B. 
Legg  were  elected  trustees.  A  fine  church  was  built  here  in  1871,  at  a 
cost  of  nearly  $5,000.  The  membership  of  the  three  societies,  including 
probationers,  numbers  about  one  hundred.  The  church  property  is  in 
good  condition. 

A  few  of  the  early  residents  of  Norway  were  Baptists,  and  became 
members  of  the  Newport  Baptist  church.  On  the  25th  of  December, 
1823,  the  members  of  that  church  then  residents  of  this  town  held  a 
meeting  at   Dudley    Smith's  and   petitioned    the  "  rr,  other  church"  to 


430  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

form  a  separate  church  organization.  The  petition  was  granted  May 
24,  1830,  and  on  the  28th  of  September  the  same  year  the  church  was, 
after  a  council,  admitted  into  fellowship  with  its  sister  churches.  The 
names  of  the  twenty-three  persons  first  composing  the  church  are  as 
follow : 

Osee  Brunson,  Dudley  Smith,  Isaac  Crosby,  Samuel  Western,  Westel  Brunson, 
Phineas  Hemingway,  Jeiferson  Tillinghast,  Wilbur  Tillinghast,  Rebekah  Brunson,  Ara- 
bella English,  Temple  Ross,  Anna  Brunson,  I.ydia  Tillinghast,  Mary  Crosby,  Priscilla 
Tillinghast,  Mary  Crandall,  Abigail  Nichols,  Mary  Hemingway,  Sarali  Western,  Polly 
Underbill,  Susanna  Smith,  Lavina  Buck  and  Sarah  Tillinghast. 

The  ne.Kt  year,  1831,  the  church  erected  a  large  and  commodious  house  of  worship, 
which  was  dedicated  in  the  spring  of  1832,  the  Rev.  Elon  Galusha  preaching  the  dedi- 
cation sermon.  The  first  regular  pastor  of  the  church  was  the  Rev.  R.  T.  Smith,  who 
commenced  his  labors  in  January,  1831.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  William  B. 
Curtis,  Charles  B.  Brown,  L.  0.  Lovel,  N.  Gr.  Collins,  N.  Furgerson,  E.  D.  Towner, 
Francis  Prescott,  S.  A.  Douglass,  Charles  E.  Brown  (again),  H.  Steelman,  L.  B.  Barker, 
J.  W.  Starkweather,  R.  D.  Pierce,  David  Beecher,  S.  D.  Ross  and  the  Rev.  George 
Fisher,  who  is  the  present  pastor. 

For  a  period  ©f  twenty  years  after  1835  this  church  was  strong  in 
membership  and  influence,  and  its  preachers  were  among  the  ablest  in 
the  denomination.  Afterward  deaths,  removals  and  internal  dissen- 
sions reduced  its  membership.  For  some  years  past  it  has  been  grad- 
ually growing,  and  in  187S  numbered  fifty-eight  members.  Twice  since 
the  meeting-house  was  erected  it  has  been  thoroughly  repaired,  the 
last  time  in  1878,  which  left  the  church  property  in  good  condition. 

A  Freewill  Baptist  church  existed  for  a  time.  Job  Bly,  Timothy 
SiTiith,  David  Humphreville  and  members  of  their  families  were  some 
of  the  leading  members.  They  had  stated  preaching  for  some  years  at 
the  old  Union  church,  but  the  church  ceased  to  exist  more  than  twenty 
years  since.  Quite  a  number  of  persons  residing  in  the  Hurricane 
district  are  members  of  the  Poland  Freewill  Baptist  churcli  and  sustain 
preaching  in  their   locality. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  church  in  Norway  was  organized  July  26, 
18 19,  when  it  was  voted  that  the  title  should  be  "  Grace  Church,"  and 
that  Henry  Lumm  and  Jared  Smith  be  the  first  wardens,  and  Frederick 
Mason,  Levi  Brainard,  Charles  Bradley,  Shibnah  Nichols,  William 
Forsyth,  Danford  Doty,  James  Giles,  jr.,  and  Ira  Coe  the  first  vestry- 
men.    The  first   rector  was   Rev.  Daniel   McDonald,   then  principal  of 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  431 

Fairfield  Academy,  who  commenced  his  labors  about  this  date.  The 
first  organization  was  not  kept  up  in  conformity  to  law,  and  a  reorgan- 
ization was  effected  the  8th  day  of  May,  1837,  at  which  David  Du  Bois 
and  Joseph  C.  Crane  were  elected  wardens,  and  Frederick  Mason,  Addi- 
son Manly,  J.  C.  Crane,  D.  Du  Bois,  Daniel  C.  Henderson,  Isaac  Corp, 
Morgan  Norton  and   Ira  Coe  vestrymen. 

Rev.  William  Baker  preached  for  this  church  many  ^  years  and  is 
favorably  remembered.  Other  well  known  rectors  were  Rev.  Messrs. 
Northrup,  William  Johnson  and  E.  N.  Goddard.  The  church  member- 
ship in  1878  numbered  about  twenty.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Morris  was  then 
rector  of  the  church,  being  partly  supported  by  the  missionary  fund  of 
this  denomination.  No  Episcopal  service  has  been  held  for  several 
years  and  the  church  organization  is  discontinued. 

Pliysicians.  —  The  earliest  physician  in  Norway  was  Dr.  Westel 
Willoughby,  who  came,  probably,  in  1792.  An  extended  sketch  of 
this  faithful  physician  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  the  Medical  So- 
ciety. Members  of  the  profession  who  practiced  in  the  town  at  later 
periods  were  Drs.  Abijah  Tombling,  Lazarus  Tousey,  Roland  Sears, 
Bryant  Burwell,  William  Frame,  Moses  Johnson,  David  Bingham, 
Shadrack  N.  Vincent,  Simon  Goodell,  Stephen  R.  Millington,  William 
M.  Hayes,  Thomas  Hayes,  H.  A.  France  and  Charks  J.  Hall.  Dr. 
Henry  J.  Vrooman  is  now  in  practice. 

Cemeteries. — An  acre  of  land  lying  on  the  northerly  bounds  of  Nor- 
way village  was  deeded  by  Dudley  Smith  in  1803  for  cemetery  pur- 
poses. It  had  been  used  for  a  burying- ground  at  least  ten  Vears  pre- 
viously. The  first  person  buried  here  is  said  to  have  been  a  blacksmith, 
but  the  date  of  his  death  and  his  name  are  unknown.  In  1889  a  sub- 
stantial lime- stone  wall  was  erected  along  the  road  front — a  fine  im- 
provement. Burying-grounds  were  located  at  an  early  day  near  the 
southeast  and  southwest  corners  of  the  town,  and  also  in  the  Hurricane 
district,  and  all  are  still  used  and  in  good  repair. 

The  Barnes  Street  Cemetery  was  not  opened  until  about  1808.  Mrs. 
James  Jackson,  of  Black  Creek,  in  that  neighborhood,  died  during  a 
remarkable  snow  storm,  in  the  spring  of  1807,  and  the  funeral  proces- 
sion was  two  days  in  going  to  the  Norway  village  cemetery  and  return- 
ing, a  distance  of  four  miles.     This  snow  storm  is  noticed  in  an  old 


432  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

memorandum  made  by  Jared  Smith,  an  old  settler,  as  follows:  "Nor- 
way, March  the  30th,  1S07. — Snowed  till  April  the  4th,  and  fell  three 
feet;   with  the  old  snow,  five  feet  deep  the  6th  day  of  April." 

Quite  a  number  of  private  and  family  burying  places  were  located  in 
various  parts  of  the  town  by  the  early  settlers. 

Among  ll>e  prominent  families  in  this  town  is  that  of  Smith.  Jared 
Smith,  sr.,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  Dorcas  Beecher  were  both  born 
in  the  town  of  Huntington,  Conn.  They  were  married  August  20, 
1761,  and  soon  after  removed  to  Southbury,  Conn.,  where  their  oldest 
child,  Jared,  jr.,  was  born  April  11,  1766.  Dorcas  Johnson  was  born 
in  the  same  town  June  23,  1766,  and  was  married  to  Jared  Smith, 
jr.,  January  14,  1787.  Soon  after  marriage  they  removed  to  Freehold, 
Greene  county,  N.  Y.,  where  they  resided  about  nine  years.  In  1796 
Mr.  Smith  made  quite  an  extended  tour  through  Central  New  York, 
which  resulted  in  his  purchasing  one  hundred  acres  of  land  a  mile  east 
of  where  Norway  village  is  now  located  ;  his  choice  probably  being  in- 
fluenced by  several  Southbury  families  who  had  previously  settled  in 
the  town.  Johnson  Smith,  their  only  son,  was  born  in  this  town  Octo- 
tober  30,  1798. 

Daniel  Salisbury  lived  for  a  time  and  died  at  Swansea,  Mass.  One 
of  his  sons,  Richard,  was  born  in  that  town  and  married  Elizabeth 
Easterbrooks,  of  Warren,  R.  I.  One  of  their  sons,  Nathaniel,  was  born 
in  Swansea,  Mass.,  March  24,  1772.  He  married  Joanna  Wilson,  of 
Thompson,  Conn.,  January  27,  1796,  and  immediately  settled  in  p'air- 
field,  Herkimer  county,  where  one  of  their  daughters,  Sarah,  was  born 
September  6,  1798. 

Johnson  Smith  and  Sarah  Salisbury  were  married  January  25,  1825. 
Frederick  Smith,  their  oldest  son,  was  born  in  Norway  January  9, 
1826,  and  married,  November  20,  1851,  Miss  Maria  E.  Service, 
of  the  same  town.  His  occupation  has  been  farming  and  clerking 
mainly.  The  official  positions  he  has  held  in  the  town  are  noted  else- 
where. In  June,  187 1,  he  was  appointed  deputy  county  clerk,  and  held 
that  office  about  five  years.  At  present  he  is  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  at  Norway  village. 

The  Norton  Family. — Thomas  Norton  came  from  England  in  1639, 
with  his  son  John.     John  died  in  1704  ;   his  son  John  (2d)  was  born   in 


TOWN  OF  NORWAY.  433 

1668  and  died  in  1711.  John  3d  was  born  in  1699  and  died  in  1798  ; 
his  son  John  (4th)  was  born  in  1734,  died  in  1804,  and  was  buried  on 
Guilford  Green,  Connecticut.  He  married  Lucy  Lee  in  1758.  They 
had  eight  children.  James  Norton,  their  seventh  child,  was  born  July 
14,  1774.  Huldah  Chittenden  was  born  October  10,  1777.  James 
Norton  and  Huldah  Chittenden  were  married  at  Guilford;  Connecticut, 
in  1794. 

Mr.  Norton  came  into  this  county  in  1794  and  located  upon  land 
purchased  by  his  father  in  the  town  of  Salisbury,  but  not  being  pleased 
with  the  location,  he  came  to  Norway  and  purchased  the  place  upon 
which  he  lived  until  his  death,  in  1850.  In  May,  1796,  he  brought  his 
wife  and  infant  daughter  (who  afterwards  became  Mrs.  Ira  Coe)  from 
Guilford.  By  dint  of  unflagging  industry  and  much  self  denial,  Mr. 
Norton  cleared  up  his  farm.  A  growing  family  made  more  room 
necessary,  and  in  1804  or  1805  he  erected  a  frame  dwelling  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Norton  homestead,  which  a  few  years  later  served  as 
a  wing  to  a  more  pretentious  "  upright  "  two-story  dwelling,  which  is 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mrs.  R.  C.  Norton,  the  widow  of  Morgan 
Norton.  Morgan  Norton  was  born  in  Norway,  March  28,  1809. 
Elizabeth  Tillinghast  was  born  in  Norway,  March  28,  1808.  They 
were  married  in  October,  1836.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Tillinghast  Norton 
died  June  11,  1842.  Rhoda  C.  Di.x  was  born  at  White  Creek,  Wash- 
ington county,  N.  Y.,  November  10,  1817.  Morgan  Norton  and  Miss 
Dix  were  married  in  October,  1846.  Mr.  Norton  held  various  positions 
in  the  town,  and  was  elected  supervisor  in  1855.  In  1856  he  was 
seriously  hurt  by  falling  from  a  tree,  injuring  his  spine  and  incapaci- 
tating him  for  active  business.      He  died  July  15,  1872. 

David  Du  Bpis  was  born  June  1 1,  1797,  and  is  now  the  oldest  resident 
of  Norway.  The  family  'descended  from  the  Huguenots,  Louis  Du 
Bois  being  a  representative  of  that  persecuted  sect  who  immigrated  to 
this  country  in  1660,  and  settled  in  Ulster  county.  His  third  child, 
Jacob,  settled  in  Norway  in  1795.  David  Du  Bois  married  Sarah 
Tillinghast,  December  29,  1829.  The  only  offspring  of  this  union  now 
living  are  Luke  Du  Bois  and  Mrs.  J.  D.  Henderson,  of  Herkimer.  Mr. 
Du  Bois  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  business  and  politics,  and  for 
many  years  has  been  senior  warden  of  the  Episcopal  church. 


434  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  TOWN  OF  RUSSIA. 

RUSSIA  is  one  of  the  large  towns  of  Herkimer  county  and  situated  on 
the  northwestern  border.  It  is  bounded  on  the  nortli  by  Wihiiurt 
and  Oneida  county;  on  the  east  by  Ohio  and  Norway;  on  the  south 
by  Newport,  and  on  the  west  by  Oneida  county.  Russia  was  formed 
from  Norway,  as  "  Union,"  April  7,  1806.  Its  name  was  changed  April 
6,  1808,  and  a  part  of  Wilmurt  was  taken  off  in  1836,  when  the  latter 
town  was  formed.  The  surface  of  the  town  is  rolling  and  moderately 
hilly,  descending  quite  abruptly  on  the  west  to  the  valley  of  the  West 
Canada  Creek  which  flows  for  a  long  distance  on  its  western  boundary. 
Black  Creek  flows  across  the  northern  part.  Cold  Brook  flows  across 
the  southwestern  part  and  affords  excellent  water  power.  Trenton 
Falls,  on  the  West  Canada  Creek,  are  on  the  western  border  of  the 
town ;  and  about  two  miles  above  the  junction  of  Black  Creek  and 
West  Canada  Creek  is  believed  to  be  the  spot  where  Walter  N.  Butler 
was  killed  by  Col.  Willett's  troops,  as  related  on  an  earlier  page. 

Russia  contains  a  part  of  the  third  allotment  of  the  Royal  Grant,  por- 
tions of  Jerseyfield,  Remsenburgh  and  Matchin's  patents,  and  the  whole 
of  Lush's,  Marvin's  and  Jacob's  patents,  nearlj'  37,000  acres.  The 
town  was  not  settled  previous  to  the  Revolution.  In  1792  Stoddard 
Squire  came  from  Connecticut  and  settled  in  the  town,  bringing  with 
him  John  G.  Squire,  his  son,  then  a  boy  seven  years  old.  Dr.  Truman 
Squire,  a  grandson  of  Stoddard  Squire,  was  born  in  Russia  and  became 
prominent  in  his  profession.  He  practiced  for  many  years  at  Elmira, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  died.  He  made  important  contributions  to  medical 
science,  for  which  he  received  honors  both  in  this  country  and 
Europe.  The  Millington  family  from  Vermont,  and  the  Smith  family, 
came  in  and  took  up  land  within  a  few  years  after  Squire's  settlement. 
Farley  Fuller,  George  Taylor,  and  Roscum  Slocum  moved  into  the  town 
probably  in  1794,  and  between  that  year  and  1 800  quite  a  number  of  other 


TOWN  OF  RUSSIA  435 

families  made  settlements  here.  Among  these  were  a  man  named  Austin, 
with  his  son  ;  VVilham  Buck,  Jeremiah  Smith,  Jonathan  Carpenter,  father 
of  Jotham  Carpenter,  and  a  family  named  Coon  who  settled  on  the  State 
road.  Farley  Smith  and  Minerva  Smith  were  the  first  persons  married 
in  the  town  (1794),  and  a  son  of  a  Mr.  Allen  and  soon  afterward  Waite 
Robinson,  were  those  who  first  died  in  the  town.  The  first  school  was 
taught  at  Graves'  Hollow  (now  Gravesville),  the  teacher's  name  being 
Morehouse.  The  first  tavern  in  the  town  was  kept  by  Stephen  Smith  2d, 
on  the  State  road  opposite  the  William  Buck  homestead,  and  the  first 
store  was  kept  at  Gravesville,  where  Lankton's  old  store  stands.  Benja- 
min Hinman  built  the  first  saw-mill  in  1797,  and  in  the  same  year  he 
built  a  grist-mill  on  the  site  of  the  later  mill  at  Gravesville.  Dr.  William 
Frame  was  the  first  physician  in  the  town,  and  was  succeeded  by  Dr. 
Sears.  Other  early  comers  are  mentioned  in  the  sketches  of  the  vil- 
lages of  the  town. 

Outside  of  lumbering  the  principal  occupation  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Russia  is  farming,  in  late  years  cheese  and  buttermaking  receiving  the 
most  attention.  The  Utica  and  Black  River  Railroad  approaches  very 
near  to  the  western  border  of  the  town.  It  was  opened  in  1855-6  and 
gave  convenient  access  to  a  good  market  at  Utica,  which  aided  in  the 
development  of  the  agricultural  industries  of  Russia. 

Poland  Village — Is  beautifully  situated  in  the  extreme  southwest  part 
of  the  town,  and  contains  very  many  handsome  residences.  Consider- 
able business  is  carried  on,  but  very  little  manufacturing.  The  settle- 
ment in  this  vicinity  was  not  made  until  iSooor  a  little  later;  but  after 
that  date  it  rapidly  filled  up.  Among  the  pioneers  of  the  locality  were 
Nathan  Burwell,  Samuel  Wright,  Daniel  Swezey,  Ebenezer  Newman, 
Michael  De  Grofif,  Jesse  Brayton,  George  Arnold,  Uriah  and  Cornelius 
Schermerhorn,  Silas  Beebe,  Samuel  Giles,  Moses  Mather,  Amos  Beebe, 
James  King,  William  Truman,  Samuel  Newberry,  Jenks  Benchley,  Na- 
hum  Daniels,  Daniel  Jones,  James  Trask,  John  Gorton,  James  M.  Dex- 
ter, and  the  Terry  family.  Many  of  these  located  in  the  vicinity  of 
Cold  Brook,  whither  they  were  attracted  by  the  valuable  water  power, 
and  many  of  their  descendants  still  live  in  the  town. 

The  first  school-house  at  Poland  was  erected  in  1798,  of  logs,  and 
stood  on  what  is  now  Newport  street,  a  few  rods  from   the  site  of  the 


436  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

present  school-house;  the  second  one  was  about  half  way  between 
Poland  and  Swezey  Hill,  a  mile  northeast  of  the  other  one.  A  third 
school- house  was  built  on  Cold  Brook  street  near  where  Arthur  Sprague 
now  lives.  A  frame  house  was  built  later  nearly  on  the  site  of  this 
last  mentioned  log  house.  The  fiftii  school-house  was  also  on  Cold 
Brook  street.  The  sixth  was  built  in  1868,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
commodious  house.  The  old  building  was  at  first  used  as  a  part  of  the 
new  one  and  a  primary  department  was  kept  in  a  part  of  it  in  1874. 
In  1877  the  whole  of  the  old  building  was  taken  for  the  primary  depart- 
ment, and  the  new  house  remodeled  and  greatly  improved. 

The  first  grist-mill  in  Poland  was  built  by  Moses  Mather,  father  of 
Dr.  William  and  Jairus  Mather,  of  Fairfield,  in  1 807.  A  valuable 
manuscript  left  by  the  late  Dr.  William  Mather  says  that  soon  after  1803 
his  father  purchased  a  tract  of  land  of  Nathan  Burwell,  the  pioneer, 
located  at  what  was  then  called  "  Russia  Flats,"  now  Poland,  which  em- 
braced many  valuable  mill  privileges.  He  removed  his  family  thither 
in  1806  and  immediately  began  improving  the  mill  privileges  on  Cold 
Brook.  He  built  the  first  grist-mill  on  that  stream,  became  the  owner 
of  two  saw- mills,  besides  building  other  mills  for  turning  wood  and  forg- 
ing iron  by  water  power.  About  the  year  1809-10,  when  the  secret  of 
distilling  intoxicating  liquor  from  grain  began  to  be  known,  he  engaged 
in  that  business  as  one  of  the  first  in  this  section.  The  first  year  the  price 
of  whisky  was  high  and  the  outlook  favorable.  He  therefore  largely 
extended  his  business  in  the  second  year;  "but  one  thing  he  did  not 
take  into  consideration,  and  that  was  that  everybody  else  who  could, 
would  do  the  same  thing."  The  consequence  was  an  over- production 
and  decline  in  prices.  In  the  prime  of  life  and  after  devoting  several 
years  to  hard  work,  mostly  in  endeavoring  to  build  up  a  village  in  his 
locality,  Mr.  Mather  became  pecuniarily  embarrassed,  sold  out  all  his 
property  at  Poland,  and  purchased  a  house  and  lot  at  Fairfield,  to  which 
place  he  removed  his  family  in  1816.  After  he  left  Poland  business  at 
that  place  declined  ;  but  the  building  of  the  narrow  gauge  railroad  con- 
necting Poland  and  Herkimer,  and  the  value  of  the  local  water  power 
gave  it  a  new  impetus  and  its  growth  was  rapid.  The  mill  and  distillery 
formerly  owned  by  Mr.  Mather  were  afterward  converted  into  a  factory 
for  the  manufactory  of  cotton  batting,  etc.,  by  Col.   George  Arnold, 


TOWN  OF  RUSSIA.  43f 

father  of  Thomas  Arnold.  Noble  Gunn  and  Joshua  Bennett  were  early 
millers  at  Poland,  and  Horace  Kellogg  and  Russell  Vincent  were  dis- 
tillers. The  Putnam  grist  and  saw-mills  were  built  by  Isaac,  brother  of 
Almond  Brayton.  While  he  owned  the  property  the  grist  mill  was 
burned,  and  he  rebuilt  it  and  sold  the  property  to  Edward  Clieever,  by 
whom  it  was  transferred  to  John  G.  Webster,  father  of  Robert  and 
Frederick  Webster.  The  property  finally  passed  from  the  possession 
of  Frederick  Webster,  who  had  greatly  improved  it,  to  John  M.  Putnam 
in  1874.     The  mill  is  now  operated  by  Fitch  &  Howe. 

Michael  De  Grofif  built  a  saw  mill  at  Poland  about  1802,  which  passed 
to  the  possession  of  Moses  Mather.  Mr.  Mather  also  bought  of  Stephen 
Smith  a  piece  of  land  and  another  saw  mill  which  stood  near  the  site'of 
the  saw-handle  factory  at  Cold  Brook.  The  saw-handle  factory  is  now 
operated  by  Thomas  T.  Rhodes.  The  De  Groff  saw-mill  was  on  the  site 
of  the  planing-mill  at  Cold  Brook.  Mr.  Mather  sold  it  to  Philip  A. 
Fenner,  who  changed  it  to  a  factory  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  yarn, 
candle  wicking,  etc.  Later  the  proprietor  began  the  manufacture  of 
rubber  boots  and  shoes  in  the  building,  Mr.  Fenner  having  taken  as  a 
partner  Col.  George  Arnold.  They  carried  on  the  business  a  few  years 
and  sold  out  to  Jenks  Benchley  and  Abraham  Coffin,  who  sold  to  Sey- 
mour Bullock  and  Rev.  Abram  Fish,  who  began  the  manufacture  of 
cheese  boxes.  The  next  owners  were  Samuel  Arnold  (brother  of 
Thomas)  and  George  Potter,  who  again  took  up  the  manufacture  of 
cotton  products.  The  business  was  not  profitable  and  they  began  piak- 
ing  wagons,  and  still  later  Rider  &  Brown  manufactured  fanning  mills 
here.  George  Potter  and  Richard  Sprague  then  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  sash,  doors  and  blinds  in  a  small  way.  George  Potter  eventu- 
ally became  owner  of  the  works,  which  had  been  considerably  enlarged, 
and  upon  his  death  in  1875,  the  property  passed  to  his  sons,  Henry  and 
Herbert,  who  have  since  continued  a  flourishing  business. 

The  first  tannery  in  Poland  was  established  by  Jenks  Benchley  in  1 8 1 7 ; 
it  stood  on  the  south  side  of  Cold  Brook  a  little  east  of  the  stone  bridge. 
Some  years  later  he  removed  it  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  brook 
and  west  of  the  bridge.  The  site  of  the  vats  was  where  the  Union  store 
is  situated.  In  after  years  when  Colonel  Arnold's  cotton  factory  sus- 
pended operations,  Jenks  Benchley  and  Ambrose  Nicholson  bought  the 


438  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTV. 

buildings  and  the  water  right  of  Arnold  and  converted  the  building  into 
a  tannery,  which  they  continued  to  operate  together  many  years.  They 
finally  sold  out  to  Nicholas  Rider,  who  was  succeeded  by  Peter  Coun- 
tryman, who  continued  it  until  1878,  when  the  business  was  suspended. 
The  property  is  now  owned  by  Levi  Schermerhorn. 

Nathan  Burwell,  before  mentioned,  was  the  first  blacksmith  in  Poland, 
and  a  man  of  high  character.  He  had  six  children,  three  of  whom  were 
sons  named  Bryant,  Dudley  and  Charles.  Nathan  Burwell's  blacksmith 
shop  was  of  logs  and  in  later  years  he  lived  in  the  stone  house  owned  by 
Robert  Webster.  He  also  carried  on  farming  and  became  owner  of 
considerable  land  in  the  neighborhood.  Dudley  Burwell  became  a 
prominent  citizen  of  Herkimer  county,  and  a  brief  sketch  of  his  career 
will  be  found  in  another  chapter  devoted  to  the  legal  profession. 

Daniel  Jones  was  a  skillful  mechanic  who  was  attracted  to  Poland  by 
the  water  power  in  Cold  Brook.  He  built  a  dam  and  a  ditch  for  the 
diverted  water,  and  erected  a  large  shop,  in  which  he  placed  a  trip- 
hammer, the  first  one  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  Mr.  Mather 
wrote:  "  I  well  remember  the  interest  manifested  by  the  inhabitants 
when,  for  the  first  time,  they  witnessed  iron  and  steel  hammered  and 
moulded  by  water  power."  Jones  was  succeeded  by  James  Trask, 
father  of  Isaac  Trask,  and  two  partners,  John  Gorton  and  James  M. 
Dexter.  For  many  years  they  manufactured  sc}-thes.  James  Trask 
and  his  son  Isaac  subsequently  built  the  brick  shop  still  standing  a  half 
mile  above  on  the  same  stream,  where  a  trip-hammer  was  put  in  and 
the  manufacture  of  axes  carried  on.     The  building  is  now  unused. 

William  and  George  Harrison  established  an  iron  foundry  on  the 
south  side  of  Cold  Brook  and  southeast  of  the  Countryman  tannery. 
They  cast  mill- gearings,  small  box  stoves,  hollow- w'are,  etc. 

Daniel  A.  Sprague  established  the  manufacture  of  wagons  many 
years  ago  and  was  succeeded  by  his  sons  Arnold  and  Charles,  who  oc- 
cupy the  "cobble-stone"  building.  Uriah  Schermerhorn  and  his 
brother  Cornelius  were  early  boot  and  shoemakers  and  became,  event- 
ually, wealthy  farmers. 

Nearly  all  the  manufactures  of  Poland  have  gone  down,  while  various 
interests  have  sprung  up  in  Cold  Brook,  nearby.  There  is  a  manufact- 
ory of  veneers  in  Poland,  carried  on  by  the  Perkins  Manufacturing 
Company.     The  Poland  cheese  factory  was  established  in  1863. 


TOWN  OF  RUSSIA.  439 

The  first  store  in  Poland  was  built  and  kept  by  Samuel  Wright.  The 
building  was  afterwards  occupied  as  a  cabinet  shop  by  William  Wright, 
and  still  later  by  Samuel  Giles  as  a  store.  In  1861  it  was  converted 
into  a  dwelling  and  removed  to  Cold  Brook  street.  Other  merchants 
who  succeeded  Mr.  Wright  were  Nalium  Daniels,  Samuel  Giles,  N.  But- 
ler, J.  Douglass,  C.  A.  Brown,  William  Benchley,  Abel  Morse,  H.  Ba- 
ker, William  Durant,  Randall  Rice,  Samuel  Arnold,  and  others.  In 
order  to  provide  for  a  well  kept  permanent  store,  the  Union  Store  was 
established  in  1853,  which  was  successfully  operated  till  1857,  when  the 
present  large  building  was  completed.  Its  affairs  are  conducted  through 
a  board  of  officers  who  are  elected  annually  by  ballot.  By  the  pay- 
ment of  $20  any  person  may  become  a  stockholder,  entitled  to  receive 
goods  at  a  certain  rate  of  discount  below  those  granted  to  outsiders. 
The  store  has  always  been  remarkably  successful,  and  draws  patrons 
from  many  surrounding  towns. 

Robbins  Reed  started  a  store  in  1872,  and  soon  afterward  took  his 
brother  George  into  partnership.     They  are  still  in  business. 

The  Bank  of  Poland  was  organized  October  5,  1872,  by  S.  R.  Mill- 
ington,  Peter  Countryman,  M.  A.  Blue,  William  Buck,  John  Hemstreet, 
Isaac  Beecher,  and  C.  S.  Millington.  William  Buck  was  elected  presi- 
dent and  Charles  S.  Millington,  cashier.  The  bank  was  at  first  located 
in  Dr.  Millington's  office,  which  was  fitted  up  for  that  purpose.  In  1876 
it  was  removed  to  the  new  Kellogg  block,  where  a  vault  was  built  for 
it.  In  1885  the  institution  was  reorganized  as  a  national  bank.  The 
present  officers  are  Warren  Brayton,  president,  and  Charles  Millington, 
cashier.  Dr.  S  R.  Millington  is  a  son  of  Richard  Millington,  and  was 
born  in  Russia  in  1826.  After  studying  in  Geneva  Medical  College  he 
practiced  in  Norway  thirteen  years  and  came  to  Poland  in  i860.  In 
1872  he  retired  from  his  profession  to  engage  in  banking. 

The  post- office  at  Poland  was  established  in  1838,  with  Joseph  ]?ench- 
ley  as  postmaster,  and  the  office  was  kept  in  his  public  house.  The 
present  postmaster  is  Robbins  Reed. 

Nathan  Burwell  kept  the  first  public  tavern  in  Poland,  occupying  for 
several  years  the  large  two-story  house  erected  several  years  earlier  by 
Samuel  Wright.  Mr.  Burwell  kept  the  house  only  a  few  years,  and  re- 
turned to  blacksmithing  and  farming.     Nahum  Daniels  soon  purchased 


440  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  C0UNT7. 

the  house  and  a  large  farm  with  it  and  occupied  it  for  many  years.  He 
was  a  prominent  citizen,  and  the  place  was  known  as  "  Danielsville  " 
for  years.  This  name  caused  confusion  with  Dansville,  N.  Y.,  and 
Joseph  Benchley's  influence  changed  the  name  to  Poland,  from  the  fact 
that  Poland  in  Europe  is  in  the  southwest  part  of  Russia.  Dr.  Milling- 
ton  purchased  the  Wright  House  in  i860,  and  removed  it  to  make 
room  for  his  present  handsome  residence.  The  old  house  is  now  the 
home  of  Mrs.  John  I.  Countryman,  on  Cold  Brook  street. 

After  Mr.  Burwell  gave  up  his  tavern,  Samuel  Giles  kept  a  public 
house  in  the  stone  building  now  occupied  by  Thomas  Arnold.  This 
was  continued  only  a  few  years  and  the  building  became  the  residence 
of  George  Arnold. 

The  first  really  permanent  hotel  in  the  place  was  erected  and  kept  by 
Joseph  Benchley,  about  1828.  He  subsequently  left  Poland  and  con- 
ducted a  hotel  in  Ilion  ;  he  died  in  Newport.  The  Benchley  tavern  af- 
terwards became  the  wing  of  the  main  building  erected  by  Albert  Hen- 
dricks, now,  after  numerous  changes  chiefly  made  by  Van  Zant  Wil- 
loughby,  called  the  Ellis  House,  kept  by  Frank  Ellis.  The  Webster 
House,  now  kept  by  Eugene  Lovett,  is  also  an  old  building  on  a  site 
where  a  hotel  has  long  been  located.  It  passed  to  the  possession  of 
Van  Zant  Willougliby,  by  whom  it  was  greatly  changed.  He  sold  it  to 
Mrs.  Rouse,  who  leases  it  to  the  present  proprietor. 

Previous  to  1840  religious  services  were  held  at  Poland  in  school- 
houses,  private  houses  and  elsewhere,  and  many  families  attended  ser- 
vices in  neighboring  towns.  On  the  lOth  of  April,  1840,  a  meeting  was 
held  at  a  school-house  in  Newport,  to  organize  a  "branch  of  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  of  Norway."  The  result  was  that  a  number  of  persons 
and  families  were  constituted  a  church  in  Poland.  In  March,  1842,  a 
subscription  paper  was  circulated  to  raise  money  for  a  church  building 
for  the  use  of  the  "  Newport  and  Poland  Free  Church."  The  connec- 
tion with  Newport  was  for  the  benefit  of  a  few  families  who  lived 
""over  the  line  in  that  town.  The  sum  of  $825  was  raised  and  a  plain 
building  erected  ;  through  other  subscriptions  the  land  was  paid  for. 
The  first  pastor  of  the  church  was  Rev.  Daniel  McKoon.  On  the  i6th 
of  January,  1841,  at  a  quarterly  meeting  held  at  Norway,  a  vote  was 
taken  on  the  proposition  to  constitute  the  Newport  and  Poland  branch 


TOWN  OF  RUSSIA.  441 

of  the  Norway  Free  Baptist  Church  a  distinct  church  by  itself,  and  the 
meeting  voted  in  its  favor.  The  word  "  Newport "  was  subsequently 
omitted  as  inappropriate.  The  new  church  edifice  of  the  Poland  Free 
Baptist  Society  was  begun  June  6,  1872,  and  was  dedicated  December 
18  of  that  year.  Its  costs  was  $5,000.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev. 
Isaac  Hyatt.  Deacons,  A.  W.  Brayton,  M.  Root.  Trustees,  Henry 
Burwell,  T.  J.  VVaful,  S.  R.  Millington,  Milton  Howe,  Peter  Newman, 
Marshall  Root,  A.  W.  Brayton. 

The  Methodist  Society  at  Poland  was  organized  in  1869,  and  services 
were  held  in  the  Baptist  church,  in  Countryman's  hall  and  elsewhere. 
In  1875  the  church  building  was  erected  and  dedicated  on  the  27th 
of  June,  1876.  It  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  church  buildings  in  the 
county,  although  its  cost  was  only  $4,000.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev. 
P.  Wright. 

Cold  Brook.  —  This  thriving  little  village  is  situated  about  two 
miles  northeast  of  Poland  where  the  State  road  crosses  Cold  Brook. 
Settlement  began  in  this  vicinity  as  early  as  18 10.  Seth  Fenner 
was  here  as  early  as  that,  and  in  181  r  built  the  first  grist-mill  for 
Judge  Bowen,  about  twenty  rods  north  of  the  site  of  the  present  mill. 
Mr.  Fenner  also  built  for  himself  a  saw-mill  about  the  same  time.  A 
distillery  was  built  in  1818  where  the  Fenner  blacksmith  shop  stands. 
Waterman  Fenner  and  Morgan  Fenner  are  sons  of  Seth.  Stephen  Smith 
settled  early  nearly  opposite  where  Waterman  Fenner  now  lives.  Nich- 
olas and  Caleb  Vincent  were  here  before  Fenner,  and  the  latter  bought 
land  of  Nicholas.  Jonathan  and  Nathan  Millington  settled  about  three 
miles  west  of  Cold  Brook,  where  Alva  Pullman  lives.  Peter  and  Eb- 
enezer  Newman  settled  a  little  south  of  Cold  Brook,  where  their  descend- 
ants still  live.  In  1825  Lemuel  Carpenter  built  a  distillery  where  is 
now  the  sash  and  door  factory  of  Charles  and  Roselle  Rhodes,  and  in 
1830  Carpenter  &  Vincent  built  another  where  Charles  Rhodes  now 
lives.      All  these  have  gone  to  decay. 

A  saw-set  factory  was  established  in  1835,  but  the  business  was  given 
up  and  the  building  is  now  used  by  Stillman  &  Co.  as  a  wagon  factory. 
The  first  store  in  the  place  was  kept  by  Daniel  Terry  in  1830,  where  A. 
P.  Coonradt's  house  now  stands.  Allen  Baker  kept  a  store  on  the  op- 
posite corner  in  1835,  and  another  was  kept  a  little  southeast  of  the 
00 


442  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

village  on  the  State  road  in  a  building  erected  in  1838  by  Peter  Fake; 
it  was  burned.  The  first  cheese  box  factory  was  established  by  Jeffer- 
son Moon  in  the  old  building  where  the  Rhode  shop  now  stands.  Ben- 
jamin Hull,  well  known  as  "  Governor,"  was  the  early  blacksmith  of  the 
place,  and  had  his  shop  on  the  State  road  southeast  of  the  creek  where 
Fred  Payne  now  lives.  The  first  tavern  was  kept  by  Stpphen  and 
Arthur  Smith.  The  present  Uelevan  House  was  built  in  1832  by  Ben- 
jamin Hurd  and  was  called  until  recently  the  Mansion  House.  It  is  now 
kept  by  Michael  Spellman.  James  L.  Heffernan  and  David  Walrath 
were  early  tailors,  and  Amos  Carpenter  was  the  first  shoemaker. 
Luther  Joles  had  a  flax-mill  in  1835  where  the  Davis  cheese-box  factory 
now  stands.  Stephen  Smith  2d  was  the  first  postmaster  here  and  was 
also  a  justice  and  surveyor  ;  the  present  postmaster  is  Franklin  Forrest. 
A  saw-handle  factory  has  been  in  operation  here  a  number  of  years 
and  is  now  conducted  by  Thomas  Rhodes,  who  also  has  the  saw- mill; 
Heman  Payne  has  anotlier  mill.  The  grist-mill  was  built  by  Ira  Torre)'. 
A  button  mould  factory  has  been  in  operation  here  more  than  fifteen 
years. 

The  village  constitutes  one  school  district,  and  the  present  commo- 
dious school  building  was  erected  in  1880.  There  is  only  one  church  in 
Cold  Brook,  the  Methodist,  which  Was  organized  in  1835,  with  Rev.  L. 
C.  Rogers  as  pastor,  and  the  following  trustees:  Amos  H.  Beebe, 
Joshua  Overton,  Jeremiah  Smith,  Asa  Shaw,  Aaron  F.  Bates,  Roswell 
P.  Smith.  Rev.  H.  Casler  is  the  present  pastor,  and  following  are  the 
trustees:  John  M.  Allen,  Howard  Newman,  H.  Payne,  Jacob  Rum- 
mel. 

Grant  is  the  name  of  a  small  village  situated  on  Black  Creek,  near 
the  center  of  the  town.  It  was  originally  known  as  "Potter's  Bush." 
Isaac  Woodin  was  the  first  settler  here  in  18 16,  and  in  1S20  John  Post 
came  and  through  his  influence  a  post-office  was  obtained  named 
"  Postville."  Alexander  Booth  settled  near  Woodin  about  as  early, 
and  in  honor  of  his  son  the  name  of  the  place  was  subsequently  changed 
to  "  Booth  ;"  but  after  the  assassination*of  President  Lipcoln,  the  pres- 
ent name  was  given  in  honor  of  the  great   general,  U.  S.  Grant. 

A  tavern  was  established  here  in  1820  by  Walter  Howard,  on  the 
south   side  of  the   creek,  a   little   east  of  the   tannery,  and  in  the  same 


TOWN  OF  RUSSIA.  ,  443 

year  Enoch  Arnold  kept  a  small  store  near-by.  The  tavern  is  now  kept 
by  A.  H.  Legg,  who  succeeded  George  Garlock  six  years  ago. 
Stephen  Smith  built  the  first  grist-mill  in  the  place  in  1821,  on  the  site 
of  the  present  mill.  The  mill  has  been  often  damaged  and  destroyed 
by  floods,  but  was  finally  rebuilt  by  Adelbert  Emery  in  its  present 
form  ;  it  is  now  owned  by  John  Wood  and  run  by  Seth  Fenner.  The 
tannery  was  built  in  1 82 1  byZina  and  Almond  Beecher ;  after  several 
changes  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Clark  Dodge  in  1877.  ^'^  1885 
W.  C.  Benedict  bought  it  and  has  since  operated  it  Between  16,000 
and  18,000  sides  of  leather  are  turned  out  annually.  The  building  was 
twice  burned,  and  rebuilt  once  by  Griffith  O.  Jones  and  once  by  Mr. 
Dodge.  Owen  Kelly  kept  an  early  store  where  Miss  Cramer  now 
lives,  and  John  Post,  already  mentioned,  was  a  still  earlier  merchant. 
The  present  merchants  are  David  Jones  and  James  Carpenter.  The 
postmaster  is  George  Garlock.  The  first  saw-mill  was  built  by  the 
Booths  and  Mr.  Woodin,  and  the  next  by  the  Beechers,  where  the  dam 
now  is.  This  was  carried  off  by  a  flood.  On  the  stream  below  the 
village  Loren  Pardee  built  a  steam  mill  about  1 850,  which  is  now 
owned  by  the  Abell  estate.  Mr.  Pardee  also  built  a  mill  at  what  is 
called  "  Pardeeville,"  about  a  mile  from  Grant.  Alva  Pardee,  brother 
of  Loren,  built  a  tannery  at  that  point,  which  was  burned.  Philip 
Young  was  the  first  blacksmith  at  Grant,  and  Elisha  Hall  was  an  early 
tailor. 

The  Free  Will  Baptist  church  at  Grant  was  organized  July  19,  1856, 
with  eleven  members.  It  was  called  the  "  Free  Will  Baptist  Society 
of  Russia  Center."  Isaac  Woodin  was  the  first  deacon.  Rev.  R.  H. 
Ketchum  was  the  first  pastor.  The  church  was  built  in  1856  and  dedi- 
cated June  12.  The  society  is  very  feeble  and  the  last  pastor  was 
Elder  Whittemore. 

The  Methodist  society  at  Grant  was  organized  as  early  as  i860,  but 
the  precise  date  is  not  known,  and  there  was  preaching  long  before  that 
by  itinerants.  In  the  summer  of  i860  the  present  church  was  built. 
The  society  has  nearly  lost  its  identity  and  there  is  no  regular  preaching. 

The  village  of  Gravesville  takes  its  name  from  William  Graves,  who 
settled  there  in  1800.  Previous  to  that  time  and  about  1796,  a  Major 
Geer   located    there  and    began  tanning  hides   in   a  small   way.      Mr. 


■)44  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Graves  was  from  Vermont  and  was  a  man  of  energy  and  character.  lie 
traded  his  horse  and  equipments  with  Geer  for  the  tannery  and  went 
into  business  in  the  wilderness.  In  1806  John  Burr  built  a  saw  mill 
near  the  site  of  the  late  grist-mill.  The  first  grist  mill  was  built  by  the 
father  of  Col.  J.  E.  Hinman,  of  Utica,  on  the  site  of  the  late  mill.  It 
was  burned  on  the  4th  of  February,  1826,  and  on  the  loth  of  the  next 
February  Mr.  Graves  had  the  present  mill  running.  In  181 3  William 
and  Hobart  Graves  built  the  carding- mill,  and  the  same  year  saw  the 
building  of  a  trip  hammer  shop  by  Reuben  Sacket.  The  post-office 
was  established  in  1848,  with  Elijah  Seavey  as  postmaster.  The  cloth- 
dressing  mill,  grist-mill,  cheese- box  factory  and  a  machine  shop  have 
all  been  abandoned.  A  store  is  kept  here  by  Frank  Lankton,  who  is 
postmaster,  and  another  by  Sherman  Holliday,  who  began  business  in 
1890  in  the  old  store  building,  which  had  been  occupied  by  Abner 
Moon  as  a  dwelling.  The  carding- mill  and  a  scale-board  factory  are 
owned  and  occupied  by  George  Jinks. 

There  has  been  a  Methodist  Episcopal  society  here  for  many  years, 
but  it  is  difficult  to  secure  any  connected  history  of  the  church.  The 
present  pastor  is  Rev.  Harvey  Casler.  A  Universalist  society  formerly 
existed  here,  having  been  organized  in  1845,  and  erected  a  church 
in  the  same  year,  but  the  members  are  at  present  without  a  pastor. 

What  is  known  as  Russia  village  is  a  small  hamlet  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  town,  on  the  old  State  road,  and  was  first  settled  by  Samuel 
Wright,  who  owned  the  site  of  the  village  and  sold  it  to  Nathaniel  Nor- 
ton. He  built  a  store  and  tavern  in  1803,  and  kept  both,  where  Charles 
White  now  lives.  Moses  Prindle  was  the  first  blacksmith  in  1804.  Dr. 
William  Frame  was  the  first  resident  physician.  William  Smith  kept 
the  first  store,  after  Norton,  in  1804,  on  the  site  of  the  present  store 
kept  by  L.  F.  Carpenter,  who  is  also  postmaster.  Nathaniel  Waters 
settled  here  in  1805,  and  was  a  carpenter.  The  brick  house  now  occu- 
pied by  Giles  Reed  was  the  first  one  of  brick  in  the  place,  and  was  built 
by  a  Mr.  Bishop.  Isaac  Norton,  Elijah  Ayers,  and  Stephen  Smith  lived 
here  in  1804,  and  all  of  them  were  surveyors.  Jeremiah  Smith,  an 
early  settler,  was  the  first  mail  carrier,  going  along  the  State  road  from 
Johnstown,  in  Fulton  county,  through  Norwaj'  and  Russia  to  Trenton, 
Oneida  county.     A  cheese  factory  was  carried  on  here  several  years, 


TOWN  OF  OHIO.  445 

but  was  discontinued  in  i8S8.  There  is  no  manufactory  in  the  village 
at  present. 

A  Baptist  church  was  organized  here  in  July,  1799,  under  the  free 
will  form.  It  remained  thus  until  May  23,  1850,  when  it  was  merged 
into  the  close  communion  form.  Elder  Benajah  Corp  was  the  first 
preacher.      Rev.  J.  F.  Stilwell  is  the  present  pastor  of  the  church. 

A  Union  church  was  built  here  a  number  of  years  ago,  and  is  now 
used  by  the  Methodist  Society,  with   Rev.  Harvey  Casler  as  the  pastor. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  the  town  of  Russia  from  its  or- 
ganization to  the  present  time  : 

Amos  Reed,  1807-10,  1812;  Truman  Walker,  1811,  1813;  Nathan  Millington,  1814- 
IG,  1821;  John  Graves,  1817-20,  1822-26,  1828,  1834,  1835;  Roland  Sears,  1827; 
Edmund  Varney,  1829-33;  Selah  Lockwood,  1836-38,  1843-44,  1846,  1848,  1852; 
Walter  Booth,  1839-40,  1842,  1850,  1853  ;  Orson  Moore,  1841,  1854,  1859-60;  Palmer 
Root,  1845  ;  Ambrose  Nicholson,  1847 ;  Timothy  A.  Ferris,  1849 ;  William  Robbins, 
1851;  Isaac  Beecher,  1855-56,  1861;  Solomon  Graves,  1857-58,  1863-65;  P.  A. 
Goonradt,  1862;  James  M.  Walters,  1866-68;  Clinton  A.  Moon,  1870-72;  Ephraim 
Wheeler,  1873;  Peter  Smith,  1874;  Wallace  W.  Moon,  1875-79;  Milo  Moore,  1880, 
1881,  1892;  Henry  A.  France,  1882,  1883;  James  0.  Carpenter,  1884,  1887-1891  ;  E. 
Robbins  Reed,  1885,  1886,  1888,  1889  ;  W.  C.  Benedict,  1890. 


CHAPTER  XXVH. 


THE  TOWN  OF  OHIO. 


OHIO  is  one  of  the  comparatively  recently  formed  towns  of  Herki- 
mer county,  and  was  taken  from  Norway  on  the  iith  of  April, 
1823,  when  it  was  given  the  name  of  West  Brunswick.  It  retained  this 
name  until  May  3,  1836,  when  it  was  changed  to  its  present  title.  In 
the  same  year  a  portion  of  the  town  was  taken  off  and  annexed  to 
Wilmurt.  The  town  is  all  within  the  Jerseyfield  patent,  excepting  the 
triangular  portion  lying  northwest  of  the  West  Canada  Creek,  which  is 
in  the  Remsenburg  patent.  The  surface  of  the  town  is  elevated  from 
700  to  900  feet  above  the  Mohawk  River,  and  is  moderately  hilly.  In 
the  eastern  and  southern  portions  the  soil  is  loam  and  gravelly,  and 


446  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

good  for  tillage,  while  the  remainder  is  sandy  and  light.  The  principal 
streams  are  West  Canada  Creek,  flowing  across  the  northwest  part; 
Mount's  Creek,  crossing  near  the  center  of  the  town  in  a  southwesterly 
direction  ;  Black  Creek  in  the  southern  part,  which  flows  into  West 
Canada  Creek  five  miles  above  Trenton  Falls ;  Fox  Creek  in  the 
western  part,  and  other  smaller  streams.  There  are  several  small  lakes 
in  the  town,  among  them  Mount's,  Curtis,  Crooked  and  Round  Lakes. 
A  small  part  of  the  northeast  and  northwest  sections  is  still  heavily 
wooded. 

This  town  was  settled  previous  to  the  Revolution,  when  it  formed  a 
part  of  the  Kingsland  district,  and  was  the  theater  of  one  of  the  cold 
blooded  atrocities  that  marked  that  period.  The  first  settler  was  named 
Mount,  but  his  first  name  is  not  now  known.  He  located  on  pleasantly- 
situated  land  on  the  east  side  of  the  stream  that  has  always  borne  his 
name,  near  the  center  of  the  town  ;  the  property  is  now  owned  by 
George  R.  Turner.  There  he  had  erected  comfortable  buildings,  a  saw- 
mill, fences,  etc  ,  gathered  stock  and  planted  an  orchard.  The  dwellers 
in  this  pleasant  home  were  doomed  to  suffering  at  the  hands  of  a  re- 
lentless foe.  The  father  and  mother  went  one  day  to  Little  Falls, 
twenty  miles  distant,  with  grain  to  be  ground,  returned  home  and  found 
their  two  sons  dead  in  the  barn,  their  scalps  taken,  and  a  little  negro 
boy,  who  lived  with  them,  alive  and  ajixiously  waiting  his  master's  re- 
turn. "  Mr.  Mount  came  from  New  Jersey.  His  secluded  position 
rendered  it  quite  certain,  being  about  twenty  miles  from  the  German 
settlements  on  the  river,  that  neither  he  nor  his  sons  participated  in  the 
conflict  going  on  between  the  crown  and  the  colonies,  by  any  aggressive 
acts  against  the  former,  and  if  he  had  at  any  time  previously  been 
visited  by  any  of  the  strolling  actors  in  the  bloody  drama  then  being 
performed,  he  did  not  indulge  in  offensive  language,  as  he  seems  not  to 
have  been  molested."  ^  Mount's  buildings  were  not  destroyed  at  the 
time  his  boys  were  killed,  but  later  they  were  burned  by  some  one.  A 
mill,  however,  that  was  situated  on  Mill  Creek,  a  few  miles  north  of 
Grayville,  was  burned  at  that  time.^ 

'  Benton's  History  of  Herkimer  County,  p.  455. 

'  Another  version  has  been  tfiven  me  of  this  Indian  murder  by  a  gentleman  who  was  em- 
ployed as  a  surveyor  on  the  tract  in  1808,  and  had  gathered  his  information  from  persons  then 
living  near  the  Mount  farm.    From  this  relation  the  family  consisted  of  Mr.  Mount,  his  wife. 


TOWN  OF  OHIO.  447 

It  is  quite  certain,  but  not  now  susceptible  of  proof,  that  other  set- 
tlers were  located  in  this  town  previous  to  the  Revolution.  The  Mount 
tragedy  is  supposed  to  have  occurred  in  the  summer  of  1782.-  David 
Thorp  moved  upon  the  Mount  farm  soon  after  the  Revolution  and  lived 
there  many  years ;  he  was  father  of  David,  jr.,  who  was  member  of 
Assembly  in  1832. 

In  1790  John  Miller  settled  in  this  town,  and  was  soon  followed  by  a 
Mr.  Warner,  Aaron  Thorp,  Harmanus  Van  Epps,  and  others.  The 
first  tavern  in  the  town  was  kept  on  the  Mount  farm  by  David  Thorp. 

What  is  now  known  as  Grayville  (or  Gray)  was  first  settled  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  creek  in  this  town  by  Philo  McDonald  in  1818.  He 
built  a  saw- mill  on  the  site  of  the  present  mill  owned  by  C.  B.  Gray. 
He  owned  the  land  on  that  side  of  the  creek,  and  in  1820  Latham  Gray 
purchased  300  acres  on  the  south  side  and  began  improvements.  From 
him  the  settlement  took  its  name.  In  1828  he  brought  his  family  to 
the  place  and  under  his  energetic  labors  and  the  efforts  of  others  who 
were  attracted  thither,  the  hamlet  became  an  active  center  of  business. 
In  1837  Mr.  Gray  made  for  Perry  &  Swezey,  who  were  then  engaged 
in  business  at  Newport,  the  first  boxes  in  which  cheese  was  ever  sent  to 
the  New  York  market.  Mr.  Gray  opened  the  first  store  in  the 
place,  where  Ira  Williams  is  now  doing  business.  He  also  gave  S. 
Bullock  a  lot  on  which  was  erected  the  first  blacksmith  shop  in  the  vil- 
lage. W.  W.  Bullock  still  carries  on  business  there.  The  first  tavern 
in  the  village  was  built  by  George  Benchley  in  1844,  on  the  site  of  the 
present  hotel  kept  by  Charles  Wallace.  In  1843  Jeremiah  Petrie  opened 
a  boot  and  shoe  shop,  and  in  1853  the  present  tannery  was  built  by 
Oliver  Harvey  and  William  Ladue.  Douglas  Bennett  was  employed 
in  this  tannery  for  a  time.  The  tannery  was  closed  up  a  few  years  ago. 
The  first  postmaster  was  William  L.  Gray,  and  the  present  one  is  Dr.  E. 
Kelly.  The  mail,  which  is  now  received  daily,  formerly  came  once  a 
week. 

daughter,  two  sons  and  a  negro  boy.  Two  Indians  had  been  lurking  about  the  place  several  days, 
but  had  not  made  any  hostile  demonstrations,  as  the  young  men  had  taken  their  loaded  rifles  with 
them  when  they  left  the  house,  but  on  the  day  they  were  killed  and  scalped  in  the  barn,  they  had 
neglected  this  precaution.  When  the  report  of  firearms  was  heard  in  the  house,  the  rest  of  the 
family  fled  to  the  woods  and  made  their  way  to  Little  Falls  as  fast  as  they  could.  Mr.  Mount  did 
not  see  his  wife  and  daughter,  after  leaving  the  house,  until  they  met  at  Little  Falls.  The  Indians, 
my  informant  says,  burned  Mount's  buildings  when  they  found  that  the  family  had  left  the  place. 
— Benton's  Herkimer  County,  pp.  455-6. 


448  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Many  other  mills  have  been  built  in  the  town  at  various  times.  Will- 
iam Hemstreet,  father  of  John  and  Samuel  Hemstrect,  built  a  saw- mill 
that  is  still  running  between  Ohio  City  and  Grayville,  on  Mount's 
Creek.  Just  beyond  that  is  the  mill  known  as  the  Jacob  A.  Radley 
mill,  now  owned  and  operated  by  William  Summers  ;  and  between 
these  is  the  steam  mill  of  Augustus  Christman  &  Son.  Their  father 
was  John  Christman,  an  early  settler  in  that  vicinity.  Another  saw- 
mill was  built  by  John  Dagenkolb,  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Ohio  some 
fifteen  years  ago.     The  saw- mill  at  Grayville  is  now  run  by  C.  B.  Gray. 

Ohio  City  is  a  hamlet  a  little  west  of  the  center  of  the  town.  There 
is  no  manufacturing  carried  on  here.  Albert  Abeel  came  early  to  this 
section  and  kept  a  store  at  Ohio  many  years  ;  he  died  recently  and  is 
succeeded  by  his  son  J.  W.  Abeel.  Gilbert  J  Johnson  has  kept  a  pub- 
lic house  in  a  building  erected  by  Albert  Abeel  in  1840.  Abeel  was 
a  bright  man  and  an  active  Republican  politician.  The  father  of  Gil- 
bert J.  Johnson  was  Henry  I.  Johnson,  who  came  here  in  1850  and 
settled  two  miles  east  of  Ohio,  adjoining  Cornelius  Turner,  who  was 
an  early  settler  in  that  neighborhood.  Michael  Sweetman  was  also  an 
early  settler  in  the  Turner  neighborhood,  and  died  in  1829,  leaving  de- 
scendants. Other  settlers  who  should  be  mentioned  are  the  father  of 
tiie  late  Samuel  Gibson,  who  located  near  the  Hemstreet  mill ;  Asa 
Vickery  ;  William  CoppernoU ,  whose  father,  G.  A.  Coppernoll,  was  an 
early  farmer  of  the  town  ;  the  Willoughby  family  and  others,  sketches 
of  whom  appear  a  little  further  on. 

At  the  present  time  John  Sullivan  and  Ira  Williams  are  merchants  at 
Graysville,  and  S.  A.  Nellis  has  a  grocery  at  Ohio  City.  The  present 
postmaster  at  the  latter  place  is  Gilbert  J.  Johnson. 

There  are  now  eight  school  districts  in  the  town.  There  was  form- 
erly a  German  Lutheran  church  in  which  services  were  held  a  number 
of  years,  but  they  have  been  discontinued.  The  Methodist  church  at 
Ohio  City  was  organized  in  1 847,  in  which  movement  Jeremiah  E.  Phillips 
was  prominent.  The  first  trustees  were  James  M.  Coppernoll,  Reuben 
H.  Wood,  Jeremiah  Phillips,  Rowland  Emery,  Gilbert  Allen.  It  was 
then  known  as  the  Union  Presbyterian  and  Methodist  church.  The 
Presbyterians  do  not  have  services  now,  although  their  society  is  still  in 
existence.      Richard  Knight  was  the  first  Presbyterian  pastor,  and   Al- 


TOWN  OF  WILMURT.  449 

vin  Robbins  the  first  Methodist,  in  1843.  The  present  trustees  of  the 
church  are  George  Turner,  John  Cumniings,  Lewis  Wagner.  Rev.  H. 
L.  Hastings  is  the  present  pastor. 

Considerable  lumber  business  is  still  carried  on  in  the  town,  mostly 
in  the  northern  parts.  But  the  chief  industry  is  dairying,  one  factory 
being  situated  near  Ohio  City,  and  one  just  over  the  line  in  Norway ; 
the  latter  receives  patronage  from  this  town. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  the  town  of  Ohio  from  its  organ- 
ization to  the  present  time  : 

J.  D.  Hemstreet,  1824-26,  1832,  1834;  W.  S.  Fox,  jr.,  1826;  David  Thorp,  jr.,  1827- 
30,  1833;  John  Paull.  1831;  Samuel  Reese,  1835;  Asa  Vickery,  1836,  1839,  1840, 
1844;  PhiloF.  McDonald,  1837-38;  Henry  S.  Conklin,  1841-42;  William  Coppernoll^ 
1843,  1845,  1850,  1853-54,  1859;  Albert  Abeel,  1846-49,  1851-52,  1855-58;  R.  H. 
Wood,  1860-61,  1865 ;  M.  L.  Wood,  1862  ;  Samuel  Gibson,  1863-64.  1871-73  ;  John 
Emery,  1866-67  ;  William  S.  Burt,  1868-70 ;  H.  0.  Willoughby,  1874-75 ;  John  H. 
Fisher,  1876-77;  James  M.  Brown,  1878-1880;  Lewis  Lawton,  1881-1884;  ThorneE. 
Curtis,  1885;  Christopher  Wallace,  1886;  James  Abeel,  1887-1889;  Firman  Ouder- 
kirk,  1890-1892. 


CHAPTER  XXVni. 

THE   TOWN   OF   WILMURT. 

THIS  is  the  largest  town  in  the  State  of  New  York  and  includes 
the  whole  north  part  of  Herkimer  county.  It  extends  a  distance 
of  nearly  fifty  miles  in  length  north  and  south,  and  about  sixteen  in 
width.  Its  boundaries  are  as  follow  :  Beginning  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  the  town  of  Morehouse  (Hamilton  county),  and  running  westerly 
on  the  north  line  of  the  Jerseyfield  patent  until  it  strikes  the  West  Can- 
ada Creek  ;  thence  continuing  the  same  course  of  the  Jerseyfield  line 
until  it  strikes  the  west  line  of  Herkimer  county  ;  thence  northerly  on 
said  line  until  it  strikes  the  north  boundary  line  ;  thence  easterly  along 
the  north  bounds  of  the  county  until  it  strikes  the  northwest  corner  of 
the  town  of  Morehouse ;  thence  southerly  on  said  line  to  the  place  of 
beginning.  Within  these  boundaries  are  all  those  parts  of  Remsenburgh 
and  Vrooman's  patents,  Adgate's  Brown's,  Nobleborough,  Moose  River, 


450  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

and  Watson's  tracts,  and  Totten  and  Crossfield  purchase  which  lie  in 
Herkimer  county. 

The  surface  of  Wilmurt  is  rocky  and  mountainous  and  a  large  part 
of  it  is  unfit  for  cultivation.  In  the  deep  valleys  among  the  mountains  are 
numerous  beautiful  and  picturesque  lakes,  often  connected  by  streams 
of  pure  cold  water.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam.  Numbers  one  to  four  of 
the  Fulton  chain  of  lakes  are  in  the  town  and  sources  of  the  Moose 
River;  while  Transparent,  Woodhull,  Bisby  and  other  lakes  flow  into 
Black  River.  These  lakes,  streams  and  forests  are  favorite  resorts  for 
the  fisherman  and  huntsman.  Trout  abound  in  the  pure  waters,  and 
deer  are  numerous  in  the  remote  wilderness  of  the  northern  parts. 

Wilmurt  was  formed  from  Russia  and  West  Brunswick  (now  Ohio) 
May  3,  1836,  when  William  Baker  was  chosen  supervisor;  he  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1839  by  David  Thorp.  There  has  been  only  a  little  public 
improvement  in  the  town,  confined  chiefly  to  the  opening  of  necessary 
roads  and  the  construction  of  bridges. 

In  the  year  1790  Arthur  Noble,  of  Scotland,  settled  on  the  Noble- 
borough  tract  of  40,960  acres  in  the  southeast  part  of  Wilmurt.  There 
he  built  a  saw-  mill,  and  attempted  to  colonize  his  land  ;  but  he  failed.  In 
1792  Alexander  Macomb,  of  New  York,  purchased  of  the  State  1,920,000 
acres  of  land,  at  nine  pence  per  acre,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State, 
and  in  the  same  year  John  Brown,  of  Rhode  Island,  acquired  the  title  to 
about  200,000  acres  of  that  purchase,  which  tract  was  divided  into 
eight  townships,  numbered  from  one  to  eight.  This  has  always  been 
known  as  Brown's  tract,  and  it  extended  into  the  northern  part  of  Herki- 
mer county.  Mr.  Brown  visited  his  lands  near  the  close  of  the  last  centu- 
ry, made  some  limited  improvements  by  opening  roads,  building  houses 
and  mills,  in  the  hope  of  finding  sale  for  them.  He  died  before  realiz- 
ing his  expectations.  A  few  years  after  Mr.  Brown's  death,  his  son-in- 
law,  Charles  F.  Herreshofif,  visited  the  tract  and  made  a  determined 
effort  to  settle  and  improve  it.  He  cleared  about  2,000  acres,  repaired 
the  mill  formerly  built  by  Brown,  erected  new  mills,  including  an  iron 
forge,  and  finally  gathered  about  him  thirty  or  forty  families.  These 
improvements  were  chiefly  situated  near  what  has  ever  since  been  known 
as  "The  Old  Forge  "  in  the  town  of  Wilmurt.  A  little  iron  was  actual- 
ly manufactured  ;  but  Herreshoff's  means  became  exhausted  and  his 
courage  failed.  He  therefore  "  resorted  to  the  experiment  of  drawing 
on  his  friends  in  Providence  for  the  needful  means  to  consummate  his 


TOWN  OF  WILMURT.  451 

dearly  cherished  project.  The  draft  was  returned  to  him  protested  ;  he 
felt  dishonor  keenly,  and  deliberately  shot  himself  through  the  head." 
It  is  probable  that  HerreshofF  was  visionary  and  had  poor  judgment  of 
business  matters.  The  town  as  a  whole  was  at  that  time,  and  is  still  to 
a  considerable  extent,  a  rugged  wilderness,  into  which  he  should  have 
seen  the  difficulty  of  building  roads,  upon  which  must  have  depended 
his  success.  Nothing  but  the  most  ambitious  dreams  could  have  kept 
him  at  his  fruitless  and  herculean  task  so  long. 

After  Herreshoff's  death  the  people  he  had  brought  to  his  settlement 
gradually  dispersed,  and  all  the  buildings  and  improvements  that  had 
been  made  went  to  decay.  A  large  portion  of  the  tract  eventually 
passed  to  the  State  for  unpaid  taxes. 

A  second  attempt  was  made  to  settle  and  improve  the  Nobleborough 
tract  in  1793,  but  this  also  failed.  Mr.  Benton  wrote  of  this  as  follows  : 
"  The  remains  of  a  grist  and  saw- mill  were  seen  at  this  settlement  about 
the  year  181 1  by  William  Bensley,  of  Newport.  Mr.  Noble  must  have 
been  influenced  by  a  monomania  like  that  of  John  Brown  when  he 
caused  a  carriage  road  to  be  cut  and  cleared  to  his  lands,  over  which  he 
passed  in  his  coach.  Mr.  Noble  sojourned  for  a  time  at  Little  Falls 
while  his  experiments  in  the  woods  were  going  on,  but  finally  returned 
to  Scotland." 

Great  hopes  have  at  various  times  been  inspired  by  the  large  iron 
deposits  existing  in  the  northern  part  of  this  town  ;  but  it  is  now  gen- 
erally admitted  that  the  ore,  situated  as  it  is  and  with  a  character  such 
as  it  possesses,  will  not  pay  for  working.  Almost  the  entire  town  was 
formerly  a  dense  wilderness  of  valuable  timber,  and  much  of  it  still  re- 
mains. The  practicability  of  turning  this  to  valuable  account  in  lumber 
business  long  ago  attracted  the  attention  of  men  of  means  In  order 
that  the  West  Canada  Creek  might  be  used  for  floating  logs  successfully, 
the  State  Legislature  appropriated  $5,000  many  years  ago  to  remove 
obstructions  from  its  channel,  and  a  heavy  lumber  business  was  founded, 
Gardner  Hinckley  being  foremost  in  the  work.  Through  this  work  a 
large  tract  of  territory  in  the  eastern  and  southern  parts  of  the  town  has 
been  cleared  of  the  forest  and  considerable  farming  is  carried  on. 

There  is  a  post-office  at  what  is  called  East  Wilmurt,  at  which  J. 
Edward  Spencer  Wilkinson  is  postmaster,  and  keeps  a  store.  A  large 
mill  is  operated  on  the  West  Canada  Creek  by  the  Richard  Brothers, 
and  there  is  a  steam  mill  on  the  Twin  Lake  stream. 


452  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

There  are  a  number  of  popular  summer  resorts  within  the  limits  of 
the  town.  Mr.  Wilkinson,  before  mentioned,  has  kept  a  public  house 
for  many  years,  which  is  well  known  over  a  wide  field,  and  there  are 
others  on  the  lakes  in  the  far  northern  part  of  the  town.  The  opening 
of  the  Adirondack  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  through  Wilmurt  in  1892 
will  doubtless  lead  to  the  more  active  development  of  this  town. 

Gang  Mills  post-office  is  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town  and 
takes  its  name  from  the  large  mills  built  there  many  )'ears  ago  by 
Hinckley  &  Ballou  (the  latter,  Theodore  P.  Ballou,  a  prominent  business 
man  of  Utica).  The  business  part  of  Gang  Mills  is  in  the  town  of  Wil- 
murt, and  the  remainder  in  Oneida  county.  Robert  Hall  is  postmaster 
there  and  keeps  a  store.  The  opening  of  the  branch  of  the  Adirondack 
and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  to  this  point  was  effected  in  1892.  The  ex- 
tensive mills  are  now  owned  by  the  Trenton  Falls  Lumber  Company, 
and  are  operated  for  the  company  by  Edward  C.  Hargraves.  The 
company  also  keep  a  store  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek.  The  Metho- 
dist church  here  was  dedicated  in  1873. 

Gardner  Hinckley  came  into  town  early  and  became  conspicuous  in 
the  lumber  business  and  was  associated  with  Theodore  P.  Ballou,  of 
Utica,  in  the  establishment  of  large  saw-mills.  (See  biography  in  later 
pages  of  this  work.)  Francis  Wilkinson  was  supervisor  of  the  town  in 
1852,  and  father  of  J.  E.  S  Wilkinson,  now  postmaster  and  merchant 
at  East  Wilmurt.  The  elder  Wilkinson  settled  in  Wilmurt  in  1824,  on 
the  Noble  tract.  Edward  Fallen  settled  in  the  town  in  1840  and  be- 
came a  prominent  lumberman  and  mill  owner,  where  the  Richards 
Brothers'  mill  now  is.  John  C.  Richards  was  father  of  the  Richards 
Brothers  (John  and  William),  and  settled  in  Wilmurt  in  1865  ;  he  was 
a  farmer  and  lumberman,  and  now  lives  in  Herkimer. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  the  town  of  Wilmurt  from  its 
organization  to  the  present  time  : 

William  Baker,  1836-38;  David  Tliorp.  1839;  Caleb  Walkins,  1840-42-43;  Richard 
Fisk,  1841  ;  Gardner  Hinckley,  1844-47,  1849-51,  1853;  William  Becker,  1848;  Fran- 
cis Wilkinson,  1852;  John  M.  Lane,  1854-57;  Charles  Crippen,  1858;  George  W. 
Dawson,  1859-.61,  1867;  Robert  Bill&boro.  1862-63;  J.  E.  S.  Wilkinson,  1864-66, 
1870-72,  1877;  Andrew  J.  Fonda,  1868-69;  John  C.  Richards,  1873,  1879-80;  Grif- 
fith Evans,  1874,  1881,  1885;  Jerry  Flansburg,  1875;  J.  Francis  Flansburg,  1878-82- 
1891;  John  M.  Richards,  1883-84,  1886-89,  1892;  Peter  Clancy,  1888;  George  S. 
Watkins,  1889;   Henry  Conklin,  1890. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  453 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 


HON.  EZRA  GRAVES 

Was  of  early  New  England  ancestry.  He  was  born  at  Russia  in  this  county  December 
1,  1803,  and  was  the  son  of  Hon.  John  Giave.s,  who  came  to  that  town  in  1795,  clear- 
ing a  farm  in  the  "  wild  woods  "  and  encountering  all  the  hardships  of  frontier  life,  till 
he  rose  in  position  to  be  member  of  Assembly  and  then  Sheriff,  and  living  to  tne  age  of 
seventy-six.  His  son  Ezra  at  an  early  age  worked  at  the  trade  of  tanner  and  currier, 
having  been  employed  as  such  by  Abel  Munson  and  Colonel  Amos  Griswold  in  Salis- 
bury, and  by  other  residents  of  that  and  the  neighboring  towns.  At  twenty- three 
years  of  age  he  was  married  at  Newport  to  Miss  Maria  Card.  In  the  year  1827  he 
with  others  founded  the  village  of  Florence;  but  soon  afterwards  he  determined  to 
commence  the  study  of  the  law.  He  pursued  his  studies  in  the  law  office  of  General 
Charles  Gray  from  1832  to  1835,  when  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  immediately  be- 
gan practice.  His  first  office  was  that  of  under  sheriff,  while  his  father  was  sheriff; 
his  second  was  that  of  commissioner  of  deeds;  his  third  that  of  supervisor  of  Herki- 
mer, to  which  position  he  was  elected  in  1840  and  re-elected  in  1841. 

He  was  then  thirty-eight  years  of  age;  but  so  earnest  and  determined  that  he  soon 
won  a  proud  position,  and  in  1845  he  was  appointed  first  judge  and  surrogate.  Two 
years  later  he  was  elected  to  the  position,  and  was  repeatedly  re-elected  until  1856, 
when  Robert  Earl  was  chosen  for  one  term.  In  1859  Judge  Graves  was  again  elected 
and  served  till  the  expiration  of  his  term,  January  1,  1864.  In  1866  he  was  elected 
member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  this  State.  In  1872  he  was  elected  on 
the  Republican  State  ticket  as  inspector  of  state  prisons.  Judge  Graves  took  consid- 
erable interest  in  military  affairs,  and  held  the  office  of  captain  in  the  Sixty-eighth  Reg- 
iment of  Light  Infantry  in  1827  under  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton.  In  1843  he  was 
commissioned  judge  advocate  in  the  Fourth  Brigade  of  Riflemen  by  Governor  Silas 
Wright,  and  two  years  later  received  a  Commission  for  the  same  office  in  the  Fourth 
Division  of  Rifles  from  Governor  William  C.  Bouck.  As  a  lawyer  he  was  a  good 
speaker,  a  conscientious  adviser  and  an  upright  practitioner.  During  all  the  years  of 
his  judicial  life  he  was  honored  alike  for  his  abdity,  his  fairness  and  his  good  judgment. 
As  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  he  was  useful,  industrious  and  devoted 
to  needed  reformatory  measures.  His  term  as  inspector  of  prisons  was  filled  with  in- 
defatigable efforts  for  the  improvement  of  discipline,  for  the  reformation  of  prisoners 
and  for  the  prevention  of  abuses  ;  and  among  the  proudest  mementoes  of  his  official  life 
58 


454  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

were  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  convicts  of  one  of  the  prisons  tTianking  him  for 
the  efforts  he  had  made  for  their  improvement  and  reform  while  in  confinement. 

Judge  Graves  was  a  strong  man  and  a  good  man — strong  in  his  determined  will  to 
achieve  wliat  he  eet  out  to  do — good  in  all  that  goes  to  make  up  true  manhood. 

He  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions  and  he  dared  to  act  what  he  believed.  When 
in  early  life  he  recognized  the  evils  of  intemperance  he  stopped  absolutely  and  forever 
the  use  of  liquors  in  any  form.  When  in  later  life  he  realized  the  injurious  effect  of 
tobacco,  he  renounced  the  weed  absolutely  and  forever.  We  allude  to  these  circum- 
stances only  as  illustrative  of  his  great  self-control  and  determination.  He  believed  in 
these  reforms,  and  always  afterwards  impressed  his  sincerity  upon  his  associates.  His 
heart  beat  for  humanity.  He  w^as  the  friend  of  the  oppressed,  of  the  besotted,  of  the 
criminal,  of  his  brethren  everywhere. 

In  his  home  he  was  loved  as  only  such  a  man  can  be.  In  the  village  where  his  man- 
hood was  spent  he  was  public-spirited,  generous,  abounding  in  all  neighborly  kind- 
nesses, and  in  all  sympathy  for  sickness  and  distress. 

For  many  years  he  was  a  trustee  of  Fairfield  Academy  and  of  Clinton  Liberal  Insti- 
tute. He  early  united  with  the  TJniversali.st  church  and  became  one  of  its  pillars  and 
strongest  promoters.  He  was  a  member  of  the  building  committee  of  the  new  church 
of  that  denomination  in  Herkimer  and  was  greatly  interested  in  the  success  of  the  en- 
terprise. His  early  education  was  mainly  obtained  fet  Fairfield  Seminary,  and  he  al- 
ways referred  to  his  school  days  with  great  pleasure.  He  was  a  prominent  Ma.son, 
being  one  of  the  charter  members  of  Herkimer  Lodge,  No.  423,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  one  of 
its  first  masters.  He  died  at  Herkimer  on  the  8th  day  of  January,  1883,  in  his  eight- 
ieth year.     His  widow,  Maria  Graves,  died  on  the  23d  day  of  August,  1884. 

Of  his  father's  family  there  is  but  one  survivor,  Hon.  Solomon  Graves,  of  Russia.  Of 
his  own  famil}'  there  remain  his  sons,  General  John  Card  Graves,  of  Buffalo,  and  Dr. 
George  Graves,  of  Herkimer,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  William  H.  Mayton,  who  was  of 
late  years  a  member  of  her  father's  household. 


JUDGE  ROBERT  EARL 

Is  a  native  of  Herkimer,  in  Herkimer  county,  where  he  was  born  September  10,  1824. 
He  was  educated  in  the  Herkimer  Academy  and  Union  College,  graduating  in  1845. 
He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Charles  Gray,  and  also  in  the  office  of  his  brother, 
the  late  Samuel  Earl,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1848.  In  1846  he  was  elected 
school  superintendent,  and  in  1849  supervisor  of  his  town.  In  1860  he  was  again 
elected  supervisor,  and  he  has  been  president  and  trustee  of  the  village  of  Herkimer. 
In  1855  he  was  elected  county  judge  of  the  county,  and  served  as  county  judge  and 
surrogate  for  one  term  of  four  years.  In  1869  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals,  and  served  as  chief  judge  until  July  1,  1870,  when  the  new  Court  of  Appeals 
by  an  amendment  to  the  constitution  came  into  existence,  and  he  then  became  a  com- 
missioner of  appeals,  and  he  served  as  such   until  July,  1875,     In  November,  1875,  he 


BTOGRAPHICAL.  455 

Was  appointed  by  Governor  Tilden  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  to  fill  tlie  vacanny 
caused  by  the  death  of  Judge  Grover,  and  he  served  under  that  appointment  until  Jan- 
uary, 1877.  In  the  fall  of  1876  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  for  a 
full  term  of  fourteen  years  from  the  first  day  of  January  following.  In  the  fall  of 
1890,  having  received  the  nomination  of  both  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties, 
he  was  again  elected  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  for  a  full  term,  of  which  he  can 
serve  only  four  years  on  account  of  the  constitutional  limitation  of  age.  By  appoint- 
ment of  Governor  Flower  he  served  as  chief  judge  during  the  year  1892,  filling  the  va- 
cancy caused  by  the  death  of  Chief  Judge  Ruger.  He  received  the  degree  of  LL.D. 
from  Union  College  in  1874,  and  from  Columbia  College  in  1889.  He  was  married  Oc- 
tober 12,  1852,  to  Juliet  Z.  Wilkerson,  of  Richfield  Springs. 


SAMUEL  EARL. 

Samuel  Earl  was  born  August  9,  1822.  His  father  was  John  Earl,  a  lineal  descend- 
ant of  Ralph  Earl,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1638  and  settled  at  Portsmouth,  R.  I. 
His  mother  was  Margaret  Retry,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  William  Retry  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  (An  account  of  the  life  of  Dr.  Retry  occurs  in  the  earlier  pages  of  this  work.) 
Samuel  Earl  had  one  sister,  Margaret  Earl,  now  deceased,  and  one  brother,  Robert 
Earl,  who  for  the  last  twenty  years  has  been  a  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  of  the 
State  of  New  York. 

The  education  of  Samuel  Earl  was  acquired  at  common  schools  and  at  Fairfield  Sem- 
inary, where  he  graduated.  His  early  life  was  spent  upon  the  farm  of  his  uncle.Heniy 
Retry,  near  the  head  of  Main  street  in  Herkimer  village,  which  for  over  one  hundred 
years  has  been  the  home  of  the  Petrys  and  the  Earls.  The  present  Earl  residence, 
where  Mr.  Earl  resided  during  his  entire  life,  was  originally  built  by  Dr.  Petry,  near 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  is  still  in  excellent  preservation,  and  is  now  the 
home  of  his  children.  His  early  work  upon  the  farm  of  his  uncle  gave  him  a  practical 
knowledge  of  farm  life  and  farm  management ;  and  throughout  his  life  he  was  largely 
interested  in  agriculture. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  he  began  the  study  of  law.  Teaching  school  during  the  winter 
season,  he  studied  his  profession  during  the  rest  of  the  time.  He  began  his  studies  in 
the  oflBce  of  Hon.  Michael  Hoflman  at  Herkimer,  N.  Y.  He  also  studied  with  Peckham 
and  Colt  at  Albany,  N.  Y.     He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1847. 

Upon  his  admission  to  practice  he  opened  an  oflice  in  the  village  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y. 
His  brother  subsequently  studied  with  him  ;  and  later  the  two  brothers  formed  a  part- 
nership under  the  firm  name  of  S.  &  R.  Earl.  This  partnership  continued  until  Robert 
was  elected  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals.  Upon  the  elevation  of  Robert  to  the  Ap- 
peals bench,  Samuel  was  for  a  number  of  years  associated  in  the  practice  of  law  with 
Hon.  George  W.  Smith,  formerly  Oneida  county  judge,  and  Mr.  E.  A.  Brown,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Earl,  Smith  and  Brown.  Subsequently  Mr.  Earl  became  tlie  senior 
partner  and  counsel  in  the  firm  of  Earl  and  Prescott,  Mr.  William  C.  Prescott  being  as- 
sociated with  him.  Later,  after  practicing  a  few  years  alone,  he  formed  with  C.  E. 
Snyder  a  partnership  that  continued  until  his  death. 


45G  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Mr.  Earl  occupied  a  conspicuous  position  at  tlie  bar  of  Herkimer  county  and  met 
with  a  large  degree  of  success. 

He  was  earlj'  associated  with  his  brother  and  others  as  a  copartner  in  the  banking 
business  under  the  firm  name  and  style  of  The  Herkimer  Bank ;  and  upon  the  dissolu- 
tion of  that  firm  and  its  formation  as  a  corportion  in  1885  he  was  elected  a  director  of 
the  new  organization  and  a  member  of  its  executive  conmiittee.  which  positions  he  held 
until  the  time  of  his  death. 

He  was  one  of  the  original  incorporators  of  the  Herkimer,  Newport  and  Poland 
Narrow  Gauge  Railway  Compan}',  a  business  venture  that  has  contributed  very  mate- 
rially to  tlie  prosperity  of  Herkimer  village ;  and  in  the  development  of  that  enterprise 
he  was  an  energetic  worker  and  spent  considerable  time  and  money.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  the  senior  attorney  of  the  new  Adirondack  and  St.  Lawrence  line 
from  Herkimer  to  Montreal,  the  successor  of  the  old  Herkimer,  Newport  and  Poland 
Narrow  Gauge  Road. 

He  was  an  ardent  Democrat  in  politics  and  an  active  and  efiBcient  worker  in  his 
party.  He  twice  received  the  nominaton  for  county  judge  and  although  of  conceded 
ability  was  not  able  to  overcome  the  large  Republican  majority  in  the  county.  For  a 
long  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  Democratic  County  Committee  and  repeatedly  rep- 
resented the  party  in  State  conventions.  In  political  campaigns,  by  his  able  contribu- 
tions to  the  Democratic  pre.s.s,  Mr.  Earl  rendered  valuable  service. 

Upon  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  history  of  Herkimer  county  he  was  well  informed 
and  was  a  recognized  authority.  He  was  always  interested  in  the  collection  of  ancient 
documents  and  records  pertaining  to  local  history  ;  and  many  interesting  and  important 
papers  together  with  original  research  have  been  been  furnished  by  him  for  preserva- 
tion to  the  Oneida  Historical  Society,  of  which  he  was  a  member.  Valuable  historical 
material  left  by  him  has  been  used  in  the  compilation  of  this  volume,  and  his  writings 
and  addresses  relative  to  the  valley  of  the  upper  Mohawk  and  the  Palatines  are  author- 
itative contributions  to  local  history. 

In  character  Mr.  Earl  was  always  plain  and  outspoken.  It  was  written  of  him  at 
the  time  of  his  death  that  "  he  always  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions.  Frankness 
and  outspokenness  were  his  cardinal  virtues.  Sincerity  characterized  his  friendships. 
He  never  shirked  what  he  believed  to  be  his  duty  no  matter  how  great  the  evil  or  how 
high  or  elevated  the  position  of  the  transgressor.  In  him  the  friends  of  good  and 
honest  government  had  a  most  efiicient  aid." 

He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Christ  church,  Herkimer,  and  held  the  position  of 
vestryman  until  his  death.  He  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Isabella  J. 
Putnam,  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  and  his  second  wife  Frances  Lansing,  of  Manheim,  N.  Y. 
He  died,  leaving  four  children,  October  10,  1891. 


THE  FEETER  FAMILY. 

As  will  be  seen  from  the  sketch  which  follows  of  the  Feeter  family,  James  Feeter, 
whose  portrait  appears  in  this  volume,  is  descended  from  the  first  families  of  the  Pali- 
tinate  who  settled  in  the  Mohawk  valley. 


HIS' 


•  liaitner  in  the  li. 


ti. 

mai  ,. „ .„^„ 

and  a  J  ilie  Palatines  are  author- 

itative c 

In  cliar.i    >  It  was  written  of  hiii! 

the  time  ot  '  ■^onvictionp      Frap'' 

and  outspok  ■ 
He  never  shii 
liigli  or  elevati- 
lionest  governm 

He  was  one  of 
\  'e  was  Isabel  .1 

Pu  if  Manheiin,  ^    i 

He  Q,c. 


As  will  be  seen  from  the  ily,  James  Feeter, 

whose  portrait  appears  in  this         i.  'irst  lamilieB  of  the  Paii- 

tinate  who  settled  in  the  Mohi; 


,i^^^  /^^'^^^-^ 


Biographical.  457 

Among  the  oldest  and  in  some  respects  the  most  historical  families  of  the  Moha-uk 
valley  are  those  descended  from  Lucas  and  Annis  Feeter,  who  came  to  this  country 
from  Wittenberg,  Germany,  and  settled  iu  the  Stone  Arabia  district,  on  lands  now  in- 
cluded in  Fulton  county.  Lucas  Feeter  was  .father  of  Col.  William  Feeter,  who  was 
born  on  the  2d  of  February,  1756.  He  subsequently  became  one  of  the  most  noted 
and  conspicuous  pioneers  of  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  and  married  Elizabeth  Bellin- 
ger, daughter  of  Adam  Bellinger  and  Mary  Elizabeth  Petrie.  The  reader  of  the  pre- 
ceding pages  of  this  volume  has  learned  of  the  prominence  of  the  Bellinger  and  Petrie 
families  in  the  history  of  this  part  of  the  State.  Elizabeth  Bellinger,  wife  of  William 
Feeter,  was  born  March  22,  1765,  and  their  marriage  took  place  m  ri82.  In  the  early 
years  of  his  life  the  name  of  William  Feeter  was  written  "  Veeder,"  and  "Vedder," 
and  in  1786.  when  he  was  commissioned  ensign  in  the  militia,  it  was  written  "  Father."' 
In  1791  he  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace  under  the  name  of  ''  Veeder." 

Settled  as  the  family  were  near  to  the  neighborhood  of  Sir  William  Johnson's  resi- 
dence at  Johnstown,  it  is  not  surprising  that  they  fell  much  under  his  influence,  and  to 
such  an  extent  that  all  of  the  family,  excepting  William,  followed  the  fortunes  of  Sir 
John  Johnson  and  went  with  him  to  Canada.  Such  a  course  would  have  been  impos- 
sible to  young  William  Feeter,  for  his  native  patriotism  and  love  of  justice  prompted 
him  to  adhere  to  the  cause  of  the  colonists,  and  to  aid  them  to  the  best  of  his  powers. 
On  every  occasion  when  the  beautiful  Mohawk  valley  was  invaded  by  ruthless  savages 
and  no  less  blood-thirsty  tories,  he  was  among  the  foremost  volunteers  to  repel  the  en- 
emy. One  incident  of  this  character  is  thus  related  by  Mr.  Benton  in  his  history  of 
Herkimer  county. 

"  A  party  of  Indians  and  tories  made  a  descent  upon  a  settlement  in  the  Palatine 
district  for  the  purpose  of  plunder  and  murder,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  took  an 
active  part  in  punishing  the  lawless  intruders.  It  appeared  that  the  object  of  the  en- 
emy was  to  plunder  and  murder  a  family  related  to  one  of  the  tory  invaders,  which 
was  not  quite  agreeable  to  him  :  he  therefore  gave  himself  up,  and  disclosed  the  nefari- 
ous intentions  of  the  enemy,  who,  finding  themselves  betrayed,  made  a  rapid  fl'ght  to 
the  woods.  Col.  Willett  did  not  feel  disposed  to  let  them  oft"  without  a  severe  chas- 
tisement; he  therefore  ordered  Lieutenant  Sainmous,  with  twenty-five  volunteers, 
among  whom  was  William  Feeter,  to  go  in  pursuit,and  they  moved  so  rapidly  that 
they  came  upon  the  enemy's  burning  camp  fires  early  the  next  morning.  Feeter  and 
six  other  men  were  directed  to  keep  the  trail,  and  after  a  rapid  pursuit  of  two  miles  in 
the  woods  a  party  of  Indians  was  discovered  lying  flat  on  the  ground.  The  latter, 
when  they  saw  Feeter  approach,  instantly  arose  and  fired  ;  but  one  of  the  enemy  be- 
ing greviously  wounded  by  the  return  fire  of  the  Americans,  the  whole  gang  of  Indians 
and  tories  fled  precipitately,  leaving  their  knapsacks,  provisions  and  some  of  their  arms. 
The  result  of  this  afl^air  was,  that  three  of  the  enemy  were  wounded  in  the  running 
fight  kept  up  by  Feeter  and  his  party,  and  died  on  their  way  to  Canada :  one  surren- 
dered himself  a  prisoner,  and  the  wounded  Indian  was  summarily  dispatched  by  his 
former  tory  comrade,  who  had  joined  in  the  pursuit." 

Wilham  Feeter  found  little  sympathy  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  father's  home,  and 
took  up  his  residence  for  a  time  with  a  Mr.  Yauney's  family.  The  latter  was  a  firm 
patriot  and  he  presented  to  young  Feeter  the  musket  which  he  carried  through  the 
war,  and  which  is  still  preserved  in  the  family.  Soon  after  the  close- of  the  Revolu- 
tion, during  which   Colonel  Feeter  rose  to  the  rank  which  gave  him  his  title,  and  per- 


458  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

formed  service  whicli  entitles  him  to  the  patriotic  remembrance  of  the  country,  he  settled 
on  a  large  farm  within  the  present  limits  of  Little  Falls,  and  cultivated  it  for  more  than 
fifty  years.  In  the  year  1797,  noting  the  discomforts  of  the  people  through  the  depri- 
vation of  mail  facilities,  he  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  a  mail  route  on  his  private 
account.  His  son,  Adam,  was  then  sixteen  years  old,  and  his  father  fitted  him  out 
with  a  good  horse  and  saddle-bags  and  started  him  in  the  new  undertaking.  The  boy's 
duty  was  to  solicit  subscribers  to  newspapers  and  to  carry  all  letters  entrusted  to  him 
between  Albany  and  Little  Falls  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  to  Johnstown  and 
vicinity  through  the  Royal  Grant,  north  of  Little  Falls,  and  to  German  Flats  and  on 
nearly'to  Utica,  which  was  then  the  border  of  civilization.  This  unique  mail  service 
was  continued  three  years  and  was  thoroughly  successful  in  its  various  features  of  pro- 
curing subscribers,  doing  business  for  Mr.  Porteous,  the  only  merchant  then  in  Little 
Falls,  and  for  a  Mr.  Kane,  who  had  a  store  a  little  east  of  the  village  of  Canajoharie, 
besides  the  delivering  of  a  large  number  of  letters.  The  hardships  of  Adam  Feeter  on 
these  trips,  summer  and  winter,  in  which  he  had  often  to  cross  the  river  by  fording 
when  it  was  swollen  with  floods,  would  furnish  materials  for  a  most  romantic  narra- 
tive. 

Colonel  William  Feeter  reared  a  family  of  twelve  children,  and  died  at  his  home- 
stead on  the  otli  of  May,  1844,  aged  eighty-eight  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church  and  of  the  Fairfield  lodge  of  Masons.     His  wife  died  August  30, 183L 

Following  is  a  list  of  commissions  held  by  Colonel  Feeter  during  his  life: 

William  Father,  by  commission  dated  the  second  day  of  October,  1786,  signed  by 
Geo.  Clinton,  governor,  &c.,  was  appointed  ensign  of  Captain  Jacob  Petry's  company 
in  regiment  of  militia  in  Montgomery  county,  whereof  Henry  Staring  is  lieutenant- 
colonel  commanding. 

William  Veeder,  by  commission  dated  the  11th  of  February,  1789,  was  appointed  en- 
sign of  a  company  of  light  infantry  in  the  regiment  of  militia  in  the  county  of  Mont- 
gomery, whereof  Henry  Staring  is  lieutenant-colonel  commanding. 

William  S'eeder,  by  commission  dated  the  8th  of  March,  1791,  was  appointed  cap- 
tain in  the  regiment  of  mditia  in  Herkimer  county,  whereof  Henry  Staring  is  heuten- 
ant-colonel  commandant. 

William  Feetor,  by  commission  dated  the  9th  of  October,  1793,  was  appointed  cap- 
tain of  a  company  of  light  infantry  in  a  regiment  of  militia  in  the  county  of  Herkimer, 
whereof  Jacob  Pelrie  is  lieutenant-colonel  commandant. 

The  above  commissions  are  all  signed  by  Geo.  Clinton,  governor. 

William  Feeter,  by  commission  dated  the  11th  day  of  April,  1796,  signed  by  John 
Jay,  governor,  &c.,  at  our  city  of  New  York,  was  appointed  second  major  of  the  regi- 
ment of  militia  in  the  county  of  Herkimer,  whereof  Jacob  Petrie  is  lieutenant-colonel 
commandant. 

William  Feeter,  by  comnii.ssiou  dated  the  27th  day  of  March,  1797,  signed  by  John 
Jay,  governor,  &c.,  at  our  city  of  Albany,  was  appointed  first  major  of  the  regiment  of 
militia  in  Herkimer  county,  whereof  Richard  Petri  is  lieutenant-colonel  commandant. 

William  Feeter,  by  commission  dated  the  29th  of  March,  1798,  signed  by  John  Jay, 
governor,  at  Albany,  was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel  commandant  of  a  regiment  of 
riTilitia  at  Herkimer. 

Adam  Feeter,  son  of  Colonel  William  Feeter,  was  born  in  the  tovv-n  of  Little  Falls, 
October  27,  1782.     The  successful  conduct  of  the  mail  route  established  by  his  father 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  459 

has  been  mentioned.  This  business  gave  him  a  very  wide  acquaintance  throuo-h  the 
Mohawk  valley,  and  also  among  oiEcials  at  Albany,  by  whom  he  was  often  entrusted 
with  the  carriage  of  important  State  papers.  It  was  his  pride  to  relate  that  in  his 
three  years  as  mail  carrier  he  never  missed  a  trip,  or  lost  a  letter  or  paper.  In  the  year 
1800  a  government  mail  route  was  established  which  was  tendered  to  him  ■  but  he 
declined  it,  preferring  a  more  quiet  domestic  life.  After  his  marriage  to  Mara  Keyser, 
February  10,  180.5,  he  settled  at  Ingham's  Mills,  where  he  carried  on  a  milling  business 
a  few  years,  but  as  it  did  not  agree  with  his  health,  he  purchased  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Mauheim  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  April  15,  1865  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years,  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  respect  of  the  whole  community. 

Among  the  eight  children-  of  Adam  Feeter  was  James  Feeter,  whose  portrait  is 
found  in  this  work.  He  was  born  at  Ingham's  Mills,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  on  the 
14th  of  January,  1806,  and  inherited  the  hardy  German  characteristics  which  gave 
himself  and  his  ancestors  long  lives  of  activity.  After  securing  a  fair  practical  educa- 
tion while  living  at  his  home  in  Mauheim,  Mr.  Feeter  settled  permanently  in  Little 
Falls  in  1831  and  three  years  later  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with  the  late  Orrin 
Searles.  He  had  previously  on  the  24th  of  September,  1829,  married  Cynthia  Small 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Hannah  Small,  of  the  town  of  Herkimer.  After  two  years'  business 
connection  with  Mr.  Searles,  Mr.  Feeter  purchased  his  interest  and  from  that  time  on 
until  his  death  he  continued  in  the  same  line  of  trade,  in  which  he  was  thoroughly 
successful.  At  a  time  when  Little  Falls  was  a  small  village,  Mr.  Feeter  erected  a  busi- 
ness block,  which  until  this  day  is  an  evidence  of  his  belief  in  the  pro.sperity  of  the  " 
village.  His  business  career  in  Little  Falls  covered  a  period  of  nearly  si.\ty  years,  and 
during  all  that  time  it  received  his  undivided  attention  and  supervision.  Naturally 
prudent  and  economical,  he  accumulated  a  large  fortune,  although  he  lost  heavily  by 
the  freshet  of  1842,  and  a  fire  in  1848,  when  his  store  and  contents  were  wholly  de- 
stroyed. Mr.  Feeter's  acquaintance  with  the  older  citizens  of  Little  Falls  and  the 
immediate  surrounding  country  was  extensive,  and  among  them  his  character  and 
business  ability  was  held  in  the  highest  respect.  His  sagacity  and  foresight  as  applied 
to  his  own  transactions  were  remarkable,  while  his  business  habits  were  founded  upon 
unimpeachable  mtegrity.  He  was  in  business  affairs  uncompromising,  but  privately  he 
was  a  charitable  citizen.  An  ardent  lover  of  his  home  and  its  associations,  he  sought 
little  for  personal  pleasure  in  society,  but  found  contentment  and  enjoyment  in  the 
companionship  of  his  contemporary  fellow  citizens,  and  the  attachments  of  his  home. 
Forbearing  and  kind  to  all  and  upon  all  occasions,  he  still  was  firm  in  his  convictions  and 
outspoken  in  expressing  them.  He  built  and  owned  the  Feeter  block  and  improved 
other  real  estate  in  the  village,  and  was  always  ready  to  lend  his  aid  as  far  as  judicious 
in  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  the  place.  He  was  long  a  member  and  vestry- 
man in  Emanuel  Episcopal  church  and  a  believer  in  the  teachings  of  religion.  In 
politics  Mr.  Feeter  was  an  ardent  Republican  after  the  formation  of  that  party,  and  in 
early  years  took  a  very  active  interest  in  its  success.  In  1847  he  was  elected  to  the 
Assembly,  and  held  the  office  of  president  of  the  village  several  terms.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  his  election  as  assemblyman  was  on  the  Whig  ticket,  in  a  district 
strongly  Democratic.     In  his  political  work  he  made  the  acquaintance  and  friendship 


460  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

of  Gov.  John  Young,  Millard  Fillmore  and  other  prominent  men,  and  was  a  lifelong 
friend  of  Roscoe  Conklin?  (and  his  allegiance  to  him  could  never  be  shaken)  and  Thur- 
low  Weed.  His  election  as  a  Whig  in  a  district  so  strongly  Democratic,  gave  him 
considerable  local  prominence  and  led  to  his  subsequent  activity  in  the  counsels  of  his 
party.  .\s  a  recognition  of  his  political  services  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  State 
committee  and  presidential  elector  from  his  district.  Mr.  Feeter  was  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal organizers  of  the  Little  Falls  ^National  Bank  and  one  of  its  directors  until  his 
death.     A  resolution  adopted  by  the  board  after  his  death  said : 

"  In  the  death  of  Mr.  Feeter  we  are  deprived  of  an  associate  whom  aii  acute  faculty 
of  observation  and  long  business  experience  made  a  safe  adviser  in  all  fiscal  matters, 
and  the  loss  of  whose  sound  counsel  and  ever  ready  assistance  is  deeply  felt  by  our 
board ;  the  stockholders  of  this  bank  have  lost  an  officer  whose  efforts  have  largely 
contributed  to  its  prosperity  and  who  de.servedly  possessed  their  entire  confidence." 

Mr.  Feeter's  death  occurred  January  23,  1892. 

Mr.  Feeter  left  him  surviving,  only  one  son,  James  D.  Feeter,  at  the  present  time 
cashier  of  the  Little  Falls  National  Bank  and  one  of  its  principal  stockholders. 


ALBERT  G.  STORY  — ALBERT  STORY. 

The  immediate  ancestry  of  the  family  of  this  name  was  from  New  England.  Will- 
iam Story  removed  from  Connecticut  to  Cherry  Valley  in  the  early  days  of  that  his- 
toric ground,  and  long  was  proprietor  of  a  stage  route  on  the  old  Albany  turnpike.  He 
died  in  Cherry  Valley.  His  wife  was  Eunice  Cary,  and  his  children  were  Albert  G., 
John,  Fred  T.,  Charles,  George,  Julia,  Eunice. 

Albert  G.  Story,  son  of  William,  was  born  in  Cherry  Valley  October  19,  1812.  He 
was  given  opportunity  to  secure  an  ample  education,  finishing  with  a  course  in  Union 
College.  Leaving  hi."  studies  he  entered  the  Central  Bank  of  Cherry  Valley  as  a  clerk, 
where  he  continued  until  1833,  when  he  removed  to  Little  Falls  as  a  candidate  for  the 
cashiership  of  the  Herkimer  County  Bank;  in  1833  he  was  chosen  teller,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  only  six  months,  when  he  was  promoted  to  cashier.  This  responsi- 
ble office  he  held  many  years  and  until  the  death  of  Col.  William  H.  Alexander 
(which  occurred  February  22,  1867),  then  president  of  the  bank,  when  Mr.  Story  was 
placed  in  that  position  until  1886,  and  has  continued  to  be  connected  with  its  alTairs 
until  the  present  time.  During  his  long  business  career  in  Little  Fall.s,  Mr.  Story  has 
risen  to  a  foremost  position  in  financial  circles  and  in  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow  citizens.  With  unassuming  integrity  of  purpo.se  and  singular  devotion  to  duly, 
Mr.  Story  has  guided  the  Herkimer  County  Bank  to  an  honorable  place  among  banks 
in  the  State,  and  has  passed  a  far  longer  life  than  that  commonly  allotted  to  man  in 
the  active  service  of  that  institution.  Mr.  Story  was  formerly  and  down  to  the  war 
period,  a  Democrat  in  politics;  but  when  the  country  was  placed  in  peril  his  sympathies 
and  his  patriotism  carried  him  over  into  the  Republican  fold,  and  there  he  has  since 
remained ;  but  he  has  taken  no  active  part  in  politics.     In  local  public  spirit  he  has  not 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  461 

been  lacking,  especially  in  the  work  of  educational  advancement.  He  was  largely-  re- 
sponsible for  the  organization  and  establishment  o£  the  Little  Falls  Academy  and  held 
the  office  of  treasurer  many  years.  In  the  introduction  of  gas-lighting  in  the  village 
also  he  took  a  very  prominent  part,  laying  the  foundation  of  the  enterprise  himself. 
Mr.  Story  married  Sarah  Morse,  of  Cherry  Valley,  who  is  deceased.  Their  children 
were  five,  as  follows:  James,  Mary,  both  of  whom  died  young;  Sarah,  married  S.  B. 
Neff,  of  Philadelphia ;  and  Emily,  married  B.  P.  Janes,  of  New  York. 

Albert  Story,  son  of  A.  G.  Story,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  August  1,  1841.  His 
education  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of  his  native  village,  at  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  and 
one  year  at  Clinton,  finishing  when  eighteen  years  of  age.  After  leaving  school  and 
for  a  short  tmie  he  was  in  the  bank  with  his  father,  which  he  left  in  July,  1862  to  take 
the  post  of  quartermaster  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Regiment  New  York 
Volunteers.  At  the  end  of  a  year  ill  health  forced  him  to  resign  his  commission,  and  he 
returned  to  Little  Falls  and  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the  Herkimer  County  Bank,  where 
his  father  was  then  cashier.  In  1867  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  teller,  which 
place  he  filled  until  1888,  when  he  was  made  cashier,  and  still  occupies  this  responsible 
position.  An  active  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Story  has  received  evidence  from  his 
constituents  that  they  placed  confidence  in  his  ability  and  faithfulness.  He  was  elected 
village  trustee  in  1872,  supervisor  February  4,  1873,  being  then  the  first  Republican 
supervisor  elected  in  the  town  in  twenty  years ;  was  elected  county  treasurer  in  1878 
and  held  the  office  two  terms;  and  in  March,  1892,  was  chosen  president  of  the  village. 
In  these  various  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  Mr.  Story  has  served  with  the 
utmost  acceptance  to  his  friends  and  demonstrated  his  possession  of  administrative 
qualifications  of  a  high  order.  His  long  career  in  the  bank  has  added  to  public  con- 
fidence in  its  stability  and  in.  his  capability  as  a  financier.  Mr.  Story  is  a  member  of 
Emanuel  Episcopal  church,  and  is  vestryman  and  treasurer.  He  was  married  June  21, 
1876,  to  Mary  Josephine  Arnold,  of  Little  Falls. 


WILLIAM  G.  MILLIGAN. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  of  Scotch  ancestry.  His  father  was  William  Kerr  Mill- 
igan,  a  native  of  Glasgow,  who  came  to  this  country  about  the  year  1812.  He  served 
as  clerk  for  Wihiam  Alexander,  the  Little  Falls  pioneer  and  merchant,  and  son-in-law 
of  John  Porteous.  (See  preceding  history  of  Little  Falls.)  He  died  in  Little  Falls  in 
January,  1828,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-four  years,  a  few  months  after  his  return 
from  a  visit  to  his  native  land.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent  business  qualifications  and 
character  and  principles  above  reproach.  His  wife  was  Mary  Fergus,  of  Glasgow,  a 
woman  of  marked  characteristics,  who  died  in  Little  Falls  at  the  age  of  eighty-six 
years. 

William  Kerr  and  Mary  Mdligan  had  seven  children,  as  follows:  William  G.,  Mary, 
Andrew,  John,  James,  Henry,  and  David.  Of  these  William  G.  is  the  only  survivor. 
He  was  born  at  Little  Falls  January  30,  1817.  He  attended  tlie  district  schools  of  his 
59 


462  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COTJNTT. 

native  village  after  reaching  a  proper  age,  until  he  was  six  years  old,  when  he  was 
taken  by  his  father  to  Scotland,  to  remain  four  years.  While  there  he  attended  a  high 
school  in  Glasgow,  and  after  his  return  was  in  school  in  Little  Falls  until  about  fifteen 
years  old.  It  was  his  father's  request  that  he  should  become  a  practical  mechanic,  and 
he  accordingly  spent  four  years  in  learning  the  cabinet-maker's  trade.  As  a  journey- 
man workman  he  then  traveled  quite  extensively  in  the  south  and  west,  working  at 
various  places  on  the  way.  With  the  natural  thoroughness  of  his  habits  he  had  made 
himself  an  excellent  workman,  and  was  never  without  a  place  when  he  desired  employ- 
ment. Finally  returning  to  Little  Falls  he  married  the  daughter  of  William  Girvan, 
Elizabeth  Ann,  and  settled  in  the  grocery  trade,  which  he  continued  about  eight  years, 
his  store  being  on  Mam  street.  After  a  year  of  idleness,  Mr.  Milligan  made  all  prep- 
arations to  join  the  grand  concourse  of  gold-seekers  to  California.  But  at  just  that 
time  the  late  Amos  A.  Bradley  left  the  Herkimer  County  Bank,  in  which  he  had  acted 
as  teller,  creating  a  vacancy,  and  Mr.  Milligan  abandoned  his  plans  of  going  to  Califor- 
nia and  entered  the  bank  as  bookkeeper.  He  filled  this  position  four  years,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  office  of  teller.  In  1867  he  was  chosen  cashier  and  filled  that  place 
until  1888,  when  he  was  elected  president  of  the  bank.  This  responsible  oflice  he  still 
holds.  In  all  these  positions  Mr.  Milligan  has  not  only  given  the  highest  satisfaction  to 
patrons  and  stockholders  of  the  bank,  but  has  demonstrated  his  possession  of  business 
qualifications  of  a  high  order.  Prudence,  sagacity,  sound  judgment,  and  unwavering 
integrity — these  are  the  marked  characteristics  which  have  distinguished  his  adminis- 
tration of  the  affairs  of  the  bank  ;  and  at  the  present  time,  although  far  advanced  in 
years,  Mr.  Milligan  is  active  in  body  and  mind,  and  gives  the  same  cfevoted  and  con- 
stant attention  to  his  duties  that  has  been  his  custom  during  so  many  past  years.  No 
man  in  Little  Falls  has  to  a  greater  extent  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  com- 
munity, while  his  geniality  and  courteous  demeanor  on  all  occasions  have  given  him  a 
wide  circle  of  sincere  and  devoted  friends. 

Mr.  Milligan's  business  capacity  and  integrity  have  conspired  to  throw  into  his  care 
numerous  estates,  of  which  he  acts  as  a  careful  custodian.  He  was  treasurer  of  the 
Warrior  Mower  Company  for  many  years,  until  its  affairs  were  recently  wound  up; 
was  treasurer  of  the  Little  Falls  Knitting-Mill  for  a  period,  and  is  now  treasurer  of  the 
Superior  Furnace  Company.  He  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  recently  completed 
Little  Falls  and  Dolgeville  Railroad.  A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Milligan  has  found 
little  time  to  devote  to  that  field  of  activity.  He  held  the  oftice  of  town  clerk,  and  has 
received  the  nomination  for  supervisor,  but  in  a  Democratic  community  was  defeated. 
In  all  the  relations  of  life  Mr.  Milligan  has  exemplified  an  honorable  citizenship.  Mrs. 
Milligan  died  in  1855,  leaving  no  children. 


JOSIAH  SHULL 

Was  born  in  the  town  of  Danube,  county  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  January  5,  1820.  His 
father  was  Jacob  Sholl,  son  of  Johan  Jost  Schol',  who  came  from  the  Palatinate,  Ger- 
many, with  his  parents  when  sevenlieen  yeais  of  age  and  settled  at  Fort   Herkimer  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  463 

1769.     He  was  subsequently  a  farmer,  miller  and  merchant  at  Ephratali,  N.  T.,  and  in 
1810  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Danube. 

Mr.  ShuU's  mother  was  Anna  Klock,  daughter  of  George  I.  Klock  and  granddaugh- 
ter of  Jacob  G.  Klock,  who  was  colonel  in  command  of  the  Second  Battalion  at  the 
battle  of  Oriskany.  Colonel  Klock  was  judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  mem- 
ber of  Assembly  in  1777  and  State  senator  for  the  eight  ensuing  years.  Johan  Jost 
Scholl  was  also  in  the  battle  of  Oriskany,  ranking  as  ensign  in  Colonel  Klock's  com- 
mand. 

Mr.  ShuU  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  town  and  at  the  Herki- 
mer and  Fairfield  Academies.  He  devoted  himself  to  a  course  of  mathematical  studie.^ 
purposing  to  become  an  engineer  and  surveyor,  which  profession  he  subsequently 
practiced,  in  connection  with  other  occupations,  for  forty-five  years. 

He  married  Sally  Maria  Staflxird,  daughter  of  Thomas  Stafford,  of  Danube,  January  26, 
1843.  Two  children  w*re  born  of  their  union,  a  daughter.  Augusta,  who  married 
Peter  H.  Steele  in  186.3,  and  died  in  March,  1865;  and  a  son,  Winfield,  who  in  1866 
married  Libbie  Benedict,  daughter  of  Jasper  M.  Benedict  and  granddaughter  of 
Thomas  R.  Benedict,  of  Bphratah,  Fulton  county.  Winfield  died  in  December,  1871 
and  his  wife  died  in  1885.  They  left  a  daughter,  Mabel,  who  in  1888  married  Lincoln 
C.  Ackler,  of  Ilion. 

Mr.  Shull  has  been  variously  occupied  as  a  farmer,  teacher  and  surveyor.  In  1852 
he  removed  to  the  village  of  Mohawk,  and  in  1867  purchased  a  farm  on  the  westerlv 
border  of  the  village  of  Ilion.  After  the  death  of  his  son  he  retired  from  active  farm- 
ing and  built  a  house  on  West  Main  street,  Ilion,  where  he  now  resides.  Mrs.  Shull 
died  December  21,  1891. 

He  was  superintendent  of  common  schools  in  the  town  of  Danube,  1846-50;  deputy 
clerk  of  the  Assembly,  1860  ;  member  of  Assembly,  1861,  and  deputy  clerk  of  the 
Senate,  1864-5.  In  February,  1871,  he  was  chosen  corresponding  secretary  of  the 
New  York  State  Dairymen's  Association  and  Little  Falls  Board  of  Trade,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  1877,  when  he  was  chosen  secretary  of  the  New  York  State  Dairy- 
men's Association,  and  continued  to  hold  said  office  until  1891,  when  he  was  chosen 
president  of  the  Association,  which  office  he  held  for  one  year. 

For  the  past  twenty-five  years  Mr.  Shull  has  been  closely  identified  "with  many 
movements  which  had  for  their  object  the  promotion  of  the  agricultural  interests  of 
the  State.  In  this  connection  he  has  been  frequently  called  upon  to  deliver  addresses 
upon  agricultural  topics  before  farmers'  clubs,  farmers'  institute?,  dairymen's  associations 
and  agricultural  societies.  In  1887  he  organized  the  first  dairy  conference  held  on 
this  continent. 

At  the  Centennial  Exposition  of  1876  he  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Man- 
agers for  the  exhibition  of  dairy  products.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  arrang- 
ing the  details  of  the  dairy  exhibit  at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  to  be  held  at 
Chicago  in  1893.  In  October,  1892,  he  was  appointed  manager  and  director  in  charge 
of  the  New  York  State  Dairy  Exhibit  at  the  World's  Fair,  which  position  he  now  oc- 
cupies.    He  also  is  president  of  the  Central  New  York  Farmers'  Club. 

Mr.  Shull  is  a  Free  Mason,  a  Unitarian  in  religious  belief,  and  in  politics  a  Piepubh- 
can.     In  temperament  and  demeanor  he  is  one  of  the  most  genial  of  men,  and  meets 


4G4  niSTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  humblest  and  the  highest  with  the  same  innate  affability  and  courteoupness. 
With  a  mind  of  judicial  character,  he  has  sought  to  enlarge  his  views  upon  all  topics 
of  importance  in  public  affairs,  and  to  form  just  and  elevated  ideas  upon  the  problems 
of  life  by  intelligent  and  extensive  reading  and  observation.  His  career  and  habits  of 
life  have  been  founded  upon  principles  of  integrity  and  honorable  intercourse  with  his 
fellow  men,  which  constitute  good  citizenship. 


FRANCIS  E.  SPINNER. 

Francis  Elias  Spinner  was  born  January  21,  1802,  in  the  town  of  German  Flats,  at 
the  parsonage  (which  was  burned  when  he  was  but  a  week  old)  that  stood  near  the 
center  of  the  pre.sent  village  of  Mohawk.  His  father,  the  Kqv.  John  Peter  Spinner, 
of  Werbach,  in  the  grand  duchy  of  Baden,  a  highly  educated  Roman  Catholic  priest, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years  became  a  Protestant,  and  married  Maria  Magdalena 
Fidelis  Brument,  of  Lohr,  in  the  kingdom  of  Bavaria,  but  whose  ancestors  were  im- 
migrants from  Normandy,  in  France.  He  was  an  early  pastor  of  the  Herkimer  and 
Fort  Herkimer  Reformed  churches,  as  elsewhere  recorded. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  oldest  of  nine  children — six  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters— who  all  arrived  at  the  age  of  majority.  Francis  chose  to  become  a  merchant, 
and  for  a  whole  year  or  more  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Maj.  Michael  M. 
Myers,  a  heavy  dealer,  who  made  his  purchases  himself  in  Europe.  Major  Myers,  in 
1817,  failed.  Thereupon  the  boy,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  was  bound  out  to  Mr.  Benne, 
a  manufacturer  and  wholesale  dealer  in  confectionery,  in  the  city  of  Albany.  His 
father,  two  years  after,  on  ascertaining  that  the  son  was  employed  as  a  salesman  and 
bookkeeper,  had  the  indentures  broken  and  put  the  young  man  to  the  trade  of  a  saddle 
and  harness-maker,  with  Mr.  Francis  Choate,  of  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.  Here  for  a  short 
time,  and  before  he  was  of  age,  he,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  David  De  Forest,  carried 
on  that  business. 

Up  to  his  going  to  Albany  the  only  instruction  ho  received  was  from  his  father  in 
the  languages,  and  in  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  and  English  grammar  at  the  com- 
mon schools  in  Herkimer.  At  Albany  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  become  acquainted 
with  many  men  of  culture,  who  took  a  great  interest  in  his  welfare,  and  had  access  to 
Col.  Peter  Gansevoort's  library.  While  at  Amsterdam  he  became  a  shareholder  in  the 
circulating  library  of  that  village,  and  while  learning  his  trade  he  read  through  every 
book  contained  in  the  library.  In  1824  he  removed  back  to  his  native  county,  and,  in 
copartnership  with  Maj.  Alexander  W.  Hackley,  a  merchant,  again  started  business  at 
Herkimer.  In  1829  he  was  appointed  deputy  sheriff,  and  had  the  sole  charge  of  the 
sheriff's  office  and  of  the  'county  prison  during  the  shrievalties  of  the  Hon.  John 
Graves  and  of  Col.  Frederick  P.  Bellinger,  after  which,  in  1834,  he  was  himself  elected 
sheriff"  of  the  county  of  Herkimer,  thus  having  charge  of  that  office  for  nine  consecu- 
tive years.  In  the  mean  time^he  raised  the  "La  Fayette  Guards,"  and  helped  to  or- 
ganize the  Twenty-sixth  Regiment  New  York  State  artillery.     He  commenced  as  lieu- 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  405 

tenant  in  1825,  and  was  elected  to,  and  held,  all  the  intermediate  grades  up  to  the  rank 
of  major-general  of  the  third  division  of  artillery,  which  latter  office  he  resigned  at 
the  beginning  of  the  year  1835,  when  he  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office  of  sheriff. 

At  the  end  of  his  term  of  the  shrievalty  he  was  appointed  commissioner  for  build- 
ing the  State  Lunatic  Asylum  at  Utica.  In  the  summer  of  1839  he  was  invited  by  the 
directors  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  Bank,  an  institution  then  being  organized,  to  take  the 
cashiership.  He  accepted  this  invitation  and  removed  to  the  village  of  Mohawk,  the 
place  of  his  birth.  Subsequently  he  was  elected  president  of  that  institution.  In  1845 
he  was  invited  by  the  Hon.  Michael  Hoffman,  then  the  naval  officer  of  the  port  of  New 
York,  to  serve  under  him  as  his  deputy  and  auditor.  This  invitation  he  accepted,  and 
held  these  offices  for  over  four  years,  without  severing  his  official  connection  with  the 
bank  at  Mohawk.  Up  to  this  time  he  had  held  various  minor  offices,  as  State  inspector 
of  turopikep,  commissioner  of  schools,  supervisor,  etc.  In  1854  he  was  elected  to 
represent  the  seventh  district  of  New  York,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Herkimer 
and  St.  Lawrence,  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  During  this  Congress  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Elections  that  had  the  famous  contested  seat  from 
Kansas  committed  to  its  charge.  He  served  on  various  special  committees,  among 
which  were  the  one  to  investigate  the  outrage  on  Senator  Sumner,  and  that  famous 
committee  of  conference  that  agreed  to  disagree  on  the  army  appropriation  bill.  On 
this  committee,  Messr.s.  Orr  and  Campbell,  of  the  House,  and  Messrs.  Douglas,  Sew- 
ard, and  Tombs,  of  the  Senate,  were  his  associates.  During  the  session  of  this  Con- 
gress the  Republican  party  was  formed.  To  the  next,  the  Thirty-fifth  Congress,  he 
was  elected  as  a  Republican  by  over  nine  thousand  majority,  and  to  the  Thirty-sixth  by 
a  like  majority.  In  the  Thirty-fifth  Congress  he  was  placed  on  the  Committee  on  Ac- 
counts. The  Speaker,  in  a  confidential  interview,  asked  him  to  keep  a  strict  watch 
over  the  actions  of  his  Committee  on  Accounts,  and  also  over  the  accounts  of  the  dis- 
bursing officers  of  the  House.  Subsequent  events  proved  that  his  fears  were  well 
grounded.  In  the  Thirty-sixth  Congress  General  Spinner  was  placed  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Accounts.  At  the  close  of  the  last  session  of  this  Congress,  in  March, 
1861,  he  was  invited  by  Governor  Chase,  the  then  newly-appointed  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  to  take  the  office  of  treasurer  of  the  United  States.  His  nomination  to  this 
place  by  President  Lincoln  was  confirmed  by  the  helping  votes  of  loyal  Democratic 
senators,  among  whom  were  Andrew  Johnson,  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  and  James  W. 
Nesmith. 

Mr.  Spinner  entered  upon  his  duties  as  United  States  treasurer  March  22,  18G1,  and 
was  thenceforward  found  constantly  at  his  post,  keeping  a  strict  eye  upon  the  people's 
money.  At  the  close  of  his  service  his  praise  was  upon  the  lips  of  all  the  people, 
and  they  regretted  to  lose  his  services  in  this  most  responsible  place.  It  seemed, 
too,  Hke  parting  with  an  old  friend  ;  for,  though  his  face  may  not  be  so  familiar, 
no  signature  is  as  well  known  to  the  American  people — not  even  that  of  John  Han- 
cock- as  F.  E.  Spinner,  written  in  those  curious,  bold  letters,  constituting  the  most 
unique  feature  of  every  greenback  issued  by  the  Government  during  his.  treasurer- 
ship.  Of  course  an  office  like  that  of  United  States  treasurer  might  open  many 
■^venues  to  gain,  entirely  apart  from  what  are  usually  known   as  pickings,  and  which 


466  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

most  would  reparc]  as  neither  dishonorable  or  dishonest.  But,  avoiding  the  very  ap- 
pearance of  evil,  Mr.  Spinner  availed  himself  of  none  of  these,  and  retired  from  his 
place  with  only  a  modest  competence.     Ills  death  took  place  Decendjer  31,  1890. 


CHARLES  BAILEY. 

This  well  known  citizen  of  Little  Falls  was  born  in  Hanging  Heaton,  Yorkshire, 
England,  in  1830.  His  father  was  a  respectable  maker  of  boots  and  shoes,  and 
never  came  to  America.  The  son  was  favored  with  very  little  opportunity  to  secure 
an  education,  and  like  many  other  boys  of  his  class,  was  put  at  work  in  factories  at  the 
age  of  nine  years.  It  was'a  woolen  mill,  and  there  he  learned  in  three  years  to  operate 
a  power  loom.  He  was  faithful  and  industrious,  and  finally  learned  hand-loom  weav- 
ing, and  eventually  had  partial  charge  of  a  small  cloth  and  woolen  factory,  where  he 
remained  until  his  twentj'-seventh  year.  At  that  period  he  resolved  to  better  his  pros- 
pects in  America,  and  accordingly  immigrated.  landing  here  in  1857.  He  had  in  the 
mean  time  married  Ellen  Senior  and  one  child  was  born.  Squire  Bailey. 

Mr.  Uailey  went  to  Little  Falls  and  there  found  employment  in  setting  Jacquard 
looms,  for  which  work  his  long  experience  thoroughly  fitted  him.  Afterwards  he  was 
employed  as  spinner  in  the  Saxony  Mills,  then  operated  by  S.  B.  Stitt.  In  1862  he 
formed  a  copartnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  Jeremiah  Mitchell,  and  they  began  a 
small  business  together  in  Little  Falls.  A  year  later  they  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  stocking  yarn  and  knit  goods  in  Oriskany,  which  they  carried  on  until  1865,  when 
then-  factory  was  burned.  Returning  to  Little  Falls  the  partners  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  shoddy,  in  which  they  continued  until  the  organization  of  the  Little  Falls 
Knitting  Comjjany  in  1872-3.>  This  company  originally  comprised  Titus  Sheard,  W.  H. 
Robinson,  Charles  Bailey,  Jeremiah  Mitchell,  J.  J.  Gilbert,  Rodney  Whitman,  W.  W. 
Whitman,  W.  M.  Dorr,  Edward  McHenry,  and  Rugene  Wahath.  The  incorporation  of 
the  company  was  efTected  with  a  capital  stock  of  $60,000  with  the  following  officers: 
President,  Titus  Sheard;  vice-presidefl't,  Charles  A.  Girvan  ;  treasurer,  J.J.  Gilbert;  secre- 
tary, D.  H.  Burrell;  manager,  Charles  Bailey.  With  this  organization  Mr.  Bailey  has 
been  identified  since  that  time,  and  it  is  no  disparagement  to  his  a.ssociates  to  say  that 
much  of  its  success,  especially  in  the  practical  part  of  the  business,  is  due  to  his  efTorts. 
The  pre.sent  oflicers  of  the  company  are  :  Charles  Bailey,  president;  J.  J.  Gilbert,  vice- 
president  ;  Elijah  Reid,  secretary  and  treasurer  ;  Squire  Bailey,  superintendent ;  Thomas 
Bailey,  salesman. 

While  Mr.  Bailey  is  possessed  of  ample  public  spirit  and  always  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  public  aflairs,  as  far  as  they  relate  to  the  welfare  of  the  community,  he  has 
not  sought  preferment  through  political  or  other  influences.  He  is  recognized  as  a  man 
of  sturdy  common  sense  and  sound  judgment  in  all  practical  matters,  but  devoted  to 
the  business  for  the  growth  of  which  he  is  largely  responsible.  He  is  a  director  in  the 
Superior  Furnace  Company,  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order,  etc.  His  son.  Squire 
Bailey,  who  was  born  in  England,  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Village  Trustees, 


'"'^  ^yFGKsr-rum.l^y 


mf 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  4G7 

and  his  son  Thomas,  born  in  Little  Falls,  is  now  county  treasurer.  These  two 
sons,  with  Susie,  Charles  and  Emma,  who  are  deceased,  were  children  of  Mr. 
Bailey's  first  wife,  who  died  in  IStJO.  He  married  second,  Ann  C.  Brooks,  of  Otsego 
county,  by  whom  five  children  have  been  born,  two  of  whom  are  deceased  ;  the  others 
are  daughters,  Jennie,  Emma  and  Nellie. 


HENRY  DWIGHT  ALEXANDER. 

Among  the  early  settlers  in  Herkimer  county  was  Henry  Augustus  Alexander,  the 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  came  from  Connecticut,  and  after  locating  for 
a  short  time  at  Paris,  Oneida  county,  removed  to  Winfield,  in  this  county,  where  he 
cleared  and  improved  a  farm  and  reared  his  family.  His  ancestors  were  originally  from 
Scotland.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Gallup,  of  Connecticut,  whose  grandfather  was  set- 
tled in  that  State  in  1710,  and  her  father,  Nathaniel  Gallup,  was  a  Revolutionary  sol- 
dier. Henry  Augustus  died  in  1856,  and  his  wife,  Mrs.  Alexander,  died  in  1842.  They 
had  four  children :  Martha,  who  married  Welcome  Scott,  of  Bridgewater,  and  is  de- 
ceased;  Rachel,  who  married  Dean  Burgess,  of  Richfield,  and  afterwards  of  Winfield 
and  Herkimer,  and  is  deceased  ;  Giles  M.,  who  married  Eva  Clapsaddle,  of  the  town  of 
Columbia,  and  is  deceased  ;  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  born  in  Winfield, 
Herkimer  county,  October  I'.i,  1830.  He  was  given  an  excellent  education,  considering 
his  circumstances,  his  period  in  the  district  schools  being  supplemented  by  a  course  in 
the  Clinton  Liberal  Institute,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1849,  wlien  nineteen  years 
old.  After  teaching  school  one  winter,  Mr.  Alexander  entered  a  country  store,  that 
preparatory  school  of  so  many  of  our  excellent  business  men  at  Winfield,  where  he 
served  faithfully  as  a  clerk  for  two  years.  In  1852  he  went  to  Hion  and  began  a  period 
of  three  years'  service  as  teller  in  the  Hion  Bank,  and  was  then  called  to  the  same  po- 
sition in  the  Oneida  County  Bank  at  Utica,  where  he  remained  continuously  for  twelve 
years.  In  1857  he  was  married  to  Martha  Kirkland,  of  Hion,  N.  Y.  While  at  Utica 
his  reputation  as  a  careful,  faithful  employee,  and  as  one  who.se  experience  amply  qual- 
ified him  for  the  most  responsible  position  as  a  banker  had  become  somewhat  widely 
known,  and  especially  so  in  Central  New  York.  The  National  Mchawk  Valley  Bank 
was  at  that  time  in  need  of  a  careful  and  prudent  business  manager,  and  Mr.  Alex- 
ander was  called  to  fill  the  office  of  ca.shier.  The  bank  had  no  surplus  and  it  became 
necessary  to  pass  several  dividends;  but  from  the  time  when  he  accepted  the  chief 
executive  office  of  the  institution  its  affairs  began  to  prosper,  and  it  finally  became  a 
profitable  and  trusted  bank,  and  has  now  a  surplus  of  about  $40,000.  For  a  quarter  of 
a  century  Mr.  Alexander  has  given  almost  constant  attention  to  the  affairs  of  this  in- 
stitution, watching  its  every  detail  with  zealous  care,  winning  for  himself  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  his  associates,  and  sharing  in  the  satisfaction  resulting  from  the 
merited  success  of  the  bank.  The  first  bank  building,  erected  in  1849,  was  displaced 
in  1891  by  the  present  handsome  and  substantial  edifice,  costing  about  .«;10,000.  which 
is  devoted  solely  to  the  banking  business  It  was  erected  largely  under  direction  of 
Mr.  Alexander,  and  is  a  model  of  convenience  and  beauty. 


468  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

The  confidence  of  the  community  in  Mr.  Alexander  found  expression  in  1873  by  his 
selection  for  the  office  of  secretary  for  the  Mohawk  and  Ilion  Street  Railway,  and  in 
1887  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  Mohawk  and  Herkimer  Street  Railroad.  He  was 
one  of  the  original  promoters  of  the  knit  goods  industry  in  Mohawk,  and  is  president 
and  treasurer  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  Knitting-Mills,  Limited,  of  Mohawk,  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Knitting  Company  of  Mohawk,  Limited.  Outside  of  business  relations, 
he  held  the  office  of  treasurer  of  the  village  of  Mohawk,  and  was  its  president  three 
years.  He  was  aLso  president  of  the  Board  of  Education  six  years.  It  is,  perhaps, 
superfluous  to  add  that  in  these  several  honorable  and  responsible  positions,  he  has 
demonstrated  his  possession  of  the  sterling  qualities  of  sound  judgment,  sagacity,  pru- 
dence and  public  spirit  that  must  be  the  attributes  of  the  progressive  and  respected 
citizen. 

Mr.  Alexander  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  would  never  accept  candidacy  for  any 
public  office.  He  is  a  member  and  vestryman  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  Mohawk, 
the  organization  and  .support  of  which  are  largely  due  to  his  efforts.  He  has  no 
children. 


ALEXANDER  H.  BUELL. 

Roswell  Buell,  a  native  of  Killingwortli,  Conn.,  came  to  Herkimer  county  at  an  early 
day  and  located  on  the  site  of  Fairfield  village.  In  1795  he  married  Sarah  Griswold, 
a  daughter  of  Daniel  Griswold,  also  a  native  of  Killingworth,  who  settled  at  Fairfield 
about  the  year  1790.  About  the  year  1800  Roswell  Buell  opened  a  store  in  Fairfield 
and  continued  mercantile  business  tor  some  years.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  en- 
terprise and  benevolence.  He  donated  an  acre  of  land  to  the  trustees  of  the  Fairfield 
Academy  in  1802.  on  which  the  first  academic  edifice  was  erected.  In  the  midst  of  an 
active  and  useful  life  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  prevailing  epidemic  in  the  winter  of  1812- 
13,  at  the  age  of  forty  years.  His  aflairs  were  somewhat  involved  by  this  sudden 
event,  and  after  the  settlement  of  his  estate  was  eflected,  only  a  small  patrimony  was 
left  to  the  surviving  members  of  his  family.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  son  of 
Roswell  Buell  and  was  born  on  the  14th  of  July.  1801.  The  following  brief  biography 
is  taken  from  Mr.  Benton's  History  of  Herkimer  County  and  was  from  his  personal 
pen  : 

The  loss  so  early  m  life  of  the  counsel  and  sustaining  aid  of  a  father,  when  both  were 
so  much  needed,  was  no  doubt  viewed  by  young  Buell  as  a  severe  calamity.  He  soon 
seemed  to  appreciate  the  circumstances  which  surrounded  him,  and  was  fully  impre.ssed 
with  the  idea  that  he  must  be  the  artificer  of  his  own  fame  and  fortune;  that  success 
could  only  be  looked  for  through  his  own  exertions.  The  position  in  which  he  was 
placed  had  great  influence  in  nioulditig  his  character  and  developing  those  traits  which 
led  to  his  subsequent  success  in  life  as  a  merchant.  His  opportunities  for  an  accom- 
plished academic  education  were  somewhat  limited  by  his  engagements  as  a  clerk  in 
the  store  of  Mr.  Stephen  Hallett,  then  one  of  the  principal  business  "men  at  Fairfield. 
His  time  at  school  was  however  well  employed,  and  he  sought  to  make  up  by  diligence 


BIOGRAPHICAL.'  469 

and  studious  application  during  his  leisure  hours,  what  he  lost  while  engaged  in  the 
store  of  his  employer. 

A  marked  feature  of  young  Buell's  character  is  developed  in  the  following  facts : 
During  the  first  three  years  of  his  employment  with  Mr.  Hallett,  and  he  commenced 
at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  was  diligent  and  attentive  as  a  clerk  in  the  store,  supporting 
himself  by  his  own  exertion.',  and  at  the  same  time  superintending  the  affairs  of  his 
widowed  mother  with  all  the  efficiency  of  a  man  of  matured  years,  and  with  a  kindness 
and  solicitude  that  carried  with  it  a  sweet  and  soothing  solace.  Nor  was  this  all  •  his 
sisters,  orphaned  like  himself,  were  not  unfrequent  recipients  of  presents  from  the  sur- 
plus of  his  earnings.  He  had  become  so  accomplished  in  busine.«s,  several  years  before 
he  reached  his  majority,  that  he  was  repeatedly  sent  by  his  employer  to  the  city  of 
New  York  to  purchase  goods  to  replenish  his  store. 

Mr,  Buell,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  became  a  partner  in  business  with  his  former 
employer,  and  at  Mr  Hallett's  death,  assumed  the  sole  proprietorship  of  the  business  at 
Fairfield.  He  subsequently,  in  connection  with  different  individuals,  extended  his 
mercantile  business  into  the  neighboring  towns  and  villages  in  the  county  ;  afterwards, 
giving  scope  to  a  clear  and  comprehensive  mind,  and  the  exertion  of  an  excellent  busi- 
ness talent,  his  commercial  operations  were  extended  to  counties  in  this  State  remote 
from  his  native  home  ;  and  he  did  not  finally  stop  until  he  reached  the  distant  shores  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean ;  even  California  was  not  neglected  by  the  accomplished  and  success- 
ful Fairfield  merchant.  I  am  not  aware  that  Mr.  Buell  ever  thought  of  removing  to 
New  York,  where  fortunes  are  so  rapidly  made  and  marred  in  commercial  pursuits. 
He  was  several  time  gratified  and  honored  by  the  confidence  of  his  townsmen,  in  elect- 
ing him  to  local  offices  of  trust  and  confidence.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly 
from  this  county  in  1845.  This,  I  believe  was  his  first  appearance  at  Albany  as  a  leg- 
islator. He  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  important  committee  on  banks  and  insur- 
ance companies,  in  a  house  in  no  respect  destitute  of  men  of  talents.  Although  it  is 
not  usual  to  select  the  chairman  of  the  leading  committee  from  new  members,  the 
appointment  in  this  instance  was  judicious,  and  the  compliment  well  deserved.  In 
this  new  and  untried  position,  Mr.  Buell  sustained  himself  in  every  respect  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  the  house  and  his  friends.  An  ardent  politician  of  the  Herkimer  school, 
and  I  use  this  term  because  our  neighbors  in  other  counties  charge  us  with  being  "  of 
the  strictest  sect,"  it  was  his  duty  and  his  pleasure  to  square  his  official  conduct  to  suit 
the  feelings  and  opinions  of  his  constituents. 

Mr.  Buell  was  chosen  member  of  the  Thirty-second  Congress  from  the  Seventeenth 
Congressional  District,  composed  of  Herkimer  and  Montgomery  counties,  at  the  No 
vember  election,  1850.  His  competitor  was  a  personal  friend,  and  then  the  member 
from  the  district,  Henry  P.  Alexander.  The  canvass  was  briskly  conducted  and 
adroitly  managed  by  the  contestants  and  their  friends.  The  district  was  one  in  which 
there  could  not  be  much  doubt  when  the  whole  vote  was  polled  and  party  lines 
strictly  drawn  as  "  in  olden  time."  He  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  E.  Gruman,  of 
Clinton,  Oneida  county,  November  9,  1840.  Before  taking  his  seat  in  the  Congress,  to 
which  he  had  been  elected,  Mr.  Buell  closed  his  connection  with  most  of  the  mercan- 
tile establishments  in  which  he  had  been  interested,  over  which  he  could  not  well  ex- 
GO 


470  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ercise  a  personal  supervision.  He  won  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  regard  not 
only  of  the  business  community,  but  of  his  political  friends  and  associates.  By  his 
industry,  application  and  unwearied  exertions  he  accumulated  a  fortune,  enough  to 
satisfy  the  reasonable  desires  of  an  ambitious  man  a  little  removed  from  the  commer- 
cial and  financial  emporiums  of  our  State,  where  a  few  men  are  counted  rich  who  are 
rated  under  a  million  of  dollars,  where  comparLsons  serve  only  to  stimulate  to  haz- 
ardous experiments  and  even  wild  and  imaginary  speculations.  He  must,  of  cour.se,  have 
been  punctual  in  all  his  pecuniary  engagements  and  prompt  in  all  his  other  business 
relations.  His  surviving  townsmen  have  cause  to  remember  him  for  his  public  spirit, 
and  the  worthy  recipients  of  charity  never  solicited  his  aid  in  vain. 

Mr.  Buell  died  at  Washington  city  on  the  3ist  of  January,  1853,  after  a  brief  and 
painful  illness,  in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his  age.  The  House  of  Representatives 
passed  the  usual  resolution  of  condolence ;  and  while  a  monument  in  the  Congres- 
sional burying  ground  commemorates  his  official  connection  with  that  eminent  body  of 
American  statesmen  and  his  death,  his  mortal  remains,  distinguished  by  a  suitable 
memorial,  have  found  a  final  resting  place  in  the  grounds  of  Trinity  church,  Fairfield. 
His  wife  and  three  children  survived  him. 


WILLIAM  F.  LANSING. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  Pilgrims  planted  their  resolute  colony  at  Plymouth,  and 
before  the  little  settlement  of  Holland  Dutch  had  made  much  progress  near  the  head- 
waters of  the  Hudson  river,  that  the  first  immigrant  ancestor  of  William  F.  Lansing, 
who  was  a  Hollander,  came  over  and  settled  at  Albany.  His  name  was  Gerrit  Lan- 
sing, and  the  year  of  his  arrival  in  America  was  1630.  The  line  of  descent  from  him 
to  the  father  of  William  F.,  is  as  follows:  Gerrit  ],  Gerrit  2,  Jacob  3,  Gerrit  Jacob  4, 
Sanders  5,  Abraham  Ten  Eyck  fi,  Samuel  Stewart  7,  who  was  the  father  of  the 
subject. 

Sanders  Lansing,  the  great-grandfather  of  William  F.,  was  the  first  of  the  family  to 
settle  in  what  is  now  Herkimer  county.  He  was  born  June  17,  1766,  and  his  father's 
family  became  a  distinguished  one.  His  brother  John  was  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  chancellor,  etc.  Sanders  Lansing  married  a  daughter  of  Abraham  Ten  Eyck. 
He  was  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  was  appointed  register  in  chancery  upon  the  pro- 
motion of  his  brother.  He  came  to  Little  Falls  in  1820,  and  had  charge  of  .several  land 
agencies  and  in  1821  was  appointed  judge,  which  office  he  held  until  after  1828,  the 
date  of  his  last  appointment.  He  was  a  man  of  lofty  character  and  exceptional  ability. 
His  death  occurred  in  the  town  of  Manheim  September  19,  1850. 

Abraham  Ten  Eyck  Lansing,  son  of  Sanders  and  grandfather  of  William  F.,  was 
a  prosperous  merchant  of  Albany  previous  to  his  removal  to  Herkimer  county.  The 
family  homestead  was  made  a  few  miles  below  Little  Falls,  in  the  town  of  Manheim, 
where  the  settlement  was  made  in  1827,  and  where  Abraham  Ten  Eyck  Lansing  died. 
His  children  were  Samuel  Stewart  Lansing  (father  of  the  subject),  Dr.  Edward  San- 


^Ay^ju^o^^^^SA^  ^^^^y^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  471 

ders  Lansing,  now  of  New  Jersey,  Congressman  Frederick  Lansing,  of  Watertown,  N. 
T.  Samuel  Stewart  Lansing  was  born  at  Waterford,  N.  T,  at  the  residence  of  his 
grandfather.  Gen.  Samuel  Stewart,  December  12,  1823,  and  was  brought  to  Herki- 
mer county  when  three  years  old,  to  live  with  his  grandfather.  On  the  2Gth  of  Octo- 
ber, 1854,  he  was  married  to  Catharine  Fox,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  Jacob  Backer  Fox,  of 
the  town  of  Danube.  Her  grandmother  was  a  daughter  of  Judge  Jacob  Backer,  of 
Revolutionary  fame.  It  was  Capt.  George  J.  Backer,  a  son  of  Judge  Jacob,  who  fought 
a  duel  with  Philip  Hamilton,  son  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  and  slew  him,  on  account  of 
an  insult  relating  to  a  Fourth  of  July  oration  delivered  by  Backer,  upon  the  invi- 
tation of  the  mayor  and  common  council  of  the  city  of  New  York.  Samuel  Stewart 
Lansing  died  in  the  ancestral  brick  residence  in  Little  Falls,  built  by  Sanders  Lansing, 
on  the  17th  of  July,  1891.  This  building  is  among  the  oldest  in  Little  Falls,  has  always 
been  in  possession  of  the  family,  and  is  still  occupied  by  the  widow  of  Samauel  Stewart 
Lansing  and  her  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  children  of  Samuel  Stewart  and 
Catharine  (Fox)  Lansing  were  Jacob  Fox  Lansing,  who  died  at  eleven  years  of  age; 
Edward  Ten  Byck  Lansing,  now  a  resident  of  Little  Falls,  and  William  F.  The  latter 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Manheim,  Herkimer  county,  N.  T.,  on  the  29th  of  July, 
1856.  After  attendance  in  the  district  school  until  he  was  twelve  years  old,  he  studied 
four  years  in  the  Little  Falls  Academy  and  followed  this  with  two  years  in  a  prepara- 
tory school  connected  with  Union  College  in  Schenectady  and  graduated  from  the  lat- 
ter with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  in  1878.  During  his  senior  year  he  studied  law  and  after 
graduation  pursued  the  same  study  with  Hon.  Austin  A.  Yates,  of  Schenectady.  In 
1879  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  Rollin  H.  Smith,  of  Little  Falls.  In  the  spring 
of  1880  he  was  the  recipient  of  the  degree  of  LL.B.  from  Hamilton  College  and  in  1881 
of  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Union  College.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  general 
terra  in  the  spring  of  1880.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  went  to  New  York  city 
and  for  two  years  was  associated  with  Treadwell  Cleveland,  of  the  firm  of  Evarts, 
Southmayd  &  Choate,  of  52  Wall  street.  In  the  year  1883  his  somewhat  adventurous 
temperament  led  him  to  Colorado  where  he  spent  two  years  in  stock  raising.  Return- 
ing to  Little  Falls  he  opened  a  law  oflfice  and  practiced  two  years  to  the  spring  of  1886, 
when  he  joined  with  Edwin  J  Nelson  in  the  knit  goods  industry  at  Middleville,  Her- 
kimer county.  The  cares  of  the  estate  of  his  grandfather  and  father  now  devolved 
upon  him  and  demanded  his  return  to  Little  Falls  and  the  devotion  of  a  large  share  of 
his  time.  The  partnership  at  Middleville  was  accordingly  dissolved  on  the  1st  of  Oc- 
tober, 1890.  In  1891  he  organized  the  Little  Falls  Electric  Light  and  Power  Company 
and  has  since  that  time  filled  the  position  of  secretary,  treasurer  and  manager. 

Such  is  a  concise  record  of  the  professional  and  business  career  of  Mr.  Lansing.  It 
is  proper  to  state  that  in  its  various  connections  and  relations  he  has  maintained  the 
reputation  for  intelligence,  industry  and  integrity  which  constitutes  useful  and  honor- 
able citizenship.  Still  a  young  man,  he  occupies  a  station  of  importance  in  the  busi- 
ness and  social  life  of  Little  Falls.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  pubhc 
affairs,  not  from  selfish  ambition,  for  he  has  always  declined  profiered  preferment  in 
the  political  field,  though  active  in  the  success  of  the  Democratic  party,  of  which  he  is 
a  member.     He  has  evinced  a  deep  interest  in  military  matters  and  believes   that  tlie 


472  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

regular  soldiery  of  the  State  and  nation  should  in  some  degree  represent  their  great- 
ness and  honor.  From  January  1st  to  September  12,  1888,  he  acted  as  colonel  and  aid 
on  the  staff  of  Gov.  David  B.  Hill,  and  was  promoted  from  that  post  to  brigadier-gen- 
eral and  quartermaster-general  of  the  State;  he  retired  from  this  honorable  office  on 
the  lat  of  January,  1892.  Mr.  Lansing  is  prominently  connected  with  social  life  in  the 
metropolis  of  the  State  and  is  a  member  of  the  Elks,  the  Reform  club,  and  of  the 
United  Service  Club  of  New  York  city.  A  position  in  which  he  feels  a  natural  pride 
is  his  membership  in  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  of  the  State  and  of  the 
United  States,  for  which  he  was  able  to  qualify  through  the  long  line  of  ancestors 
above  described,  as  well  as  through  eight  other  male  ancestors  in  the  direct  Imes,  who 
were  prominent  in  the  great  struggle  for  American  Independence.  A  man  of  unusually 
pleasing  address,  alive  to  all  of  the  important  projects  and  events  of  the  day,  and  pos- 
sessed of  broad  and  intelligent  information  upon  public  aflairs  of  interest,  General 
Lansing  enjoys  the  esteem  and  friendship  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 


ISAAC   SMALL. 

Among  the  early  immigrants  to  this  country  from  Germany,  who  settled  in  the 
central  part  of  the  State  of  New  York,  was  Jacob  Small.  He  located  in  the  town  of 
Herkimer  and  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  early  trials  of  the  settlers  in  the  Mohawk 
valley  through  the  savage  warfare  of  the  Indians  and  the  perfidy  of  the  tories.  Mr. 
Small  joined  the  Revolutionary  array,  rose  to  the  rank  of  captain,  and  finally  met  a 
sad  death  a  few  days  after  the  declaration  of  peace,  and  after  his  return  to  his  home. 
Parties  of  prowling  Indians  lingered  in  the  valley  and  committed  depredations  after  the 
war  was  officially  closed,  and  one  of  these  came  upon  Mr.  Small  near  his  home  and  de- 
liberately shot  him.  The  tragic  incident  is  one  of  the  saddest  recorded  and  constitutes 
a  memorable  part  of  the  long  struggle  for  freedom  in  America,  as  it  was  related  to 
this  vicinity. 

Among  the  children  of  Jacob  Small  was  a  son  who  was  also  named  Jacob,  who  was 
born  in  Herkimer.  He  married  Hannah  Potter,  daughter  of  William  Potter.  He  was 
a  farmer  and  died  in  that  town  at  an  advanced  age.  Mr.  Small  was  the  father  of 
eight  children,  as  follows:  Jacob,  William,  John,  Isaac,  Eli,  Cynthia,  Daniel  and 
Darius.     Of  these  all  are  dead  excepting  Darius,  and  Isaac,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Isaac  Small  was  born  in  the  town  of  Herkimer  on  the  11th  of  November,  1805. 
After  attending  the  district  school  and  working  on  his  father's  farm,  he  began  clerking 
for  James  Byers,  who  was  one  of  the  early  merchants  of  Herkimer  village.  He  re- 
mained in  that  store  one  year  and  then  began  business  for  himself  as  a  country  mer- 
chant. For  fourteen  years  he  successfully  conducted  a  store,  when  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  his  brother  William  and  Esek  H.  Williams  and  invested  his  accumulated 
capital  with  them  in  the  wholesale  grocery  trade  at  52  Front  street,  New  York  city. 
The  firm  was  a  strong  one  and  in  its  successful  conduct  the  excellent  business  habits 
and  knowledge  of  Isaac  Small  were  a  powerful  factor.     Especially  was  this  true  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  4?3 

the  management  of  the  finances  of  the  firm  and  in  that  sagacity  which  enabled  him  to 
foresee  the  proper  course  to  follow  in  large  transactions.  The  business  was  continued 
with  increasing  and  gratifying  success  for  six  years,  when  the  firm  was  dissolved  and 
Mr.  Small  returned  to  Little  Falls  and  purchased  a  dry  goods  store ;  but  wisely  con- 
cluding that  the  competency  already  acquired  by  him  was  sufficient  for  the  future,  he 
retired  from  active  business  (1850)  after  one  year,  and  has  since  that  time  given  such 
attention  as  he  has  been  able  to  the  management  of  his  private  affairs  and  the  direc- 
tion of  some  speculations  in  which  he  was  engaged.  A  painful  rheumatic  disease  has 
for  many  years  kept  him  confined  to  his  home  a  large  share  of  the  time ;  but  he  bears 
this  deprivation  with  that  cheerful  philosophy  which  is  a  part  of  his  nature.  In  Little 
Falls  Mr.  Small  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He  was  the  chief 
organizer  of  the  Little  Falls  National  Bank  and  has  since  been  one  of  its  directors.  A 
Democrat  in  politics,  he  has  never  accepted  office  other  than  to  serve  as  trustee  of  the 
village.  G-enial  and  courteous  in  his  intercourse  with  others,  possessed  of  a  kind 
heart  and  sympathetic  nature,  Mr.  Small  passses  his  declining  years  in  the  secure  en- 
joyment of  the  friendship  of  a  large  circle  and  the  respect  of  the  whole  community. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  active  in  promoting  its  welfare.  He 
was  married  in  1828  to  Susan  Knapp,  of  Utica.  She  died  in  March,  1873.  They  have 
had  six  children — Hannah,  married  Luke  Usher,  president  of  the  National  Bank  of 
Potsdam,  N.  Y. ;  George,  deceased  young;  Ella,  died  young;  Evalyn,  married  Capt. 
L.  A.  Beardsley,  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  and  living  in  South  Carolina;  and  Frederick  I. 
Small,  a  successful  attorney  of  Little  Falls;  Louise,  died  in  1876. 


PHILO   REMINGTON. 

The  story  of  the  inception  and  development  of  the  great  industries  founded  in  Ilion 
by  Eliphalet  Remington  and  perpetuated  by  his  sons,  Philo,  Samuel,  and  Eliphalet,  jr., 
has  been  told  in  detail  in  the  preceding  history  of  the  village  of  Ilion.  On  that  ac- 
count this  sketch  of  Philo  Remington  may  be  principally  confined  to  his  personal  life. 
He  was  born  on  the  31st  of  October,  1816,  and  died  on  the  4th  of  April,  1889,  at  Silver 
Springs,  Florida,  whither  he  had  gone  in  quest  of  "better  health. 

Philo  Remington's  business  career  was  intimately  associated  with  the  manufacture 
of  fire  arms,  sewing  machines  and  agricultural  implements  by  the  famous  firm  of  which 
he  was  a  moving  spirit  and  in  many  respects  the  head.  Founded  by  his  father  on  his 
home  farm  a  few  miles  south  of  the  site  of  the  village,  the  industry  grew  apace  be- 
tween the  years  1817  and  1830,  when  it  was  removed  to  Ilion  where  the  elder  Rem- 
ington had  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  of  John  A.  Clapsaddle.  The  settlement 
then  comprised  only  seven  dwellings,  two  storehouses  and  a  school-house.  The  little 
hamlet  took  the  name  of  ''  Remington's  Corners,"  which  was  afterwards  changed,  as 
related  in  the  history  of  Ilion  village  in  this  work.  The  business  grew  in  its  new  loca- 
tion and  in  ISGl,  Eliphalet  Remington  died  leaving  as  a  heritage  a  good  name  and  a 
well-established   industry.     From  that  time  until   1865  few  great  industries  in  this 


474  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

country  were  more  prosperous  or  attracted  more  extended  attention  than  that  of  the 
Remingtons  in  Ilion.  In  the  year  last  mentioned  the  works  were  incorporated,  with 
Philo  Remington  as  president  ;  Samuel  Remington,  vice-president,  and  Eliphalet  Rem- 
ington, secretary  and  treasurer.  The  business  was  marvellously  succeft-ful  for  many 
year.s,  and  embraced  the  establishment  of  the  manufacture  of  agricultural  implements, 
sewing  machines  and  finally  of  typewriters,  all  of  which  industries  are  still  in  existence 
and  a  great  source  of  growth  and  prosperity  in  Ilion,  but  all  in  other  hands  than  those 
of  the  men  who  built  them  up.  It  was  in  the  year  1866  that  the  combmation  of  cir- 
cumstances and  conditions  which  has  been  explained,  brought  down  the  great  house  in 
financial  disaster. 

During  all  of  this  varied  career — in  the  development  and  final  height  of  prosperity, 
as  well  as  in  the  days  of  adversity  which  followed, — Philo  Remington  remained  the 
same  unostentatious,  gentle-mannered,  unselfish,  honorable  Christian  man  that  he  had 
always  been.  For  nearly  fifty  years  he  was  a  conspicuous  figure  in  Ilion  through  his 
connection  with  the  great  industry,  but  in  all  that  time  he  never  acted  or  spoke  in  any 
manner  to  aggrandize  himself,  or  to  gain  fame  or  authority,  or  wealth.  His  modesty 
was  proverbial,  and  equaled  only  by  his  unselfishness.  His  thoughts  while  the  great 
factories  were  being  built  and  equipped  were  given  fully  as  much  to  the  benefits  likely 
to  be  conferred  upon  thousands  of  needy  workmen,  as  to  what  would  possibly  accrue 
therefrom  to  himself  and  his  brothers.  While  his  business  sagacity  was  unquestioned 
and  his  prudence  and  wisdom  remarkable,  these  attributes  were  so  tempered  by  kindli- 
ness, gentleness  and  unselfishness,  that  his  character  was  made  a  remarkable  one  thereby. 

In  politics  Mr.  Remington  was  a  Republican,  but  he  had  a  decided  distaste  for  active 
partisan  methods  and  never  sought  or  accepted  public  oflSce.  If  it  can  be  said  that  a 
man  of  his  temperament  had  a  hobby,  it  was  the  advancement  of  the  temperance 
cause.  It  was  his  most  earnest  desire  that  the  village  of  Ilion  should  be  practically  free 
from  the  vice  of  intemperance,  and  that  the  cause  at  large  should  be  promoted.  To 
this  end  he  gave  much  time  and  liberal  means.  And  so  gentle  and  forbearing  was  his 
nature  that  he  could  throw  his  influence  strongly  against  such  an  evil  and  make  less  of 
enmity  than  most  reformers.  He  was  emphatically  the  friend  of  humanity  and  ever  in 
full  sympathy  with  the  oppressed  and  suffering. 

A  memorial  service  was  held  in  the  opera  house  at  Ilion  a  few  days  after  his  death, 
which  was  largely  attended,  a  part  of  the  exercises  consisting  of  the  preparation  and 
reading  of  a  series  of  resolutions  eulogistic  of  the  deceased,  as  follows: 

Whereas,  by  the  death  of  our  esteemed  citizen,  Philo  Remington,  the  village  of  Ilion 
has  lost  a  wise  counselor  and  a  life-long  friend ;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we,  the  citizens  of  this  place,  by  these  resolutions  bear  a  fitting  testi- 
mony to  the  high  and  noble  character  of  the  deceased. 

Resolved,  that  his  consistent  and  exemplary  Christian  deportment  and  philanthropic 
nature ;  his  generous,  humane  and  democratic  spirit  towards  the  people  with  whom 
he  lived  as  a  citizen ;  that  the  marked  desire  for  justice  which  controlled  his  actions  in 
the  distinguished  and  responsible  duties  he  was  called  upon,  by  circumstances  and  by 
the  expressions  of  his  fellow  citizens,  to  perform  ;  and  that  his  manly  qualities  have 
endeared  him  to  the  people  of  this  place,  and  be  it  further, 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  475 

Resolved,  that  we  recognize  his  eminent  and  sincere  services  as  a  leader  in  the  in- 
dustry and  prosperity  of  this  village,  for  to  him  more  than  others  is  its  thrift  due. 

Mr.  Remington  was  an  active  and  honored  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and 
the  official  board  met  and  adopted  a  series  of  resolutions  expressing  their  estimate  of 
Mr.  Remington's  character  and  their  appreciation  of  his  Christian  work.  From  these 
resolutions  it  is  fitting  to  make  the  following  extract : 

"  That  while  we  make  record  of  our  sense  of  personal  loss  in  the  death  of  our  brother, 
and  would  fain  mingle  our  tears  and  our  sorrows  with  those  of  his  immediate  family 
and  friends,  we  yet  counsel  for  ourselves  an  humble  recognition  of  the  Divine  Father 
who  thus  with  severe  stroke  and  in  love  and  for  wise  purposes  adds  another  to  the 
countless  hosts  composing  the  church  triumphant  above.  That  we  do  but  voice  the 
general  sentiment  of  the  membership  of  our  large  society  in  making  recognition  of 
Brother  Remington  as  one  of  the  earliest  adherents  of  the  Ilion  church ;  one  who 
aided  in  its  planting  and  cultivated  it  in  its  growth;  who,  as  president  of  the  board  of 
trustees  for  many  years,  and  in  other  relations  as  well,  not  only  devised  broad  plans 
and  gave  wise  counsel  for  the  help  of  his  associates  year  by  year,  but  who  in  seasons 
of  emergency  was  ever  ready  to  assume  the  heaviest  burdens  of  personal  labor  and  to 
make  the  largest  contributions  to  the  general  good.  That,  while  in  memory  we  shall 
henceforth  think  of  Brother  Remington  as  a  central  figure  among  us  for  many  years, 
passing  and  repassing  before  our  eyes  with  quiet  step  and  modest  demeanor ;  as  a  man 
of  kindly,  sympathetic  and  generous  nature;  a  man  who  long  commanded  the  defer- 
ence of  a  leader  in  every  line  of  educational,  moral  and  religious  improvement,  by  rea- 
son of  the  quiet  forces  of  his  own  nature,  rather  than  by  an  aggressive,  ostentatious 
exercise  of  power;  a  man  not  without  faults,  but  whose  virtues  shone  more  brightly 
because  multiplied  and  strengthened  and  illumined  by  Christian  faith,  and  hope  and  love ; 
while  in  retrospect  we  shall  revere  his  memory  for  these  things,  we  shall  yet  turn  our 
eyes  with  chastened  gaze  and  see  in  him  a  good  man  gone  to  his  rest,  a  faithful  Chris- 
tian pilgrim  at  the  end  of  his  toilsome  journey,  a  redeemed  soul  at  the  gates  of  the 
eternal  city  listening  to  the  rapturous  welcome,  ''enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

In  the  year  1841  Mr.  Remington  married  Caroline  A.  Lathrop,  of  Syracuse.  Their 
children  are  Ida  R.,  now  wife  of  W.  C.  Squire ;  and  Ella,  wife  of  H.  C.  Furman,  of 
New  York  city. 


ELIPHALET  REMINGTON 

(Who  has  been  mentioned  as  a  son  of  the  elder  Eliphalet  Remington),  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Litchfield  November  1'2,  1828.  After  receiving  a  moderate  education  he 
early  became  interested  in  the  new  work  established  by  his  father.  In  the  up-build- 
ing of  that  great  industry  he  was  an  important  factor,  as  above  recounted,  the  growth 
of  which  is  fully  described  in  the  history  of  the  village  of  Ilion  in  earlier  pages  of  this 
work.  Mr.  Remington  was  connected  with  the  works  founded  by  his  father  until  1886, 
and  is  still  a  resident  of  Ilion.  In  1854  Mr.  Remington  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine 
M.  Stevens  ;   they  have  had  three  children,  as  follows:   Philo,  now  a  resident  of  Ilion  ; 


47C  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Mrs.  W.  J.  Calder,  of  Harrisburg,  Pa. ;  and  Mrs.  T.  E.  Patterson,  of  Philadelphia. 
In  personal  character  Mr.  Remington  is  a  man  of  the  purest  principles  in  the  broadest 
sense  of  the  term.  His  integrity  lias  never  been  questioned,  while  his  innate  kindness 
of  heart  and  his  broad  and  unostentatious  charity  are  acknowledged  by  all  who  have 
the  pleasure  of  his  friendship. 


WILLIAM  K.  JENNE 

Was  born  in  Lenox,  Mass.,  on  the  14th  of  January,  1837.  He  is  a  son  of  Siloam  S. 
Jenne,  who  was  a  native  of  Grantham,  N.  H.,  where  he  w-as  born  July  26,  1809. 
Tracing  the  ancestors  of  this  family  farther  back  we  find  that  the  father  of  Siloam  S. 
Jenne  was  Thomas  Jenne,  who  was  born  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  January  11,  1773, 
that  his  father  was  James,  who  was  also  born  in  New  Bedford  on  tlie  14th  of  August, 
1744,  and  that  his  father  was  Isaac,  who  was  of  Welsh  parentage  and  came  to  this 
country  from  England  or  Wales  somewhere  about  1720.  Siloam  S.  Jenne  died  in 
Pittsfield,  Mass.,  March  1,  1892.  His  wife  was  Amelia  P.  Root,  and  their  marriage 
took  place  November  26,  1829.  She  died  at  Lenox,  Mass.,  January  27,  1892.  They 
had  four  children,  as  follows:  A  daughter,  who  died  in  infancy;  Mary  A.,  mar- 
ried Albert  Rideout,  of  Lee,  Mass.,  and  now  living  in  Holyoke,  Mass. ;  William  K., 
and  Frances,  who  died  unmarried.  Siloam  S.  Jenne  was  an  ingenious  and  versatil 
mechanic.  He  spent  a  few  of  his  early  years  as  a  school  teacher,  and  afterwards 
worked  at  various  times  as  a  carpenter  and  builder,  millwright,  a  wagonmaker  and  ir. 
the  manufacture  of  special  machinery.  In  the  latter  capacity  he  assisted  Prof.  Lyman 
in  making  a  sixteen-foot  telescope  ;  he  also  built  a  set  of  machinery  for  a  bookbinding 
establishment  which  contained  special  devices  of  his  own  invention,  among  them  being 
one  of  the  earliest  machines  for  cutting  out  and  making  envelopes.  As  a  wagonmaker 
he  also  used  several  labor-saving  machines  of  his  own  invention  and  manufacture. 

William  K.  Jenne  secured  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  after  which  he  spent 
a  year  or  two  on  a  farm  ;  but  he  was  born  with  a  strong  predilection  for  mechanics 
and  entered  a  machine  shop  for  the  purpose  of  learning  that  trade,  where  he  continued 
three  years ;  this  was  in  Lee,  Mass.  He  advanced  rapidly  and  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  rare  mechanical  skill  which  became  of  so  much  importance  to  him  in  after  years. 
He  continued  for  a  time  working  at  his  trade  in  Massachusetts,  finally  in  the  employ- 
ment of  Plaisted  &  Whitehouse,  of  Holyoke.  In  1861  that  firm  secured  a  large 
contract  with  the  Remingtons,  for  the  manufacture  of  certain  parts  of  fire  arms,  and 
Mr.  Jenne  was  sent  on  to  Ilion  as  a  skilled  mechanic  for  the  manufacture  of  the  fine 
and  accurate  tools  necessary  in  the  business.  He  remained  with  that  firm  until  they 
fulfilled  their  contract,  when  Mr.  Jenne  was  promoted  virtually  to  the  position  before 
occupied  by  them,  and  was  given  a  contract  for  the  manufacture  of  the  Eliot  pistol. 
Long  before  this  time  he  had  become  known  in  the  great  works  as  a  mechanic  of  un- 
usual skill  and  possessed  of  inventive  talent  of  a  high  order.  Before  the  time  when  the 
sale  of  the  Eliot  pistol  declined,  Thomas  Halligan  brought  to  the  Remmgtonshis  inven- 
tion of  a  sewing  machine  for  heavy  work  on  leather  and  using  a  waxed  thread.     The 


'/        V     / 


-£^-^9<y2^i^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  477 

Remingtons  made  arrangements  to  aid  him  in  perfecting  his  device  and  placing  it  in 
process  of  manufacture,  and  delegated  Mr.  Jenne  to  work  with  Mr.  Halligan  on  the 
machine.  Before  it  was  fully  completed  Mr.  Halligan  was  killed  by  the  cars  and  work 
on  the  machine  was  perforce  brought  to  a  close  ;  but  it  proved  to  be  the  opening  wedge 
for  the  establishment  by  the  Remingtons  of  sewing  machine  manufacture,  which  later 
became  a  very  important  part  of  their  great  industry.  In  the  development  of  the 
Remington  sewing  machine  and  m  the  later  execution  of  a  considerable  amount  of  con- 
tract work  in  that  department,  Mr.  Jenne  was  prominent.  While  thus  engaged  in 
1873,  and  under  the  superintendency  of  J.  M.  Clough,  James  Densmore  and  G.  W.  N. 
Yost  brought  to  the  Remingtons  the  first  crude  type  writer  to  negotiate  for  its  manu- 
facture. This  event  opened  a  new  field  in  mechanical  work  in  which  Mr.  Jenne  has 
ever  since  found  congenial  and  profitable  employment,  and  which  called  forth  his 
highest  qualifications  as  a  workman  and  inventor.  To  those  who  are  conversant  with 
the  subject,  it  is  known  that  the  task  of  developing  and  perfecting  the  typewriter  until 
it  would  meet  the  exacting  requirements  of  a  perfect  writing  machine  was  one  full  of 
perplexing  disappointments,  trials  of  new  devices,  overcoming  apparently  impossible 
mechanical  problems,  and  the  invention  of  now  appliances  to  accomplish  certain  ends. 
In  all  of  this  work  Mr,  Jenne  has  been  the  moving  spirit  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say 
at  th's  time  that  he  has  been  more  largely  instrumental  in  making  the  Remington  type- 
writer what  it  is  to-day  than  any  other  person.  The  first  machine  was  constructed  by 
Mr.  Jenne  and  Mr.  Clough  together,  and  from  that  one  two  others  were  built  as  sam- 
ples ;  on  these  Mr.  Jenne  did  most  of  the  work,  and  they  were  pronounced  satisfactory  ; 
but  Mr.  Jenne  made  still  another  one  embracing  various  improvements  and  from  that 
one  some  1,500  or  2,000  were  built  and  placed  on  the  market.  Since  that  time  the 
changes  in  the  machine  have  been  constant  and  numerous,  and  Mr.  Jenne  has  been  in 
charge  of  their  manufacture  and  substantially  dictated  as  to  what  should  and  what 
should  not  be  done  in  reference  to  their  construction. 

Mr.  Jenne  was  married  in  1859  to  Mary  McSherry,  of  Lee,  Mass.  They  have  had 
four  children,  as  follows:  Willis  P.,  born  in  Lee  August  9,  1860,  lives  as  a  bachelor 
in  Ilion  ;  Elmer  B.,  born  in  Ilion  September  23,  1863,  resides  in  Ilion  ;  Eva  Alice,  born 
November  15,  1865,  died  December  7,  1872  ;  George  D.,  born  October  13,  1873,  lives 
with  his  parents. 


FREDERICK  HORTON  PHILLIPS 

Was  born  in  Litttle  Falls  June  lo,  1836.  lie  was  a  son  of  John  Phillips,  who  vas  a 
native  of  England,  born  October  15,  1786,  and  came  to  America  when  young  with  his 
father,  Richard  Phillips,  who  settled  in  Little  Falls  in  1788,  where  the  family  have 
lived  since  that  time.  John  Phillips  married  Fanny  Hoag,  a  native  of  Bennington,  Vt., 
who  was  born  August  12,  1791.  They  settled  in  Little  Falls  early  in  the  present  century 
and  there  all  of  their  children  were  born,  as  follows  :  Sarah  Ann,  born  December  3,  1809, 
deceased;  Sophia,  born  September  29,  1811,  deceased  ;  Mary  A.,  born  July  18,  1814,  de- 
ceased ;  Abigail,  born  April  9, 1816,  living;  John  S.,  born  May  10, 1818,  deceased  ;  Rich- 
61 


478  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ard  .T.,  born  August  28,  1821,  deceased;  Charles  P.,  born  March  5,  1824,  living  in  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y.;  William  P.,  born  July  28, 1826,  deceased ;  and  Frederick  H.,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  His  life  was  an  uneventful  one,  but  one  of  great  usefulness  and  honor. 
Leaving  school  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  a  few  years  after  the  opening  of  the  railroad 
through  Little  Falls,  he  was  selected  by  A.  W.  Andrews,  who  had  been  sent  there  to  act 
as  stationmaster  and  telegraph  operator,  for  his  assistant.  He  readily  took  up  the  art,  and 
was  the  first  person  in  Little  Falls  to  learn  how  to  transmit  the  Morse  signals  by  telegraph. 
The  young  man  gave  his  best  energies  to  his  business  and  with  the  usual  results,  for  he 
was  regularly  promoted  through  the  various  stages  of  railroad  employment  until  he 
reached  that  of  superintendent  under  Major  Z.  C.  Priest.  In  this  responsible  position 
he  fully  met  the  requirements  of  his  superiors  and  was  ever  found  faithful  to  his  trusts. 
Mr.  Phillips  was  wholly  devoted  to  the  duties  of  his  life-work,  and  for  that  reason 
gave  little  attention  to  public  affairs ;  but  by  his  manly  qualities,  his  integrity  and  his 
faithfulness  to  all  of  his  obligations,  he  won  the  friendship  and  regard  of  his  fellow 
citizens.     His  death  occurred  in  Little  Falls  on  the  7th  of  July,  1890. 

Mr.  Phillips  married,  on  the  Gth  of  October.  1869,  Amanda  Ackerman,  of  Little  Falls, 
a  daugliter  of  Nicholas  Ackerman ;  she  still  survives.  They  have  one  son,  Fred  C. 
Phillips,  born  August  28,  1870,  and  now  living  in  Little  Falls. 


C.  C.  WITHERSTINE 

Was  born  in  Steuben,  Oneida  county,  on  April  13,  1832.  An  an  early  age  he  began 
learning  the  printing  trade  in  the  office  of  the  old  Herhimer  County  Journal  at  Herki- 
mer. In  the  year  1850  he  acquired  an  interest  in  the  establishment,  and  for  nearly 
forty  years  was  connected  with  the  Herkimer  Democrat  &s  proprietor  and  editor.  Dem- 
ocratic in  politics,  he,  during  that  long  period,  made  his  paper  an  organ  of  powerful 
influence  in  the  central  part  of  the  State,  and  occupied  himself  a  prominent  position  in 
the  councils  of  that  party.  Although  living  in  a  county  that  has  been  uniformly  Re- 
publican in  its  political  complexion,  Mr.  Witherstine  has  been  honored  with  public 
office  by  his  constituents.  He  held  the  ofiBce  of  supervisor  of  the  town  several  terms, 
and  in  1854  was  elected  county  treasurer,  holding  the  office  one  term.  His  acquaint- 
ance throughout  the  county  is  very  extensive,  and  he  everywhere  enjoys  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  the  people.  At  the  present  time  (1892)  he  is  one  of  the  loan  com- 
missioners of  the  State.  A  writer  of  acknowledged  ability,  genial  and  courteous  to 
all,  and  public-spirited  in  all  matters  connected  with  the  welfare  of  the  community, 
he  has  made  a  record  of  citizenship  that  is  in  every  way  honorable. 


ALFRED    DOLGE 

Was  born  in  Chemnitz,  Sa.xony,  December  22,  1848.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Leipsic,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  became  apprenticed  to  his  father,  a  well 
known  piano-maker.     At  seventeen  he  left  home  and  sailed  for  New  Yok,  where. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  479 

after  many  hardships  and  vicissitudes,  he  estabhshed  himself  as  an  importer  of  the 
various  materials  used  in  piano  manufacture,  and  in  the  course  of  time  became  recog- 
nized as  the  head  of  this  business  in  this  country.  Being  of  an  enterprising  disposi- 
tion and  thoroughly  American  in  spirit,  Mr.  Dolge  determined  to  start  the  domestic 
manufacture  of  felt,  for  which  our  piano  manufacturers  were  entirely  dependent  upon 
a  foreign  market.  His  first  ventures  were  made  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  after  which  he 
removed  to  Herkimer  county  (Brockett's  Bridge,  which  name  was,  by  unanimous  con- 
sent of  the  inhabitants,  later  changed  to  Dolgeville).  Mr.  Dolge  not  only  made  the 
manufacture  of  felt  a  positive  success,  but  his  particular  brand  became  known  as  the 
finest  in  the  world,  and  at  :he  Exhibitions  of  Vienna,  Paris  and  Philadelphia  obtained 
the  highest  award  over  all  competition.  In  1883  he  established  another  entirely  new 
mdustry,  that  of  the  manufacture  of  felt  shoes,  which  has  made  his  name  a  household 
word  all  over  the  United  States.  In  developing  these  various  industries  extensive  au- 
tomatic machines  have  been  invented  and  built  in  his  own  machine  shops,  and  Mr. 
Dolge  was  honored  by  a  request  from  the  Patent  Department  at  Washington  to  send 
his  models  to  Chicago  to  form  part  of  the  Government  Patent  E.xhibit  at  the  World's 
Fair  as  ''marking  a  distinct  advance  in  the  art  of  felt  manufacture."  But  it  is  in  the 
almost  phenomenal  building  up  of.  the  town  that  bears  his  name  that  Mr.  Dolge  most 
deserves  public  attention.  Within  sixteen  years  he  has  transformed  a  forlorn  little 
hamlet  of  one  hundred  persons  in  the  backwoods  of  the  Adirondacks  and  eight  miles 
from  a  railroad,  into  a  prosperous  and  thriving  village  of  over  two  thousand  inhab- 
itants, with  the  best  free  public  schools  in  the  center  of  the  State,  where  manual  train- 
ing, foreign  languages,  music  and  domestic  economy  are  taught  in  addition  to  the  usual 
school  courses,  with  large  felt  mills,  saw  and  lumber  mills,  a  cloth  factory,  a  large 
piano  factory,  wire  factory,  musical  instrument  factory,  an  illustrated  weekly  paper 
(with  a  circulation  of  over  10,000  a  week)  and  otlier  enterprises ;  with  two  churches,  five 
hotels,  excellent  stores  of  all  kinds,  club  house,  large  free  library  and  a  public  park, 
which  includes  a  magnificent  water-fall,  and  extends  over  four  hundred  acres.  The 
town  is  lighted  by  electricity  and  its  sanitary  condition  is  excellent.  A  railroad  from 
Little  Falls  to  Dolgeville  has  just  been  completed,  giving  it  by  means  of  the  New  York 
Central  and  West  Shore  roads  direct  communication  with  all  the  great  commercial 
centers.  Mr.  Dolge  has  also  attracted  a  large  share  of  public  attention  by  his  system 
of  "  earning  sharing"  with  his  employees.  Under  this  system,  which  includes  pen- 
sions, free  life  insurance,  endowment,  etc.,  he  has  already  paid  out  to  his  work  people, 
or  on  their  account,  over  a  quarter  of  a  miUion  dollars. 

The  future  of  Dolgeville  is  assured  by  reason  of  the  enterprising  and  public  spirit  of 
the  inhabitants,  the  diversity  of  its  industries,  its  water-fall  of  ."jjOOO-horse  power,  its 
Adirondack  location  for  manufacturing  purposes  and  its  wonderfully  healthful  and 
picturesque  surroundings. 


ABRAM  B.  STEELE. 

The  ancestry  of  the  subject  of  this  biography  was  English  on  his  father's  side,  and 
German  on  his  mother's.  His  father  was  George  C.  Steele,  a  native  of  Franklin  county, 
Ohio,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.     He  married  Rebecca  Fisher,  a  native  also  of  Frank, 


480  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

lin  county,  Oliio.  The  family  removed  to  what  is  now  Rochelle,  Ogle  county.  111.,  in 
1839,  where  most  of  their  children  were  born.  While  not  a  public  man  in  any  sense, 
George  C.  Steele  has  led  a  life  of  respectability  in  the  community  where  he  still  resides 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  is  the  father  of  nine  children, 
viz.:  Frances,  born  October  10,  1840;  married  first.  Orrin  Millett,  and  after  his  death, 
Allen  Thorp  and  now  (1892)  a  resident  of  Washington  county,  Kans.  Calvin  F., 
born  August  8,  1842,  and  a  resident  of  Fairbury,  Nebr.  Hannah  M.,  born  November 
12,  1848,  married  Osborn  Randall  and  living  at  Flagg,  111.  Phoebe  A.,  born  July  3, 
1851,  and  died  in  1867.  William  Oscar,  born  November  16,  1854,  and  died  in  infancy. 
Alice  J.,  born  August  8,  1857,  married  Fred  Randall  and  is  now  living  in  Kansas. 
Minnie,  born  January  17,  I860,  and  married  E.  L.  Orput  January  17,  1878,  died  at 
Rochelle,  111.,  in  1887.  George  W.,  born  November  30,  1862,  married  Phoebe  Pierce, 
and  livnig  in  Flagg,  111.  Abram  B.,  the  subject,  born  in  what  is  now  Columbus,  Ohio, 
January  10,  1845,  while  his  parents  were  on  a  visit  to  that  place. 

The  circumstances  surrounding  the  early  life  of  Abram  B.  Steele  on  the  wild  western 
prairies  of  Illinois  were  not  especially  propitious,  although  he  was  given  opportunity  to 
obtain  an  excellent  education.  His  father  began  life  under  adverse  circumstances  and 
without  much  mean.s.  In  seeking  his  western  home  m  Illinois,  lie  drove  across  the  site 
of  the  present  city  of  Chicago,  where  his  team  became  hopelessly  mired,  and  he  was 
offered  forty  acres  of  land  in  what  is  now  the  heart  of  the  great  city,  for  his  horses  and 
wagon.  His  reply  was,  that  he  had  started  westward  in  quest  of  land  that  would  have 
some  value ;  he  spoke  solely  from  the  standpoint  of  the  agriculturist.  With  a  large 
family  to  rear,  he  succeeded  in  enabling  them  to  reacli  manhood  and  womanhood  equipped 
at  least  as  well  as  he  had  been,  for  the  responsibilities  of  life.  In  the  common  schools 
near  his  father's  home,  Abram  B.  Steele  laid  the  foundation  of  his  education,  and  fol- 
lowed this  with  a  course  at  the  seminary  in  Rochelle,  111.,  and  a  two  year's  scientific 
course  in  Wheaton  College,  finishing  in  1866.  He  had  long  previous  to  that  date  re- 
solved to  made  the  legal  profession  his  life-work  and  in  order  to  obtain  means  for  the 
prosecution  of  his  legal  study,  he  taught  .school  at  Rochelle  nine  months  and  followed 
this  with  a  few  months  as  principal  of  the  school  at  Ashlon,  111.  As  a  teacher  he  was 
successful  and  doubtless  might  have  attained  an  honorable  station  among  the  leading 
educators,  but  his  sole  ambition  was  to  become  a  lawyer,  although  in  this  he  was  op- 
posed by  his  parents  as  they  desired  him  to  become  a  doctor  or  a  minister  rather  than  a 
lawyer.  At  the  close  of  his  period  as  a  teacher  (April  8,  1867),  he  came  to  Frankfort, 
Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  and  entered  the  law  ofiice  of  liis  cousin,  J.  A.  Steele,  as  a 
student,  and  acted  as  chore  boy  to  pay  his  expenses  while  studying.  It  is  a  somewhat 
remarkable  fact,  and  a  clear  indication  of  his  industry  and  great  capacity  for  work,  that 
in  just  one  year  from  that  time  he  passed  his  exammation  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  and  this  without  ever  having  read  a  page  of  law  before  he  began 
his  study  in  this  office,  and  in  the  class  for  examination  with  sixteen  applicants,  six  of 
whom  were  rejected,  and  all  of  them  had  studied  over  two  years.  A  month  after  his 
admi.ssion  he  formed  a  copartnership  with  his  cousin  in  Frankfort  under  the  firm  name 
of  J.  A.  &  A.  B.  Steele.  After  a  year's  practice  in  Frankfort,  the  firm  determined  to 
seek  a  broader  field  of  business  and  (vith  that  object  in  view  A.  B.  Steele  went  to  Lin- 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  481 

coin.  Neb.,  then  a  small  but  growing  village.  He  was  at  once  admitted  to  practice  in 
that  State  and  formed  a  oopartnership  with  Setli  Robinson,  then  attorney-general  of 
the  State,  it  having  been  arranged  between  Mr.  Steele  and  his  first  partner  that  if  the 
prospects  in  Lincoln  were  sufficiently  promising.  J.  A.  Steele  would  follow  him  west. 
Three  months  in  Lincoln,  where  he  found  thirty-five  lawyers  in  practice  and  only  two 
thousand  people,  was  a  long  enough  period  to  convince  Mr.  Steele  that  his  prospects 
there  were  not  what  he  had  hoped  for,  and  he  returned  to  Frankfort,  the  copartnership 
with  J.  A.  Steele  having  been  kept  alive.  In  February,  1870,  Mr.  Steele  removed  to 
Herkimer,  his  partner  remaining  in  Frankfort.  This  arrangement  continued  until  June, 
1874,  when  J.  A.  Steele  also  removed  to  the  county  seat,  and  the  partnership  existed 
until  January  1,  1880,  when  it  was  dissolved.  Mr.  Steele  remained  alone  until  October 
8,  1882,  when  he  formed  a  copartnership  with  W.  C.  Prescott,  which  still  contmues. 
This  period  of  active  practice  by  Mr.  Steele  has  been  substantially  unbroken,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  months  spent  in  Europe  in  1878,  when  he  visited  England, 
Scotland,  Ireland,  Holland,  Switzerland  and  other  parts  of  the  continent,  a  tour  ren- 
dered necessary  by  failing  health.  In  his  profession  Mr.  Steele  has  attained  more  than 
ordinary  success.  This  is  especially  true  in  reference  to  his  practice  in  courts  and  before 
juries  in  both  criminal  and  civil  cases.  By  exercise  of  the  industry,  which  is  a  part  of 
his  natural  qualifications,  his  keen  insight  into  the  various  details  of  the  case  in  hand, 
and  his  ever-present  ambition  to  do  his  best  for  his  client,  he  has  been  enabled  to  reach 
success  on  many  occasions  where  circumstances  seemed  arrayed  against  him.  In  argu- 
ment and  address  before  a  jury  he  is  always  forcible,  while  his  thorough  preparation  of 
cases  and  knowledge  of  the  law  have  rendered  him  a  desirable  counselor  and  advocate, 
and  an  opponent  not  readily  overcome.  These  qualifications  were  early  recognized  in 
this  county,  both  in  and  out  of  the  profession,  and  led  in  1879  to  his  election  as  district 
attorney,  and  his  re-election  three  years  later.  Previous  to  that  time  he  had  served  as 
town  clerk  of  Frankfort,  trustee  of  the  village  of  Herkimer  (1887-8)  and  later  president 
of  the  vdlage  two  terms  1890-1.  His  career  as  district  attorney  was  a  somewhat  not- 
able one  and  gave  great  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He  was  called  upon  to  try 
many  cases  for  capital  crimes  (during  last  year  four  of  these  cases  were  tried),  among 
them  being  the  famous  Druse  murder  case,  in  which  he  displayed  the  qualifications  be- 
fore mentioned  m  a  manner  reflecting  great  credit  upon  his  ability  as  a  lawyer.  He 
convicted  the  only  person  who  was  ever  executed  in  the  county.  While  attorney  for 
the  village  of  Herkimer  (1873-5)  he  secured  the  charter  incorporating  the  village  and 
conferring  the  authority  for  the  expenditure  of  such  sums  for  public  improvements  as 
the  citizens  should  vote.  This  was  accomplished  against  the  determined  opposition  of 
a  large  and  influential  element.  He  also  secured  the  charter  for  the  incorporation  of 
the  Herkimer  and  Mohawk  Street  Railway,  which  was  the  forerunner  of  the  now  im- 
portant system  connecting  the  villages  of  Herkimer,  Mohawk,  Ilion  and  Frankfort. 
He  was  trustee  of  the  village  of  Herkimer  when  the  water  works  were  put  in  and  was, 
perhaps,  the  most  efficient  power  in  the  successful  inauguration  of  that  most  beneficent 
improvement.  While  president  of  the  village  the  electric  light  system  was  established 
and  various  other  public  measures  of  improvement  were  instituted.  A  sincere  and  act- 
ive friend  of  education,  he  has  always  thrown  his  influence  in  favor  of  the  extension  of 


482  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  school  system  of  the  village.  On  the  occasion  of  the  holding  of  the  Fireman's  State 
Convention  in  Herkimer  in  1891,  he  was  president  of  the  village  and  acting  chairman 
of  the  citizens' committee  and  chairman  of  the  reception  committee,  and  labored  zeal- 
ously and  efficiently  for  the  great  success  w^hich  attended  that  event._  In  short,  Mr. 
Steele  is  a  public-spirited  citizen  in  the  broadest  sense,  and  no  good  cause  that  promises 
an  advance  of  the  general  welfare  of  the  community  seeks  his  aid  in  vain.  His  character, 
his  ability,  and  his  daily  life  are  such  as  to  bring  him  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  associated.  A  Republican  in  politics  and  with  the  ability  to  elo- 
quently and  forcibly  express  himself  upon  the  subjects  of  current  political  interest,  it 
will  be  inferred  that  he  might  have  had  public  office  of  distinction  had  not  his  tastes, 
inclination,  and  ambition  confined  him  closely  to  his  profession. 

He  is  now  often  called  as  counsel  by  other  attorneys,  both  in  and  out  of  Herkimer 
county,  a  fact  that  clearly  indicates  his  standing  among  the  members  of  the  bar  in  Cen- 
tral New  York. 

Mr.  Steele  was  married  July  2,  1885,  to  Miss  Franc  Irwin,  daughter  of  John  Irwin, 
of  Poland,  Herkimer  county.     They  have  no  children. 


THE  PRESCOTT  FAMILY. 

The  ancestry  of  this  family  is  traceable  back  to  the  time  ot  Queen  Elizabeth  in 
England,  when  they  dwelt  in  Standish,  Lancashire.  James  was  the  name  of  the  first, 
as  far  as  known,  and  John  Prescott,  of  the  fourth  generation  from  James,  of  Standish 
(15G4),  came  to  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1G4S,  and  from  there  to  Watertown,  Mass.,  where  he 
settled  in  1640.  Among  his  children  was  a  son  named  Jonas,  who  was  born  in  Lancas- 
ter, Mass.,  in  1648,  and  this  Jonas  had  a  son  of  the  same  name,  born  in  1678,  and  a 
resident  of  New  Hampshire.  Among  the  children  of  the  second  Jonas  was  a  son  Eben- 
ezer,  who  was  born  in  Groton,  Mass.,  in  1700.  He  had  a  son,  the  first  Oliver,  who 
was  born  in  Groton  in  1725.  Oliver  had  a  son  whom  he  named  Oliver,  who  was 
born  in  1760,  in  New  Hampshire.  He  settled  first  in  Jaffray,  N.  H.,  but  in  1793,  when 
he  was  thirty-three  years  old,  he  removed  to  what  was  then  the  western  -vvilderness  of 
Whitestown  (now  New  Hartford),  Oneida  county,  and  there  purchased  a  large  farm 
and  cleared  and  improved  it,  and  it  has  remained  the  property  of  some  of  his  descend- 
ants ever  since — now  just  one  hundred  years.  He  married  Keziah  Howard  before  his 
removal  to  Whitestown.  Among  the  fourteen  children  of  this  second  Oliver  was 
Oliver  3d,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  children  and  was  born  on  the  home  farm  January 
8,  1789.  He  married  Ruth  Morgan  and  had  ten  children  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  born  in 
1812:  Harriet,  born  in  1814;  Catharine,  born  in  1816;  Daniel  M.  (who  was  the  father 
of  William  C),  born  December  15,  1818;  Mary,  born  in  1821;  Amos  H.  (the  late 
Judge  Prescott),  born  in  1823;  Ruth  Ann,  born  in  1826;  Phoebe,  born  in  1828; 
Oliver,  born  in  1831,  and  Abram,  born  in  1833.  The  father  of  these  children,  Oliver  Pres- 
cott, was  a  man  of  prominence  in  the  community  where  he  lived  and  his  native  ability 
was  recognized  by  his  selection  to  fill  important  public  positions.  He  held  several  town 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  483 

offices  and  in  the  year  1848  was  elected  to  the  State  Assembly.  He  was  a  man  of 
strong  character  and  correct  principles,  and  in  every  way  a  valuable  citizen.  His  death 
occurred  in  1872. 

Of  the  children  of  Oliver  Prescott  3d,  Daniel  M.,  father  of  William  C,  is  a  conspicu- 
ous member  of  the  community.  He  is  a  progressive,  broad-minded  man,  of  much  more 
than  ordinary  intelligence.  He  has  during  his  life  given  much  attention  to  politics,  was 
a  member  of  the  Whig  party  and  later  of  the  Republican,  and  has  been  honored  with 
several  public  positions,  the  first  of  which  was  that  of  sergeant-at-arms  of  the  State 
Senate,  and  afterwards  was  postmaster  of  both  the  Senate  and  Assembly.  In  18G3  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  Assembly  and  served  one  term  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  con- 
stituents. He  held  the  office  of  assessor  for  many  years.  .July  24,  1842,  he  married 
Mary  Wood,  of  Herkimer  county,  who  died  in  18.50,  and  for  a  -second  wife  he  married 
Lydia  Bacon  in  1853.  Mr.  Prescott  and  his  wife  are  both  still  living  at  the  homestead 
in  New  Hartford,  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  respect  of  the  community. 

Daniel  M.  Prescott's  children  by  his  first  wife  were  Harriet  Fidelia,  born  May  15, 
1843,  who  married  Joseph  Carter,  and  now  hves  at  Darien,  Genesee  county,  N.  Y.  • 
Lucius  L.,  born  in  1846,  was  a  member  of  the  Third  New  York  Light  Artillery,  in 
which  he  enlisted  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  was  killed  in  the  service;  and  William 
C,  noticed  a  little  further  on.  The  children  of  Daniel  M.  by  his  second  wife  were 
Oliver  B.,  born  April  8,  1855,  and  died  in  1882  ;  he  was  a  farmer  and  lived  just  over  the 
line  in  Herkimer  county,  on  a  part  of  the  homestead ;  Daniel  Dayton,  born  August  7, 
1856,  a  farmer  and  now  living  on  the  homestead;  and  Rose  May,  born  March  12.  1871, 
married  Wilbur  J.  Davies,  of  Litchfield, ''Herkuner  county. 

William  C.  Prescott,  whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch,  was  born  December  11, 
1848,  in  New  Hartford,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.  His  younger  days  were  passed  on  his 
father's  farm  and  in  the  district  schools,  where  his  naturally  studious  habits  and  a  mind 
that  readily  absorbed  education,  enabled  him  to  rapidly  advance.  Leaving  the  district 
school  he  studied  four  years  in  the  Utica  Academy  and  graduated  in  1867.  To  com- 
plete an  already  excellent  education  he  then  entered  Tufts  College,  in  Massachusetts,  took 
the  full  four  years'  course  and  graduated  with  high  honors.  This  was  not  all  accom- 
plished without  sacrifice  and  hard  work,  and  a  part  of  the  means  necessary  to  pay  his 
expenses  in  college  was  obtained  by  him  in  teaching,  a  part  of  the  time  in  the  same 
school  where  he  began  his  studies  as  a  boy.  While  in  college  Mr.  Prescott  joined  the 
Zeta  Psi  society  and  begame  a  prominent  member.  In  1870  he  was  president  of  their 
annual  convention,  which  was  held  in  Easton,  Pa. 

Long  before  leaving  college  Mr.  Prescott  had  determined  to  enter  the  legal  profession, 
and  soon  after  his  graduation  he  came  to  Herkimer  and  began  his  studies  in  the  law 
office  of  Earl,  Smith  &  Brown.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1875  and  at  once 
formed  a  partnership  with  Hon.  Robert  Earl,  who  was  in  the  same  year  elected  judge 
of  the  Court  of  Appeals.  He  then  associated  himself  with  the  late  Samuel  Earl,  and 
their  business  connection  continued  until  1882,  when  he  formed  the  partnership  with 
A.  B.  Sceele,  which  still  exists  under  the  firm  name  of  Steele  &  Prescott.  Mr.  Pres- 
cott's career  as  a  lawyer  has  been  one  of  honorable  effort  and  marked  success.  His  as- 
sociation with  Mr.  Steele  during  a  part  of  the  period  in  which  the  latter  served  as  dis- 


484  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

trict  attorney,  brought  him  into  connection  with  the  trial  of  several  very  important 
cases,  among  thera  the  murder  trials  of  Mrs.  Druse  and  Mondon  and  Richter.  In  these 
cases  he  made  the  opening  addresses  and  shared  in  all  the  exhaustive  work  necessary  to 
the  successful  issue  of  the  trials.  He  is  generally  regarded  as  a  safe  counselor,  careful 
and  conservative  in  his  opinions  and  thorough  in  his  study  of  every  question  that  comes 
before  bim.  These  valuable  qualiBcations  render  him  a  factor  of  importance  in  the 
large  business  that  has  been  accorded  to  the  firm  of  which  he  is  a  member. 

Mr.  Prescott  is  a  Republican  in  politics  ;  but  until  quite  recently  he  has  declined  to  ac- 
cept nominations  for  public  office.  He  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  Board  of  Police  and 
Fire  Commissioners  upon  its  formation  in  1887,  and  was  made  chairman  of  the  board. 
He  was  reappointed  in  1888  and  resigned  in  1892.  He  was  largely  instrumental  in 
raising  the  fund  of  $12,000  for  the  recent  extension  of  the  Adirondack  and  St. 
Lawrence  Railroad,  which  is  destined  to  confer  great  benefits  on  the  village  of 
Herkimer.  He  is  a  Mason  of  high  standing  and  for  two  years  held  the  office  of 
worshipful  master  of  Herkimer  Lodge.  In  1890  he  was  appointed  grand  marshal  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  and  served  two  years. 

In  private  life  Mr.  Prescott  long  ago  won  the  confidence  and  universal  respect  of  the 
community  at  large  for  his  straightforward,  upright  and  conscientious  course  and  manly 
qualities.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  member  and  one  of  the  important  officers 
of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  is  vice-president  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
of  Herkimer,  and  has  been  chairman  of  its  Board  of  Directors. 

In  the  fall  of  1892  Mr.  Prescott  was  induced  to  accept  the  nomination  for  member  of 
Assembly  from  this  district  and  was  elected  by  a  more  than  average  majority.  He  will 
enter  the  legi.slative  halls  of  the  State  fully  equipped  for  his  duties  and  bearing  with  him 
the  confidence  of  his  constituents. 

Mr.  Prescott  wa.s  married  in  1876  to  Frances  M..  daughter  of  Charles  B.  Cotten,  of 
New  York  city.     They  have  no  children. 

It  is  proper  at  this  point  to  introduce  a  brief  record  of  the  life  of  Amos  H.  Prescott, 
a  brother  of  Daniel  M.,  and  whose  name  and  birth  have  already  been  given.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  district  schools  and  the  Sauquoit  Academy ;  studied  law 
with  Hon.  Volney  Owen,  of  Mohawk,  beginning  in  April,  1842,  and  was  admitted  in 
Mav,  1847.  From  that  date  until  1857  he  was  a  partner  with  Mr.  Owen.  After  the 
dissolution  of  the  firm  in  the  last  named  year  he  continued  in  practice  alone  at  Mohawk 
until  1870,  when  he  removed  to  Herkimer  and  resided  there  until  his  death.  As  a 
lawyer  he  attained  prominence  and  as  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen  he 
ranked  among  the  foremost.  He  was  president  of  the  village  of  Mohawk  three  terms, 
and  served  as  supervisor  of  the  town  in  1866-1867,  and  was  chairman  of  the  board. 
He  was  also  brigadier-general  in  the  National  Guard.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
Native  American  party  in  politics  and  was  conspicuous  in  its  councils.  In  1855  he 
received  the  nomination  for  the  Assembly  at  their  hands  and  was  elected.  In  the 
Legislature  he  was  placed  on  several  important  committees  and  performed  valuable 
service.  From  that  time  until  1867  he  gave  close  attention  to  his  profession  and  was 
accorded  a  large  practice.  In  1867  he  was  elected  county  judge  and  surrogate  by  the 
Republicans,  having  joined  that  party  soon  after  its  organization.  For  sixteen  j'ears 
he  filled  the  important  office  to  which  he  had  been  chosen,  winning  the  approbation 


BEOGRAPHICAL.  485 

and  confidence  of  the  whole  community.  Aa  a  judge  he  was  upright,  impartial  and 
fearless.  His  term  of  service  extended  to  within  a  few  years  of  his  death,  which  took 
place  October  11,  1887.  Judge  Prescott  married  first  Pamelia  C.  Allen,  of  Mohawk; 
she  died  in  1857,  and  he  married  in  1864  Mrs.  Martha  H.  Dygert.  By  the  first  wife 
he  had  one  son,  Charles  W.,  and  a  daughter,  Zinnia  Ruth,  by  the  second  wife. 


ADDISON    BRILL. 

The  ancestry  of  Addison  Brill  is  traced  back  to  his  grandfather,  who  was  David  I. 
Brill,  a  native  of  Dutchess  county,  ]S1.  T.,  and  who  died  in  1837.  Among  his  children 
was  David  Brill,  who  was  born  January  2,  1796,  in  Beekman,  Dutchess  county.  He 
married  Hannah  Pearsall,  daughter  of  Joseph  Pearsall,  of  Pleasant  Valley,  N.  Y.  David 
Brill  was  by  trade  a  tanner  and  currier  and  shoemaker,  which  occupation  he  followed 
in  his  early  life;  but  later  he  engaged  in  faiming,  lumbering  and  mercantile  pursuits. 
In  1831  he  removed  to  North  Western,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  where  most  of  his  active 
life  was  passed,  and  where  he  died  on  the  21st  of  April,  1880,  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
respect  of  the  community  where  he  lived.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  children,  as  fol- 
lows: David  Tompkins  born  December  5,  1819,  died  December  18,  1840,  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  Elizabeth,  born  July  29,  1821.  married  Ezra  Clark  of  North  Western  in 
February,  1840,  and  still  living.  Delia  Melissa,  born  August  19,  1823,  and  died  April 
6,  1866.  John,  born  September  16,  1825,  married  Cynthia  Tibbetts  August  30,  1849, 
and  died  May  20,  1886;  he  was  a  farmer  and  later  in  life  a  merchant.  Permelia  M., 
born  February  18,  1828,  married  Nathaniel  D.  Bronson,  of  North  Western,  in  1851,  and 
living.  Addison,  the  subject,  born  in  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  February  16,  1831. 
Augustus  H.  and  Mary  Augusta,  twins,  born  December  1,  1836.  Augustus  H.  married 
Mary  D.  Baker  in  October,  1876,  and  is  now  living,  and  is  engaged  in  hardware  busi- 
ness at  0.xford,  N.  Y.     Mary  Augusta  is  unmarried  and  live?  at  North  Western. 

Addison  Brill's  early  life  was  pleasantly  and  profitably  surrounded.  Reared  in  a 
Christian  home,  he  early  imbibed  the  principles  which  have  safely  guided  him  through 
life,  and  was  also  fortunate  in  having  oppoi  tunity  to  secure  a  good  practical  educa- 
tion. After  the  usual  period  in  the  district  schools,  he  attended  three  terms  at  the 
Cazenovia  Seminary,  where  his  industry  and  a  remarkably  retentive  memory  enabled 
him  to  store  his  mind  with  an  excellent  knowledge  of  the  branches  taught.  Leaving 
school  finally  at  twenty  years  of  age,  he  entered  his  father's  store  (where  he  had 
already  served  for  a  time),  and  remained  until  he  reached  his  majority,  in  the  capacity 
of  clerk.  On  the  13th  of  April,  1852,  he  became  a  partner  with  his  father  and 
brother-in-law,  Nathaniel  D.  Bronson,  in  general  merchandising,  which  was  continued 
until  1865,  when  he  removed  to  Ilion  and  took  up  his  permanent  residence.  Here 
he  engaged  in  the  wholesale  grocery  and  provision  business,  in  connection  with  and 
as  member  of  the  firm  of  Edson  Delano  &  Company,  and  continued  it  with  success 
five  years  to  1870.  In  April,  1871,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  N.  Russell  (see 
62 


48G  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

sketch  of  Mr.  Russell  herein),  in  the  lumber  and  mill  business.  This  partnership 
continued  with  mutual  satisfaction  and  pronounced  success  nearly  ten  years,  when 
in  1880  Mr.  Hrill  withdrew;  and  in  1882  established  the  Remington  Sewing  Machine 
Agency.  Mr.  Brill  was  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  had  the  management  of  this 
organization  and  its  immediate  and  signal  success  reflected  credit  upon  his  business 
capacity  and  executive  ability.  In  1886  occurred  the  great  failure  of  the  Remington 
industry  when  the  enormous  business,  with  its  several  branches  and  its  endless  com- 
plications and  details,  was  passed  into  the  hands  of  receivers.  Mr.  Brill  was  appointed 
one  of  the  receivers  of  the  estate,  in  association  with  Mr.  Russell,  his  former  part- 
ner. An  account  of  the  manner  in  which  the  great  interests  were  handled  and  pro- 
tected by  the  receivers,  so  that  the  creditors  might  get  the  greatest  possible  benefit, 
has  been  given  in  the  history  of  the  village  of  Ilion,  in  earlier  pages  of  this  work, 
and  need  not  be  repeated  in  detail  here.  Let  it  suffice  to  say  that  the  affairs  of  the 
corporation  were  conducted  by  the  receivers  until  1892,  when  all  of  the  vast  interests 
had  been  closed  out  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  a  good  measure  of  satisfaction  to  all 
who  were  concerned. 

In  politics  Mr.  Brill  is  a  Democrat,  but  not  in  any  sense  a  partisan,  his  liberality 
leading  him  at  times  to  vote  for  candidates  of  the  opposing  party,  who  seemed  to  him 
to  be  worthy  of  support.  He'never  sought  office  and  lives  in  a  county  where  such  a 
course  would  ordinarily  be  a  waste  of  time;  but  he  was  elected  supervisor  in  the  face 
of  these  conditions  and  served  in  1886-87.  In  the  board  his  habitual  straightforward 
business  methods  and  his  belief  that  public  aflairs  should  receive  the  8anie  attention, 
and  the  same  treatment  given  to  one's  personal  business,  led  him  to  advise  an  investi- 
gation of  the  bills  and  charges  of  the  county  clerk,  which  seemed  to  him  to  be  exor- 
bitant. Although  he  did  not  succeed  fully  in  bringing  about  the  reforms  that  he 
desired,  owing  to  the  fact  that  too  many  of  his  associates,  if  not  interested  in  the  out- 
come, from  improper  methods  of  transacting  public  business,  were  in  sympathy  with 
those  who  were ;  yet  partial  restitution  for  unlawful  and  excessive  charges  was 
secured. 

The  final  developments  from  that  first  resolution  for  investigation  have  only  recently 
(1892)  been  reached  through  the  courts,  and  the  details  leading  up  to  them  would  re- 
quire many  pages  for  explanation.  But  it  may  be  said  thousands  of  dollars  have  been 
saved  to  the  county,  and  new  methods  instituted,  which  if  followed  will  be  of  large 
advantage  in  the  future. 

Mr.  Brill  was  made  director  of  the  Frankfort  and  Ilion  street  railway  at  its  organiza- 
tion and  held  the  office  for  a  number  of  years;  also  of  the  Ilion  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  acted  as  treasurer  during  the  most  of  its  existence.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber and  active  worker  in  the  Methodist  church,  and  has  been  honored  in  that  connec- 
tion by  election  as  district  representative  for  many  years,  and  also  as  lay  delegate  to 
the  General  Conference,  a  position  of  honor  in  the  church.  He  has  been  a  steward  in 
the  local  church  since  1868.  Mr.  Brill  is  an  ardent  temperance  man,  but  his  efforts  for 
the  diminution  of  the  evils  resulting  from  drink  are  conducted  upon  Christian  lines, 
which  embody  the  desire  to  lift  the  unfortunate  out  of  their  bondage. 

From  tlie  foregoing  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  form  a  conception  of  the  principal  char- 
acteristics of  Mr.  Brill.     His  conscience  is  the  dictator  of  his  rules  of  living,  and  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  487 

career  was  founded  upon  a  basis  of  integrity.  With  great  capacity  for  labor,  pliysical 
and  mental,  sound  judgment,  sagacious  foresight,  and  executive  ability,  he  has  been  able 
to  command  success  and  at  the  same  time  so  order  his  living  as  to  inspire  confi- 
denoe  and  respect  in  his  fellows.  He  is  public  spirited,  aids  liberally  all  good 
work.s,  and  endeavors  to  realize  the  best  ideas  of  good  citizenship. 

Mr.  Brdl  married  on  May  6,  1858,  Mary  Comstock,  daughter  of  the  late  Arnon 
Comstock,  of  North  Western,  a  man  of  prominence  in  that  community,  and  at  one 
time  county  judge.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brill  have  one  son,  Charles  Comstock,  born  at 
North  Western,  N.  Y.,  January  1,  1862,  who,  after  preparatory  studies  at  the  Ilion 
Academy,  graduated  from  Syracuse  University  in  1885,  and  later  spent  one  year  in 
a  post  graduate  cour.se  at  Johns  Hopkins  University,  Baltimore,  Md.  He  is  now 
superintendent  of  Norwich  University,  at  Northfield,  Vt.  He  married  October  29. 
1889,  Carrie  Hoefler,  daughter  of  John  Hoefier,  of  Ilion,  N.  Y.  They  have  a  daugh- 
ter, Marion  Elizabeth,  born  at  Ilion,  N.  Y.,  March  17,  1892. 


ALBERT  NEWTON  RUSSELL 

Was  born  on  a  farm  m  Kirkland,  Oneida  county,  N.   Y.,  March  17,  1826. 

His  ancestors  on  his  father's  side  emigrated  to  what  was  then  called  Whitestown, 
from  Gu'lford,  Conn.,  and  were  of  English  descent.  Simeon  Hatch,  his  grandfather 
on  his  mother's  side,  was  of  Scotch  descent  and  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  what  is 
now  New  Hartford,  emigrating  there  from  Wethersfield,  Conn. 

When  nine  years  oH  his  father,  Samuel  Baldwin  Russell,  sold  his  farm  and  removed 
to  Sherburne,  Chenango  count}',  where  he  died,  leaving  three  children,  Albert  Newton 
being  the  youngest,  about  eleven  years  of  age. 

Returning  to  New  Hartford,  his  mother  gave  him  such  educational  advantages  as  the 
schools  in  that  vicinity  afforded,  and  while  attending  the  select  school  he  paid  his  way 
by  working  nights,  mornings  and  Saturdays,  in  a  cabinet  shop,  where  he  acquired  some 
practical  knowledge  of  mechanics. 

After  leaving  school  he  worked  for  a  short  time  on  a  farm,  then  as  clerk  in  a  general 
store,  later  emigrating  to  Fairfax  county,  Virginia,  for  the  benefit  of  his  health. 

After  two  years  of  farm  life  there,  having  regained  his  health,  he  obtained  a  position 
as  foreman  under  the  superintendent  of  capitol  and  public  works  in  Washington,  D.  C. 
Later  he  returned  to  Virginia,  where  he  soon  after  married  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of 
Wells  Hatch,  a  former  resident  of  Chenango  county,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  as  he  then  sup- 
posed permanently,  having  become  owner  of  a  steam  saw-mill  and  lumbering  business, 
which  he  operated,  with  farming  and  fruit  growing  in  a  small  way  as  an  auxiliary. 

At  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Russell,  who  was 
a  strong  Union  man,  had  no  alternative  but  to  take  his  family  and  seek  safety  in 
the  North,  as  the  position  of  an  avowed  Union  man  was  one  of  great  peril.  Under 
the  cover  of  darkness  he  commenced  his  journey  in  a  democrat  wagon  drawn  by  a 
single  horse,  and  before  proceeding  far,  his  vehicle  was  only  one  of  a  caravan  of 
twenty-seven,  filled  with  Union  refugees. 


488  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Arriving  at  Wellsville,  Allegany  county,  where  his  brother  resided,  he  obtained  em- 
ployment in  a  sash  and  blind  factory,  beginning  life  anew  among  friends,  and  where  it 
was  sate  to  be  a  friend  of  the  Union. 

In  October,  1861,  Mr.  Russell  obtained  employment  in  the  armory  of  E.  Remington 
&  Sons  at  Ilion,  where  he  soon  moved  his  family  and  has  since  lived. 

He  was  soon  placed  in  a  responsible  position,  having  the  general  care  of  the  plant, 
constructing  some  of  the  largest  buildings  and  equipping  them  with  engines,  boilers, 
etc.,  also  setting  the  many  manchines  used  therein.  He  also  had  charge  of  the  erection 
of  the  tine  residence  of  Mr.  Philo  Remington. 

In  1871  he,  in  company  with  Mr.  Addison  Brill,  purchased  the  lumber  business  of 
C.  F.  Raymer  in  Ilion — Mr.  Brill  taking  charge  of  the  business,  assisted  by  Mr.  Russell's 
oldest  son,  Samuel  T.,  who  represented  his  father's  interests,  himself  contmiiing  in  the 
employ  of  the  Remingtons  until  1877.  He  has  continued  in  the  lumber  business  till  the 
present  time,  his  son,  Samuel,  becoming  a  partner  in  1878,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Brdl,  Russell  &  Company,  who  carried  on  th°  business  till  1880,  when  Mr.  Russell  and 
Samuel  bought  out  Mr.  Brill  and  continued  the  business  as  the  firm  of  A.  N.  Russell  & 
Son.  Ill  1S83  the  younger  son,  George  R.,  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  a  branch 
yard  being  established  at  Frankfort,  under  liis  charge,  Samuel  T.  managing  the 
business  at  Ilion.  Under  the  management  of  A.  N.  Russell  &  Sons,  the  business  has 
expanded  until  it  has  become  the  most  extensive  in  its  line  in  Herkimer  county,  and 
one  of  the  leading  ones  of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  embracing  two  retail  yards  with  im- 
mense stocks  of  all  varieties  of  lumber,  and  a  large  and  admirably  equipped  planing- 
mill  and  sash,  blind  and  door  factory,  employing  a  large  force  of  workmen,  supplymg  a 
large  trade,  not  onl}'  local,  but  from  the  lower  Hudson  towns  and  those  in  New  Jersej' 
and  Connecticut  adjacent  to  New  York  city. 

Since  becoming  a  resident  of  Iljon,  Mr.  Russell  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in 
the  enterprises  projected  for  the  development  of  local  business,  and  among  other  move- 
ments the  one  to  secure  the  location  of  the  West  Shore  shops  at  Frankfort,  to  which 
he  devoted  all  his  energy,  with  other  members  of  a  committee  appointed  to  solicit 
subscriptions  for  this  fund,  conducting  negotiations  with  the  railroad  company,  which 
resulted  in  establishing  that  extensive  and  valuable  industry  at  that  place. 

He  also  took  an  active  part  in  establishing  the  knitting  mill  and  Coleman's  carriage 
and  wagon  factory  at  Ilion,  designing  and  erecting  the  buildings  for  the  use  of  these 
companies.  He  is  secretary  of  the  Coleman  Company  ;  also  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Ilion  and  Mohawk  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Company. 

In  March,  1886,  the  corporation,  E.  Remington  &  Sons,  became  financially  involved 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  place  their  aflairs  in  the  hands  of  re- 
ceivers, and  Messrs.  Russell  and  Addison  Brdl  were  appointed  by  the  court  to  take  the 
business  in  charge.  This  was  a  position  of  great  responsibility  and  care,  involving  the 
settling  of  accounts  aggregating  millions  of  dollars,  many  of  which  had  to  be  adjudi- 
cated in  the  courts,  and  the  conducting  of  the  manufacture  of  arms  and  sewing  ma- 
chines for  two  years  before  the  works  were  sold.  After  a  lapse  of  six  years  they 
brought  the  extended  litigation  to  a  termination  and  made  their  final  dividend  to  the 
creditors,  and  after  the  examination  of  their  accounts  by  Hon.  A.  M.  Mills,  who  was 
appointed  referee  by  the  court,  they  received  their  discharge. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  489 

During  his  residence  in  Ilion,  Mr.  Russell  h&s  been  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics, 
giving  his  party  earnest  and  hearty  support,  and  for  seven  years  served  as  a  member 
of  the  county  committee  of  that  party. 

Mr.  Russell  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Ilion  since  1866 
and  of  its  board  of  stewards,  and  has  been  active  in  its  work. 


SETH   M.   RICHMOND. 

The  ancestors  of  Seth  M.  Richmond  came  from  England  and  settled  in  Massachusetts, 
his  father,  Lsaac  Richmond,  having  been  born  near  Boston.  His  mother  was  Salona 
Perry,  of  Norton,  Mass.  They  had  eight  children,  six  of  whom  were  sons,  as  follows : 
Isaac,  now  living  at  Fulton,  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years;  he  was 
born  at  Augusta,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  where  all  of  the  children  were  born,  and  where 
Isaac  Richmond  passed  most  of  his  life.  Gardner,  the  next  son,  is  deceased ;  Alvin, 
living  in  Little  Falls  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  and  a  partner  many  years  with  his 
brother,  Seth  M.,  as  described  below  ;  Nathan  P.,  deceased  ;  Parley,  deceased  ;  Phoebe, 
married  N.  B.  Cook,  of  Augusta,  and  living;  Anna  M.,  married  W.  E.  Walton,  of 
Munnsville,  N.  Y.,  and  living;  and  Seth  M.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  and  a  portrait, 
who  was  born  at  Augusta,  on  the  17th  of  May,  1818,  between  the  birth  of  the  two  sis- 
ters mentioned. 

The  early  years  of  Mr.  Richmond's  life  were  passed  amid  adverse  surroundings,  as 
was  the  case  with  most  American  boys  of  that  period.  His  only  opportunity  for  ob- 
taining an  education  was  in  the  country  district  school,  the  winter  terms  being  altei- 
nated  with  summer  labor  on  his  father's  farm,  and  even  this  limited  school  attendance 
was  closed  when  he  was  sixteen  years  old.  But  he  was  imbued  with  an  active  spiiit 
of  enterprise  and  ambition,  and  he  struck  out  for  himself  as  soon  as  he  left  school  by 
teaching  a  small  school  in  greography  one  winter,  and  then  engaged  as  clerk  at  what  is 
now  called  Knoxboro,  N.  Y.,  in  the  employ  of  John  J.  Knox,  father  of  Jay  Knox, 
later  comptroller  of  the  currency.  After  about  a  year  in  the  store,  Mr.  Knox  showed 
his  confidence  in  his  young  employer  by  sending  hira  to  Little  Falls  with  a  stock  of 
goods  to  sell,  and  as  cashier  and  bookkeeper  chiefly  to  the  force  of  men  working  on 
the  Erie  canal  enlargement,  on  which  Mr.  Knox  had  a  large  contract.  This  was  in  Mr. 
Richmond's  eighteenth  year  and  the  enterprise  covered  the  period  from  1837  to  1840 
inclusive.  At  the  end  of  that  period  Mr.  Richmond  joined  in  partnership  with  his  brother 
Alvin  and  they  bought  the  stock  of  goods  of  Mr.  Knox  and  opened  a  store.  In  all  of 
the  various  business  undertakings  in  which  Mr  Richmond  has  since  engaged,  his  brother 
has  had  a  share,  and  their  partnership  has  been  unbroken  and  their  relations  thoroughly 
harmonious.  The  business  in  the  store  was  promptly  and  largely  extended  and  -soon 
included  coal,  they  being  the  first  to  bring  anthracite  coal  to  Little  Falls,  lumber,  which 
they  shipped  in  great  quantities  to  Troy  and  Albany,  flour,  salt,  etc.  In  some  of  these 
commodities,  particularly  coal,  the  firm  has  dealt  ever  since  and  at  the  present  time 
they  have  the  most  extensive  yards  in   the  village.     In   1842   the  brothers  erected  a 


490  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

paper-mill  on  the  site  of  the  early  mills  of  Wm.  J.  Pardee,  later  occupied  by  Paige  & 
Priest,  and  began  the  manufacture  of  print  and  wrapping  papers.  On  the  13th  of  July, 
1853,  the  mill  was  destroyed  by  fire,  causing  a  loss  of  $50,000,  on  which  was  insurance 
of  only  $3,000.  They,  however,  immediately  rebuilt  the  mill  and  carried  it  on  suc- 
cessfully until  1860,  when  they  sold  the  property,  which  now  constitutes  the  foundry 
of  M.  Reddy  &  Sons.  In  the  year  1850  the  brothers  took  hold  of  the  Morris  Axe 
manufactory,  and  for  a  number  of  years  they  sold  the  product  of  the  factory.  In  1857 
they  joined  with  E.  B.  Waite  in  the  erection  of  another  paper-mill  on  the  lower  falls, 
which  they  conducted  until  1888 ;  the  property  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Little 
Falls  Paper  Uompany.  In  1877  Seth  M.  Richmond,  in  connection  with  his  son-in- 
law,  Charles  King,  took  the  knitting-mill  formerly  operated  by  Amos  King,  changed 
its  character  to  a  manufactory  of  fine  woolen  knit  goods,  and  gave  it  the  name  of  the 
Saxony  Knitting  Mill.  Of  this  Mr.  King  is  the  active  manager.  Mr.  Richmond  was 
one  of  the  principal  organizers  of  the  Little  Falls  National  Bank,  in  1879,  was  chosen 
its  president  and  has  ever  since  held  the  office.  Under  his  administration  this  institu- 
tion has  become  one  of  the  most  prosperous  in  the  Mohawk  Valley,  and  now  has  a  vol- 
ume of  business  approximating  $400,000;  it  has  paid  a  dividend  of  7  per  cent,  from 
its  organization.  Mr.  Richmond  was  largely  instrumental  in  organizing  the  Little 
Falls  Gaslight  Company  and  for  six  years  was  its  president. 

The  foregoing  gives  some  indication  of  the  very  active  business  career  of  Mr.  Rich- 
mond and  of  its  long  continuance ;  it  also  shows  that  his  natural  business  inclination 
is  towards  enterprises  of  broad  proportions  and  involving  large  transactions  and  the 
employment  of  large  capital.  It  is.  perhaps,  the  prominent  qualification  as  far  as  busi- 
ness capacity  is  concerned,  that  he  is  able  to  grasp  a  large  undertakine,  or  more  than 
one,  and  foresee  the  details  of  its  successful  manipulation  from  the  beginning.  This 
faculty  has  aided  in  giving  him  uniform  success  in  all  the  enterprises  in  which  he  has 
been  engaged.  This  success  has,  moreover,  been  built  upon  correct  business  principles 
and  broad  lines  of  integrity  and  fairness  towards  those  with  whom  he  has  come  in 
contact;  he  is,  therefore,  held  in  high  respect  by  the  community,  the  members  of 
which  have  in  many  ways  expressed  their  confidence  in  him.  In  politics  Mr.  Rich- 
mond is  a  Republican  and  was  formerly  a  Whig,  casting  his  first  vote  in  1840  for 
William  Henry  Harrison.  He  has  held  the  office  of  village  trustee  and  was  president 
several  terms.  In  1860  he  was  elected  sherififof  the  county,  and  in  1867  was  chosen 
to  represent  the  district  in  the  Assembly.  He  held  the  office  of  trustee  of  the  academy 
several  years  and  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Education  two  or  three  years.  During 
his  official  career  the  northern  riots  transpired.  Mr.  Richmond  issued  a  proclamation 
enjoining  all  good  citizens  to  stand  by  law  and  order.  The  result  was  salutary  though 
harshly  criticized  by  political  opponents,  yet  in  time  Democrats  and  Republicans  con- 
curred in  his  course.  During  the  Rebellion  he  was  president  of  the  Union  clubs  of  his 
town  and  received  and  forwarded  from  his  house  many  of  the  sanitary  supplies.  In 
the  mean  time  he  went  to  the  front  and  visited  the  soldiers  at  Fredericksburg  and  Ar- 
lington Heights,  and  while  there  was  made  the  recipient  of  large  sums  of  money  from 
the  soldiers  for  distribution  among  their  families  on  his  return  home.  His  selection  for 
these  various  posts  of  honor  and  trust  are  expressive  of  the  confidence  felt  by  the  pub- 


xl 


^^]VV|Wi^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  491 

lie  in  his  capacity  and  zeal  in  the  cause  of  education  and  general  advancement.  And 
it  is  greatly  to  his  credit  that  it  may  truthfully  be  stated  thai,  in  every  official  capacity 
he  has  given  to  his  duties  the  same  watchful  and  intelligent  care  that  he  has  bestowed 
upon  his  own  business. 

Mr.  Richmond  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  society  and  bestows  of  his  means  to  all 
the  religious  organizations  of  the  village.  His  public  spirit  and  desire  for  the  pros- 
perity of  his  adopted  home  prompts  him  to  ever-ready  effort  in  all  public  affairs  that 
tend  to  the  advancement  of  the  place.  Though  now  far  advauced  in  years,  Mr.  Rich- 
mond has  still  the  clepr  mental  qualities  of  his  earlier  manhood,  and  regularly  gives  his 
attention  to  the  details  of  his  various  business  connections  and  particularly  to  the  bank 
of  which  he  has  so  long  been  the  presiding  officer. 

Mr.  Richmond  was  married  on  the  13th  of  April,  1840,  to  Ursula  F.  Osborn,  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  Osborn,  of  Little  Falls.  Their  children  are:  An  infant  son,  deceased; 
Kate  F.,  married  W.  W.  Whitman,  and  deceased;  Clara  died  in  infancy;  Sarah  B., 
married  Charles  King  and  living  in  Little  Falls. 


AMOS  KING  — CHARLES  KING. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Greene  county,  N.  Y.,  was  the  family  of  the  late  Hon. 
Perkins  King.  His  children  were  Amos,  Charles,  Lucy,  Harriet  and  Mary.  His  wife 
was  Miss  Jackson,  daughter  of  General  Jackson,  who  fought  at  Bunker  Hill.  Perkins 
King  was  conspicuous  in  Republican  politics  and  was  member  of  Assembly  in  1820-27, 
when  Dewitt  Clinton  was  governor,  and  member  of  Congress  in  1829-30.  Amos  King 
was  the  elder  son  of  Perkms  King,  and  was  born  in  Freehold,  Greene  county,  N.  Y., 
Januarys,  1817.  He  received  the  advantages  of  a  common  school  education  and  in- 
herited from  his  parents  intellectual  qualities  that  contributed  to  his  later  advancement 
in  his  life  work.  After  leaving  school  he  began  the  operation  of  a  carding-mill  at  Free- 
hold, which  he  continued  until  the  mill  was  burned.  Mr.  King  then  went  to  Water- 
town,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  the  same  business.  This  was  in  1853.  Misfortune  fol- 
lowed him,  and  the  mill  in  that  city  also  burned.  He  then  moved  to  Norwich,  Conn., 
where  he  also  carried  on  a  similar  business.  In  1872  he  located  permanently  in  Little 
Palls  and  began  the  manufacture  of  woolen  cloths,  in  which  he  had  so  long  been  en- 
gaged. Four  years  later  he  changed  the  character  of  his  manufacfnre  and  founded  the 
Sajcony  Knitting  Company,  associating  with  himself  in  partnership  his  son  Charles. 
Under  their  management  this  became  one  of  the  most  prosperous  establishments  of  the 
kind  m  the  State,  and  it  was  continued  until  the  death  of  Mr.  King  on  the  26th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1891.  He  was  married  in  1843  to  Amanda  Pratt,  daughter  of  Israel  Pratt  of 
Greene  county.  Their  children  were  :  Charles  King,  now  of  Little  Falls,  and  Mrs.  W. 
A.  Benedict  of  Newton  Centre,  Mass. 

In  his  long  business  career  Mr.  King  possessed  the  confidence  and  esteem  not  only 
of  those  with  whom  he  was  intimately  associated,  but  also  of  every  community  in  which 
he  lived.  His  judgment  and  strong  good  sense  gave  weight  and  influence  to  all  his 
conclusions,  and  his  advice  and  counsel  were  always  prized  by  those  who  were  so  for- 


492  niSTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

tunate  as  to  obtain  them.  The  characteristic  which  will  be  best  remembered  so  long  as 
any  of  those  who  knew  him  shall  survive,  which  gave  to  his  character  its  greatest 
strength,  to  his  influence  its  greatest  usefulness,  to  his  memory  its  sweetest  incense, 
was  his  earnest,  devoted,  consistent  Christian  life,  exemplified  in  all  his  business,  in  all 
the  closer  relations  of  family  and  intimate  friends,  in  all  the  more  public  offices  of  church 
and  social  associations.  For  many  years  a  member  and  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church, 
he  was  active  in  efforts  to  promote  its  growth,  and  a  leader  in  its  good  works.  He  for 
many  years  filled  the  position  of  Sunday-school  superintendent,  in  which  he  was  able 
to  accomplish  much  good  that  will  live  long  after  him.  In  politics  Mr.  King  was  a 
Republican,  but  his  tastes  and  ambition  led  him  wholly  into  business  channels,  and  he 
never  accepted  public  office  of  any  kind. 

One  who  knew  him  well  wrote  at  the  time  of  his  death  as  follows:  "  In  his  death 
the  community  loses  one  of  her  oldest  and  best  known  knit  goods  manufacturers,  who 
for  the  past  twenty  years  has  been  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Little  Falls, 
and  contributed  greatly  to  the  growth  and  prosperty  of  the  town.  An  active,  efficient 
business  man,  a  patriotic  citizen  and  an  earnest  Christian  has  closed  his  earthly  career 
and  gone  to  his  earthly  reward,  sincerely  mourned  by  an  exceptionally  wide  circle  of 
friends."  The  session  of  the  Presbyterian  church  met  and  adopted  a  series  of  eulogistic 
resolutions  upon  the  character  and  work  of  their  member. 

Charles  King  was  born  in  Freehold,  N.  Y.,  August  21, 1848.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  Norwich  Free  Academy  and  fitted  for  Yale,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years  relinquished  the  plan  of  attending  college  and  wa^  given  an  interest  in  his  father's 
business,  after  having  served  seven  years  in  learning  every  detail.  Removing  with  his 
father  to  Little  Falls,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  A.  &  C.  King,  which  contin- 
ued, as  above  stated,  until  his  father's  death.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  associated 
with  Hon.  Seth  M.  Richmond  in  the  management  of  the  Saxony  Knitting  Company. 
As  a  business  man  and  a  master  of  his  trade  Mr.  King  occupied  a  conspicuous  position 
and  Pnjoy<  the  confidence  of  all  who  know  him.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  but  has 
not  held  office,  his  business  requiring  his  whole  attention.  Mr.  King  was  married  in 
1875  to  Sarah  B.,  daughter  of  Hon.  Seth  M.  Richmond. 


FREDERICK  U.   WELLER. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  the  town  of  Newport,  Herkimer  county,  was  Israel  Weller. 
He  was  a  man  of  some  note  in  early  days,  and  shared  in  the  War  of  1812  at  Sackett's 
Harbor.  He  was  a  practical  Irfttter  and  carried  on  that  business  in  Newport  village, 
and  was  among  the  earliest  manufacturers  of  that  vicinity.  His  wife  was  Sally  Hawk- 
ins, a  native  of  Newport,  daughter  of  Uriah  Hawkins,  who  took  part  as  an  officer  under 
Washington  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Israel  Weller  died  at  an  advanced  age  in 
Cattaraugus  county,  N.  Y. 

Frederick  U.  Weller,  son  of  Israel,  was  born  in  Newport  November  24,  1819.  Being 
one  of  a  large  family  and  living  where  schools  were  far  apart  and  primitive  in  character, 
his  education  was  limited  to  a  few  months  in  winter  until  he  was  fifteen  years  old.    He 


^Stffiyr  CKef^^..!''' 


Y/ 


'^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  493 

had  already  struck  out  for  himself  three  years  earlier,  by  working  summers  on  neigh- 
boring farms,  for  which  he  received  four  or  five  dollars  a  month.  From  that  time  on- 
ward he  supported  himself.  When  he  had  reached  seventeen  years  he  entered  the  store 
of  Benjamin  Terry  at  Newport  and  served  one  year  as  clerk,  when  he,  in  company  with 
a  Mr.  Hall,  bought  the  store  and  carried  on  business  four  years.  During  this  period 
they  also  had  a  staging  business,  carrying  freight,  money,  etc.,  to  Utioa,  and  in  1838 
carried  the  mail  and  ran  a  stage  from  Little  Falls,  passing  through  Eaton's  Bush,  Fair- 
field, Middleville,  Newport,  Poland,  Russia,  Gravesville,  Trenton  Falls  and  Trenton. 
During  his  partnership  with  Hall,  Mr.  Weller  purchased  a  farm  near  Newport  and 
worked  it  two  years.  On  the  8th  ot  November,  1842,  he  married  Helen  Spencer,  daugh- 
ter of  Alpheus  Spencer  of  Newport.  They  occupied  the  farm  two  years  after  marriage, 
but  with  indifferent  success,  and  Mr.  Weller's  ambition  prompted  him  to  make  a  change, 
and  he  accordingly  removed  to  Ilion.  There  were  only  about  fifty  buildings  of  all  kinds 
in  the  village  at  that  time.  The  elder  Remington  had  substantially  retired  from  active 
business,  and  his  son  Samuel  had  just  secured  the  first  large  contract  for  25,000  guns. 
In  Ihon  Mr.  Weller  established  the  Ilion  Temperance  House,  which  he  successfully 
conducted  five  years.  At  the  end  of  that  period,  taking  his  capital  of  $4,000  or  $5,000, 
he  removed  to  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  where  he  purchased  of  liis  uncle  a  stock  of  boots  and 
shoes.  He  remained  there  seven  years,  devoting  himself  closely  to  his  business  and 
meeting  with  good  success.  It  is  proper  to  state  here  that  Mr.  Weller  had  never  en- 
joyed a  very  robust  constitution,  and  his  many  years  of  arduous  labor  finally  broke  his 
health,  and  upon  the  final  advice  of  physicians  he  came  to  Mohawk,  N.  T.,  for  rest  and 
possible  recuperation.  Before  the  final  breaking  down  of  his  health  he  resorted  to 
numerous  doctors  who  successively  fed  him  calomel  until  his  system  became  charged 
with  it,  and  ever  since  he  has  been  a  constant  sufferer  from  the  ravages  of  the  drug. 

On  his  arrival  in  Mohawk  on  his  way  back  to  Ilion  he  saw  the  residence  he  now 
occupies  (then  owned  by  the  now  venerable  Jacob  Diefendorf),  and  eight  months  later, 
in  1857,  he  purchased  the  premises  and  there  made  his  permanent  home.  Three  years 
later  he  added  by  purchase  a  tract  which  now  gives  him  about  six  acres  of  beautifully 
situated  land,  and  has  since  enlarged  and  greatly  improved  the  residence.  He  continued 
the  ownership  of  considerable  real  estate  in  Pittsfield  until  1881,  when  he  sold  it,  and 
for  thirty-five  years  past  he  has  had  no  active  business,  but  has  given  much  attention 
to  the  care  of  his  buildings  in  Mohawk  and  to  other  affai is,  as  his  health  would  permit. 
In  1860  he  purchased  a  brick  block,  now  known  as  the  Weller  Block,  of  Charles  Spin- 
ner. He  was  called  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  fill  the  office  of  president  of  the  village 
one  term,  and  by  his  honorable  and  upright  life,  his  genial  temperament  and  liberal  aid 
in  all  good  works,  has  gained  the  high  esteem  of  the  community. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weller  have  one  daughter,  Sarah  ilatilda,  boru  September  12,  1843. 


C.  W.  CARPENTER. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Rockingham,  N.  H.,  on  the  21st  of  July, 
1819.     He  is  descended  from  English  ance.stry,  and  his  father  was  Christopher  R.  Car- 
penter, a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine,  born  in  1782.     lie  died  in  1833.     His  wife  was 
63 


494  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Mary  B.  McCrillis,  born  in  1796,  and  died  July  2'2,  1872.  They  were  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  only  four  are  now  living;  they  are:  The  subject;  William  H.,  of 
Milford,  Mass.,  born  January  19,  1821;  Vasta  M.,  born  January  19,  1825,  married 
WilHam  Abbott,  of  Concord,  N.  H. ;  Mary  E.  Osgood,  born  December  26,  1829 ; 
both  of  these  daughters  are  now  widows ;  Rufus  T.,  born  June  9,  1822,  deceased; 
Jacob  C,  born  December  28,  1823,  deceased  ;  an  infant,  born  and  died  in  March,  1824. 
Jacob  McCrillis,  born  January  24,  1826  ;  Waldo,  born  January  7,  1827,  died  February 
2,  of  the  same  year,  and  Abby  L.,  born  December  26,  1828. 

C.  W.  Carpenter  found  only  limited  opportunity  to  obtain  an  education  in  the  district 
school,  and  early  in  lite  took  up  mechanical  labor.  While  he  was  yet  young  his  parents 
removed  from  Rockingham  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  lived  there  two  years.  Afterward 
his  father  and  a  younger  brother  came  westward  on  the  then  new  Erie  canal,  in  1829, 
and  he  was  taken  along  and  finally  reached  the  village  of  Owego,  Tioga  county,  where 
he  lived  two  years  with  two  of  his  aunts.  In  1832  his  father  located  in  Utica  and  C. 
W.  followed  him  and  began  working  at  the  cabinet-making  trade.  This  he  followed 
only  one  year,  when  he  went  to  the  town  of  Marcy  and  spent  five  years  in  arduous 
labor  on  a  farm.  He  then  went  to  the  village  of  Mohawk  into  a  blacksmith  and  car- 
riage shop,  where  he  worked  fouryears  at  carriage  ironing,  in  which  work  he  became 
thoroughly  proficient.  This  brings  his  career  down  to  the  year  1844,  when  he  made 
his  last  removal  to  the  village  of  Ilion  and  worked  in  the  department  in  the  Remington 
works  in  which  gun  barrels  were  made ;  this  was  then  the  principal  part  of  their 
business  and  required  skill  and  executive  ability.  Mr.  Carpenter  continued  in  this 
occupation  for  twelve  years,  until  there  was  a  decline  in  that  branch  of  the  industry, 
when  he  followed  railroading  in  Ohio  five  years.  In  the  summer  of  1862  he  re- 
turned and  took  up  his  former  occupation  in  the  armory,  where  he  continued  in  full 
charge  of  that  branch  of  the  great  works  until  1884,  when  he  retired  from  active  labor. 
In  the  long  period  during  which  he  served  in  the  armory  Mr.  Carpenter  developed  the 
sterling  qualities  which  are  necessary  in  such  a  responsible  position,  and  his  success 
was  such  that  he  not  only  became  a  strong  factor  in  the  growth  of  the  industry,  but 
won  the  regard  of  those  who  labored  under  him. 

Mr.  Carpenter  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  never  gave  his  attention  to  public 
affairs  more  than  i.s  the  duty  of  every  good  citizen.  He  was  chosen  president  of  the 
village  in  1888  and  held  the  office  two  terms ;  is  vice-president  of  the  Mohawk  and 
Ilion  railroad  since  1889  ;  treasurer  of  the  Ilion  Gaslight  company  since  1888,  and  a 
d  rector  in  the  Ilion  National  bank  since  1886.  In  these  several  positions  he  has  shown 
judgment  and  business  capacity  of  a  high  order.  He  joined  the  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
in  1847,  and  became  a  Master  Mason  in  1855,  in  the  Mohawk  Valley  lodge,  No.  276. 
He  is  now  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  as  a  member  of  the  Central  City  Consistory 
in  Syracuse.  He  has  acted  as  treasurer  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  lodge  for  seventeen 
years  and  recently  was  re-elected  to  the  office. 

Mr.  Carpenter  was  married  on  February  9,  1845,  to  Lucretia  P.  Coppernoll,  daughter 
of  George  L.  and  Nancy  Coppernoll,  of  Mohawk  ;  she  was  born  June  21,  1828.  They 
have  children  as  follows:  Henry  R.,  born  May  26,  1846,  now  employed  in  the  United 
Express  auditing  office,  in  Jersey  City;  Marion,  born  July  28,  1847,  living  at  home; 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  495 

and  Sarah  A.,  born  September  20,  1850,  married  Harry  A.  Tuttle,  and  lives  in  Minne- 
apolis;  and  grandchildren,  Charles  W.  Tuttle,  aged  twenty-one,  and  Harry  W.  Car- 
penter, aged  nineteen  years. 


DR.   MALEK  ADHEL  SOUTHWORTH 

Was  born  in  Oswego  county,  New  York,  in  1828.  In  his  childhood  his  parents,  Daniel 
H.  Southworth  and  Elizabeth  Southworth,  moved  to  Little  Falls,  N.  T.,  and  there  he 
and  his  sister,  Miss  Pauline  B.  Southworth,  now  deceased,  and  his  brother,  William  D. 
Southworth,  grew  to  maturity.  The  lineage  of  the  family  extends  directly  to  the 
Southworths  of  Plymouth  and  the  Mayflower ;  and  from  them  to  an  old  but  now  ex- 
tinct English  family  of  that  name,  whose  crest  was  a  bull's  head,  with  the  motto,  in 
Latin,  "  Strive  and  Pray."  When  twelve  years  old,  Malek  A.  Southworth  was 
temporarily  assistant  teacher  in  the  famous  school  of  8.  S.  Whitman,  esq.,  at  Little 
Palls.  When  thirteen  he  commenced  teaching  "district  school"  in  Herkimer  county, 
and  many  of  our  now  prominent  citizens  were  his  pupils.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
began  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  office  of  Drs.  G-reen  and  Brown,  in  Little  Falls.  In 
1845  he  went  to  New  York  and  fini.shed  his  preliminary  medical  studies  in  the  office 
of  Dr.  Jacob  S.  Miller,  at  the  University  Medical  College,  and  Bellevue  Hospital. 

He  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  New  York  city  in  1849,  and 
thereafter  it  was  his  good  fortune  to  provide  a  maintenance  for  his  parents  and  sister 
during  the  rest  of  their  lives.  He  soon  became  a  member  of  the  County  Medical  Society, 
a  Fellow  of  the  New  York  Academy  of  Medicine,  etc.  In  1855  his  excessive  professional 
labors  had  so  impaired  his  health  that  he  was  obliged  to  relinquish  his  large  practice, 
and  seek  a  more  congenial  climate. 

In  1857  Dr.  Southworth  located  in  Houston,  Texas,  and  notwithstanding  the  then 
pronounced  antagonism  to  Northern  men,  and  the  per.sonal  contentions  that  necessarily 
followed,  he  was,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Rebellion  in  1861,  city  physician  of  Houston, 
and  Medical  Director  of  the  city  hospital,  and  had  a  private  practice  not  exceeded  in 
financial  value  by  that  of  any  medical  gentleman  in  the  State. 

In  November,  1861,  .he  received  at  Houston,  from  the  Confederate  States  govern- 
ment, and  without  his  solicitation,  a  commission  as  surgeon  in  the  Confederate  service. 
It  was  accompanied  by  a  note,  signed  J.  P.  Benjamin,  Acting  Secretary  of  War,  C.  S. 
A.,  requesting  Dr.  S.  to  immediately  take  the  accompanying  oath  of  allegiance,  and 
signify  his  acceptance  of  the  comraissisn.  Dr.  Southworth  did  neither ;  but  With  the 
essential  assistance  this  document  gave  him,  he  proceeded  to  Arizona,  and  from  there 
duly  declined  the  commission,  and  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  into  Mexico. 

A  true  history  of  the  whirlwind  of  passion  that  swept  over  the  South,  and  especially 
Texas,  in  1860  and  1861,  of  detestation  of  the  North,  and  wild  zeal  for  the  Confederacy, 
with  all  the  social  conditions  those  feelings  implied,  has  never  been  written,  nor  would 
it  be  believed  by  the  present  generation.  In  comparison  the  passions,  prejudices  and 
patriotism  of  the  masses  of  the  North  were  but  trivialities.  More  fortunate  than  many 
loyal  men  in  the  south,  Dr.  Southworth  escaped  from  the  Confederacy ;  and  still  more 


496  HISTOKY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

fortunate,  without  takinf;  the  oath  of  allegiance,  or  any  oath  or  obligation  to  any  Con- 
federate civil  or  military  authority. 

In  1861  or  '62  the  State  government  of  Texas  enacted  a  law  making  it  desertion  to 
leave  that  State  to  avoid  military  service  in  the  Confederacy,  and  declaring  all  who  had 
left  that  State  for  that  purpose  to  be  deserters,  and  therefore  punishable  by  death. 
Necessarily  the  loyal  refugees  from  Texas,  and  particularly  those  in  the  United  States 
army,  were  in  especial  danger  of  dying. 

Dr.  Southworth  was  obliged  to  travel  through  the  northern  border  States  of  Mexico 
to  a  seaport  on  the  Gulf,  and  owing  to  their  disturbed  and  turbulent  condition,  he  was 
a  year  in  reachmg  Matamoras  and  New  Orleans.  He  necessarily  learned  the  Spanish 
language,  and  profitably  practiced  his  profes.'^ion  during  unavoidable  detentions.  At 
New  Orleans  he  was  immediately  appointed  volunteer  surgeon  on  the  stalT  of  General 
Jack  Hamilton.  From  New  Orleans  he  went  to  Texas  with  General  Hamilton,  and 
the  army  of  Gen.  N.  P.  Banks,  who  then  commanded  the  Department  of  the  Gulf; 
and  in  1863,  at  Brownsville.  Texas,  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  as  sur- 
geon of  the  Second  Regiment  Texas  Cavalry  Volunteers.  He  acted  as  health  officer 
of  Brownsville  and  the  camp ;  and  when  the  army  returned  to  New  Orleans  was 
transferred,  as  surgeon,  to  the  First  Regiment.  In  May,  1864,  Dr.  Southworth  was 
ordered,  as  medical  director,  to  Morganza,  on  the  Mississippi  river  above  New  Orleans, 
where  typhoid  fever,  dysentery  and  scurvy  were  prevailing  among  the  12,000  men  there 
encamped.  Under  his  supervision  sanitary  measures  were  promptly  enforced;  the 
camp  was  additionally  ditched  and  drained ;  large  foraging  parties  into  the  enemy's 
territory  biought  in  abundant  supplies  of  vegetables;  the  colored  troops.  General  Ull- 
man's  cotnmind,  were  put  nearly  on  their  old  plantation  diet;  and  in  two  months 
those  diseases  were  almost  banished  from  Morganza;  and  then  Dr.  Southworth  was 
taken  to  the  hospital  at  New  Orleans,  sick  of  typhoid  fever.  When  convalescent  he 
was  ordered  north  on  sick  furlough  for  sixty  days. 

He  duly  rejoined  his  regment  at  New  Orleans,  and  was  detailed  as  medical  director 
of  the  Second  Cavalry  Division,  of  the  cavalry  forces  of  the  department  in  the  field,  and 
on  other  special  duties.  He  participated  in  all  the  principal  engagements  that  occurred 
in  the  Department  of  the  Gulf  after  he  entered  the  army,  and  served  with  distinction 
until  after  the  close  of  the  war;  and  in  November,  1865,  at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  was 
honorably  mustered  out  of  the  United  States  service. 

Early  in  1867,  General  Sheridan  then  commanding  the  department  of  the  Gulf,  Dr. 
Southworth  was  appointed  resident  physician  of  the  Mississippi  river  quarantine 
station,  by  far  the  most  important  quarantine  in  the  South,  and  self-evidently  to 
him  was  mainly  due  the  credit  of  then  so  long  keeping  yellow  fever  from  New 
Orleans  and  the  Mississippi  valley.  In  1875  he  was  re-appointed  by  Governor 
Kellogg,  of  Louisiana,  and  held  the  office  until  he  re.signed  three  months  after 
all  other  State  officials  had  been  superseded  by  the  Democratic  regime.  On  the 
spacious  and  beautiful  quarantine  grounds,  about  forty  miles  below  New  Orleans,  were 
three  large  hospitals,  a  dwelling  for  the  resident  physician  and  his  assistants,  and  houses 
for  nurses  and  employees ;  and  the  office  of  resident  physician  was  thought  so  desirable 
that  the  superseding  governor  stated  that  more  than  fifty  physicians  had  applied  to  him 
for  the  appointment. 


Biographical.  497 

In  1873  Dr.  Southworth  was  appointed  and  duly  commissioned  Surgeon  General  of 
Louisiana,  with  tlie  rank  of  brigadier  general. 

The  loyal  residents  of  the  South  were  in  no  degree  responsible  for  the  reconstruction 
laws  enacted  in  1867.  More  than  the  people  of  the  north,  they  realized  the  difficulties, 
uncertainties  and  dangers  of  negro  enfranchisement.  Nevertheless  for  them  there  was 
no  alternative  but  to  do  the  best  that  was  possible  under  the  existing  conditions. 

Whatever  may  be  the  ultimate  conclusion  about  the  right  and  expediency  of  the  im- 
mediate and  universal  enfranchisement  of  the  colored  men  in  the  conquered  States, 
whether  it  was  an  outrage  against  humanity  or  a  wLse  and  beneficent  providence,  this 
fact  is  evident,  that  thereafter  the  honor  of  the  Republican  leaders  of  the  South  who  had 
loyally,  honestly  and  faithfully  participated  in  reconstruction,  and  the  honor  of  the 
United  States  government  and  the  Republican  party  of  the  North,  were  concerned  in  a 
reasonable  protection  of  the  ignorant  and  defenseless  negroes  in  the  exercise  of  the  un- 
solicited rights  thus  given  to  them  by  a  great  and  victorious  nation. 

The  massacre  at  Mechanics'  Institute  in  New  Orleans,  in  1866;  the  dispersal  of  Re- 
publican political  organizations  by  armed  mobs  in  1867-8-9  ;  the  wanton  and  unpunished 
persecution  and  killing  of  negroes  and  loyal  white  men;  and  the  violent  overthrow  of 
the  Republican  government  in  Louisiana,  in  the  fir.st  year  of  President  Hayes's  admin- 
istration, are  illustrative  incidents  and  events  of  those  times. 

It  is  our  purpose  to  state  only  unquestionable  facts,  and  without  criticism  or  blame; 
for  whether  the  lawless  overthrow  of  the  Republican  regime  in  Louisiana  was  politi- 
cally right  or  politically  wrong,  and  a  blessing  or  a  curse  to  the  negroes  themselves,  is 
still  a  disputed  question. 

During  reconstruction  in  Louisiana  Dr.  Southworth  owned  and  edited  the  New  Or- 
leans Daily  Republican,  the  then  leading  Republican  new.^paper  in  the  South;  he  was 
president  of  tlie  Republican  executive  committee  and  the  Louisiana  member  of  the  Na- 
tional Republican  committee. 

Because  of  the  relatively  insignificant  number  of  white  Rt  publicans  and  the  race  pro- 
clivities of  the  blacks,  it  was  inevitable  that  a  large  majority  of  the  Legislature  and 
some  of  the  State  officials  should  be  negroes.  But  it  is  an  unquestioned  fact  that  owing 
chiefly  to  the  labors  of  the  loyal  men  of  Louisiana  who  had  served  in  the  United  States 
army,  and  there  were  few  others,  four-fifths  of  the  negroes  elected  to  office  in  that 
State  at  the  first  election  after  their  enfranchisement  were  local  preachers  and  praying 
men  —  the  best  representatives  of  their  race.  It  was  also  inevitable  that  in  the  sudden 
and  wonderful  transition  that  had  come  to  them,  the  negroes,  even  the  more  intelli- 
gent, should  be  unable  to  realize  or  comprehend  their  new  duties  and  responsibilities, 
even  where  the  larger  interests  of  their  race  were  plainly  and  directly  concerned.  But 
the  result  has  passed  into  history,  and  the  great  problem  of  negro  enfranchisement  in 
the  South  still  remains  unsolved. 

Necessarily,  from  the  positions  he  held,  Dr.  Southworth  was  prominent  in  the  Repub- 
lican politics  of  Louisiana;  but  in  all  the  bitter  controversies  and  persona!  animosities 
of  those  times  no  charge  was  ever  brought  against  bis  personal  integrity  or  honor,  and 
many  of  his  friends  were  among  his  political  opponents,  and  those  who  had  been  dis- 
tinguished in  the  Confederate  armies.     It  is  another  unquestioned  fact  that  the  ani- 


498  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

mosities  following  the  war  extended  but  slightly,  when  at  all,  to  those  who  had  done 
the  fighting  to  the  end      The  long  contest  sobered  the  contestants. 

After  the  final  acceptance  of  his  resignation  as  quarantine  physician  Dr.  Southworth 
determined,  because  of  the  unsettled  state  of  the  society  and  the  impoverished  condi- 
tion of  the  G-ulf  States,  to  again  locate  in  the  North. 

In  1878  at  Dallas,  Texas,  lie  married  Mr,s.  Eunice  Victoria  Fowler,  nee  Dixon,  a  most 
estimable  lady.  She  died  in  New  York  the  subsequent  year  and  was  buried  at  Little 
Falls. 

He  then  passed  twj  years  in  the  hospitals  and  medical  colleges  of  New  York  city, 
and  finally,  in  1881,  settled  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  select- 
ing that  locality  because  there  was  the  home  he  had  provided  for  his  sister  and  his  home 
in  boyhood. 

He  has  written  extensively  on  sanitary  subjects  for  medical  journals  and  the  press, 
and  somewhat  on  other  professional  subjects  for  medical  societies  and  journals.  In 
politics,  since  1880,  he  has  taken  only  sufficient  interest  to  vote  for  the  candidates  of 
either  party  indifferently,  as  his  conscience  and  judgment  dictated. 

Dr.  Southworth,  at  Little  Falls,  soon  acquired  and  has  continued  a  large  and  lucra- 
tive practice. 

He  has  shown  an  unusual  devotion  to  his  professional  work.  Through  painstaking 
and  careful  examination  of  every  case  that  has  come  under  his  care  he  has  been  able  to 
look  deeply  into  the  nature  of  diseases,  and  thus  to  often  relieve  and  cure  where 
others  have  failed.  This  acumen  has  led  to  his  opinion  being  frequently  sought 
in  consultation  practice  over  a  large  field;  and  among  his  own  pa'ients  it  has  led  to  his 
opinion  being  accepted  with  unusual  confidence  and  trust.  His  relations  with  his  pa- 
tients and  friends  have  always  been  of  the  pleasantest  kind;  his  earnest  solicitude  for 
the  best  interests  of  all  inspiring  a  confidence  and  hope  that  is  the  best  tonic  in  the  sick 
room. 

Dr.  Southworth  is  a  member,  and  formerly  president,  of  the  Herkimer  County 
Medical  Society,  a  Fellow  of  the  New  York  Medical  Association,  and  consulting  physi- 
cian to  St.  Luke's  Hospital  at  Dtica,  N.  Y. 


DR.   IRVING  O.  NELLIS 

Was  born  in  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  on  the  9th  of  July,  1856.  He  received  his  classical 
education  at  Fairfield  Seminary  and  his  medical  education  at  the  University  of  Ver- 
mont, graduating  June  24,  1882,  with  the  honor  of  marshal  of  his  class  of  128  grad- 
uates. In  August,  1882,  he  began  practice  of  his  profession  in  Herkimer,  N.  Y., 
where  he  still  enjoys  a  large  and  well-earned  business. 

During  the  time  he  was  attending  school  Dr.  Nellis  taught  winters  in  district  schools, 
in  order  to  be  able  to  educate  himself.  In  1884  he  was  elected  coroner  and  in  1889 
was  re-elected,  receiving  at  that  time  the  renomination  by  the  Republican  and  en- 
dorsed by  the  Democratic  party,  showing  the  esteem  and  confidence  felt  in  him  by 


A^^^^(3.Jj.J/^.^fi 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  499 

members  of  botb  of  the  prominent  political  parties.  Dnring  tbe  first  term  of  his 
coronership  Dr.  Nellis  held  the  inquest  in  the  famous  Druse  case. 

Dr.  Nellis's  mother  was  a  Witherstine,  a  descendant  of  the  famous  Chrisjohn  Schell, 
of  Revolutionary  fame,  then  living  in  Schell  Bush  and  old  Fort  Herkimer.  During 
one  of  the  battles  of  that  contest  they  had  two  boys  stolen  and  taken  to  Canada  by  the 
Indians.  In  the  same  battle  the  Indians  thrust  the  muzzles  of  their  guns  through  the 
crevices  of  Fort  Schell  (in  Schell's  Bush)  when  Mr.  Schell's  wife  grasped  an  axe  and 
struck  the  gun  barrels,  bending  and  rendering  them  useless. 

The  father  of  Dr.  Nellis  is  a  native  of  this  State,  where  he  has  always  lived.  The 
doctor  is  is  a  member  of  the  Herkimer  County  Medical  society  ;  the  American  Legion 
of  Honor  (of  which  he  is  past  commander) ;  the  United  Friends;  Fort  Dayton  Hose 
companv,  and  other  social  and  political  organizations.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Episco- 
pal church,  also  one  of  the  board  of  sewer  commissioners  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  Nellis  married  on  October  29,  1885,  Jennie  Pierce,  of  Herkimer,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Mary  Irene. 


CELORA  E.  MARTIN 

Was  born  in  the  town  of  Newport  on  the  23d  of  August,  1834.  He  was  the  son  of 
Ellis  Martin,  a  direct  descendant  of  John  Martin,  who  came  to  New  England  from 
Wales  in  1663,  and  h's  mother  was  Lucetta  Prayton,  the  only  daughter  of  Captain 
Stephen  Prayton,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  town.  He  was  educated 
at  the  common  schools  and  in  the  academies  at  Fairfield  and  Holland  Patent ;  studied 
law  with  John  C.  Harris,  of  Newport,  and  was  admitted  at  Oswego,  July  8,  1856,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1857  removed  to  Whitney's  Point,  Broome  county.  In  1867  he 
opened  an  office  in  Binghamton  where  he  has  resided  since  1868.  In  May,  1877,  he 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Robinson  a  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  for  the  Sixth 
Judicial  District,  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  the  late  Judge  Balcom.  In 
the  fall  of  that  year  he  was  nominated  by  both  parties  for  the  office  and  unanimously 
elected  and  in  1891  he  was  again  unanimously  nominated  by  both  parties  and  elected 
without  opposition.  He  has  for  several  years  been  and  is  now  an  associate  justice  in 
the  General  Term  of  the  Fourth  Judicial  Department  with  Judges  Hardin  andMerwin. 
He  is  a  painstaking,  able  and  useful  judge. 


CHESTER  W.  PALMER 

Was  born  in  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  and  has  always  resided  here.  His  fatlier  bore  the 
same  name  and  was  a  native  of  Reading,  Vt..  where  he  carried  on  the  manufacture  of 
cloth  in  all  its  branches.  He  came  to  Herkimer  at  an  early  day,  but  was  not  actively 
en-^agedin  business  here.  He  died  in  July,  1877.  His  wife  was  Zilpha  Morse,  of 
Reading  Vt  Their  children  were  as  follows:  Mary  Ann,  born  in  Herkimer,  marr.ed 
Jacob  P'  Barter  of  Herkimer;  Bela,  born  in  Herkimer  and  died  in  1874;  Cordelia, 


■S 


500 


HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


married  Marcus  W.  Rasbach,  of  Herkimer ;  Joseph,  now  living  in  Herkimer ;  Frank,  died 
in  1877  ;  Chester  W.,  born  as  above  stated ;  Emily  J.,  married  F.  W.  Myers  of  Mohawk. 
Chester  W.  Palmer  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  was  two  years  a 
student  in  the  college  at  Fairfield.  After  leaving  school  he  taught  one  winter  and  then 
entered  the  grocery  store  of  his  brother,  Bela  Palmer,  of  Herkimer,  as  clerk,  in  which 
capacity  he  remained  until  1866,  when  he  purchased  the  entire  establishment.  For 
fourteen  years,  until  1880,  Mr.  Palmer  carried  on  this  business  alone  with  gratifying 
success,  when  he  took  as  a  partner  his  nephew,  S.  C.  Barter.     During  this  period  of  its 


THE  PALMER  HOUSE. 

continuance  this  business  has  been  greatly  enlarged  and  widened  in  its  scope,  and  the 
stock  carried  now  embraces  almost  everything  needed  in  a  village  or  farming  community, 
excepting  dry  goods.  It  finally  became  apparent  that  the  building  in  which  the  business 
was  conducted  would  no  longer  suffice  for  its  accommodation,  and  in  1889  steps  were 
taken  by  Mr.  Palmer  to  erect  a  new  block.  After  mature  deliberation  Mr.  Palmer  de- 
termined to  build  a  structure  which  would  at  once  be  a  source  of  pride  in  the  village, 
and  give  him  excellent  facilities  for  his  business  and  provide  the  community  with  a 
first-class  hotel.  It  was  a  bold  step  and  was  met,  as  similar  efforts  often  are,  with  de- 
termined opposition  from  some  and  doleful  forebodings  from  others.     But  believing  in 


BrOGRAPHICAL.  501 

the  enterprise  and  in  his  own  abihty  to  carry  it  through  successfully,  he  pushed  ahead 
and  during  the  years  1889-91  the  building  now  known  as  the  Palmer  House  was  com- 
pleted. The  large  double  stores  in  the  southern  end  are  occupied  by  his  business,  while 
the  northern  half  and  th^  entire  upper  floors  are  devoted  to  a  hotel  with  every  modern 
improvement  and  luxuriously  and  tastefully  furnished.  This  latter  work  was  accom- 
plished almost  wholly  by  Mr.  Palmer's  accomplished  wife,  who  lived  only  just  long 
enough  to  see  it  finished.  The  hotel  was  opened  and  after  two  short  periods  of  experi- 
ence with  other  managers,  Mr.  Palmer  was  successful  in  securing  George  A.  May  and 
his  wife,  who  have  now  had  charge  of  the  house  for  about  a  year  ;  and  all  that  need 
be  said  about  it  is,  that  guests  are  turned  from  its  doors  almost  every  night,  so  great 
is  its  popularity  with  the  traveling  public. 

Mr.  Palmer  is  a  man  of  modest  and  retiring  temperament,  but  possessed  of  a  great 
amount  of  energy  and  tenacity  of  purpose.  When  once  his  hand  is  set  to  do  a  thing 
which  he  believes  to  be  right,  he  seldom  turns  back  from  it.  Conscientious  in  every 
undertaking,  his  business  career  has  been  one  of  integrity  and  in  it  he  has  gained  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  the  community.  He  has  been  director  in  the  Herkimer  Bank 
for  many  years,  and  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  has  been  a  vestry- 
man and  treasurer  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  never 
taken  a  partisan  intei'est  nor  sought  candidacy  for  public  office. 

Mr.  Palmer  was  married  on  the  26th  of  November,  1889,  to  Adele  Brule,  of  Chicago. 
She  died  childless  on  the  19th  of  August,  1891. 


CHARLES  EDGAR   MYERS, 

Known  commdnly  by  the  German  equivalent  Carl,  or  as  Carl  E.,  was  born  in  the  little 
hamlet  of  Fort  Herkimer,  in  the  town  of  German  Flats,  Herkimer  county.  N.  T., 
March  2,  1842.  His  father,  Abram  Myers,  was  one  of  fourteen  children  and  the  son 
of  Michael  F.  Myers,  who  was  of  German  descent,  like  most  of  the  early  families  of 
the  Mohawk  valley,  and  a  considerable  farmer  of  that  region.  His  mother,  Ann  Eliza, 
was  one  of  eight  children  of  Jacob  F.  Cristman,  also  of  German  descent,  a  wealthy 
land-owner  and  the  inheritor  of  numerous  slaves,  to  whom  he  subsequently  gave  free- 
dom. 

Soon  after  the  birth  of  Carl  his  parents  removed  to  Mohawk,  in  the  same  township, 
where  young  Myers  continued  to  reside  during  his  youth. 

The  special  characteristic  of  the  child,  early  manifested,  was  a  precocious  ingenuity, 
later  shown  in  his  ability  to  almost  instantly  solve  any  puzzle  or  problem  in  physios 
or  mechanics  which  came  under  his  notice.  This  was  partly  the  result  of  inherent 
faculties,  strongly  stimulated  by  early  training.  At  the  age  of  seven  years  he  attended 
a  boys'  school  kept  by  Epaphroditus  Randall,  an  original,  scientific  genius,  in  Mo- 
hawk, possessing  an  extensive  cabinet  of  electrical,  chemical  and  mechanical  apparatus 
for  the  demonstration  of  physical  laws.  On  the  first  Saturday  afternoon  (half  holiday) 
following  his  introduction  to  school  young  Myers  attended  his  first  scientific  lecture, 
64 


502  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

wliich  chanced  to  be  on  electricity,  and  was  fascinated.  Thereafter  he  looked  forward 
with  longing  from  week  to  week  for  the  wonders  which  each  succeeding  lecture  de- 
veloped. These  exerted  such  an  influence  upon  his  early  life  that  as  a  child  he  became 
an  adept  at  most  of  the  scientific  arts  and  accomplishments  which  serve  older  persons 
as  life  occupations  and  professions.  His  spending  money  went  for  scientific  books  and 
materials  for  experiments  or  mechanical  constructions,  and  very  soon,  while  yet  a  young 
school  boy,  he  realized  quite  a  revenue  from  the  practice  of  various  branches  of  the 
arts  and  his  skill  in  mechanical  construction. 

All  practical  time  out  of  school  was  spent  either  in  the  woods  or  fields  or  in  the  work- 
shop or  laboratory,  his  acquaintance  with  natural  laws  a>id  physical  operations  being  thus 
gratified  to  an  unusual  degree,  while  his  ingenuity  in  creating  novel  mechanical  devices, 
puzzles,  sports,  games  and  pastimes  made  him  a  leader  among  the  youths  of  his  ac- 
quaintance. 

Being  dependent  upon  his  own  earnings  for  the  gratification  of  the  somewhat  ex- 
pensive habits  of  book-buying  and  original  experimenting,  he  turned  each  of  his  ac- 
complishments to  .service,  and  we  find  liim  later,  at  nearly  one  and  the  same  time,  or  in 
turn,  a  carpenter,  plumber  and  gasfitter,  electroplater,  electrical  instrument  maker, 
telegrapher,  photographer,  express  delivery  agent,  collector  for  the  local  gas  company 
and  bank  clerk,  and  deriving  a  combined  income -from  these  diverse  occupations!.  In 
addition,  most  of  tlie  tools  and  appliances  of  the  mechanical  or  scientific  arts  practiced 
by  him  were  of  his  own  construction.  Thus  as  a  boy  he  made  a  turning  lathe  for 
metal,  with  which  in  turn  he  made  other  mechanical  tools  and  contrivances,  including 
the gasfitter's  outfit;  and  in  the  line  of  electricity  the  galvanic  batteries  for  electro- 
metallurgy and  machinery  for  producing  insulated  wires  for  magnetic  apparatus. 

On  the  5th  day  of  July,  1861,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  Bank. 
His  initiatory  salary  was  the  customary  one  of  "nothing  for  the  first  year,"  but  he  was 
afterwards  presented  with  $100  for  extra  service  and  attention  to  duties.  In  July, 
1863,  at  the  solicitation  of  the  bank  officers,  he  opened  in  a  corner  of  the  counting  room 
(where  he  was  then  book-keeper)  the  first  telegraph  office  in  Mohawk.  Within  one 
week  after  receiving  permission  from  the  superintendent  of  the  telegraph  company 
(which  contributed  the  line  wire  and  insulators  for  the  connecting  loop,  and  nothing 
else,)  he  had  put  these  up,  built  the  necessary  machinery,  consisting  of  telegraphic  key, 
relay,  sounder  and  local  batteries,  and  in  six  evenings  had  taught  himself  the  alphabet 
by  tappmg  with  a  lead  pencil,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  following  week  was  a  full- 
fledged  telegraph  operator,  sending  and  receiving  all  messages,  perhaps  the  most  ma-ked 
instance  known  in  rapidly  obtaining  practical  success  in  this  art.  Thenceforward  he 
received  one-half  of  the  entire  receipts  of  the  office  during  three  years,  when  the 
gradual  increase  of  his  duties  as  operator,  book-keeper  and  bank  teller  forced  him  to 
remove  the  telegraph  office  to  the  post-office,  in  the  charge  of  another  learner,  Austm 
Schall,  who  pre.sently  became  one  of  the  most  expert  operators  of  the  Western  Union 
Company  and  the  special  attendant  of  its  superintendent. 

During  Mr.  Myers's  connection  with  the  bank  he  removed  his  laboratory  to  the  rooins 
of  Dr.  James  Lewis,  the  eminent  conchologist.  Dr.  Lewis  was  a  fine  machinist,  and  in 
connection  with  him  Mr,  Myers  brought  out  several  valuable  inventions,  including  a 


'^'!^ 


i^Sk' 


Cj^plr^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  503 

lamp  damper,  which  forms  Uie  basis  of  economy  and  perfect  combustion  in  all  kerosine 
lamps  of  the  present  day.;  an  improved  telegraphic  switch  for  making  by  one  move- 
ment any  number  or  variety  of  electrical  connections,  and  a  self-registering  mercurial 
barometer,  self-compensated  for  temperature,  which  was  the  first  known  instrument  of 
this  class.  One  of  these  has  been  in  Mr.  Myers's  possession  in  use  for  over  thirty 
years,  and  has  the  barometrical  record  of  this  entire  period  reading  to  the  one-thou- 
sandth part  of  an  inch,  atmospheric  pressure. 

As  a  banker  young  Myers  became  immediately  interested  in  the  detection  of  coun- 
terfeit notes,  studying  the  methods  of  construction  of  the  genuine  and  variations  in  the 
spurious.  He  acquired  an  immense  collection  of  samples  of  the  various  counterfeit 
bills,  which,  pasted  in  a  scrap  book  for  comparison  with  another  book  in  which  he 
pinned  the  genuine  notes  in  each  case,  attracted  great  attention  and  became  the  basis 
of  much  of  the  present  system  of  counterfeit  bank  note  detection.  The  great  multi- 
plicity of  plates  and  designs  in  use  during  the  old  State  banking  system  gave  great 
scope  to  counterfeiters,  and  the  country  was  flooded  with  their  productions.  Young 
Myers  became  so  expert  in  instantly  detecting  such  at  first  sight  that  while  yet  a  sub- 
ordinate clerk  all  notes  received  by  the  bank  were  passed  through  his  hands,  he  agree- 
ing to  charge  himself  with  all  losses  sustained  by  the  bank  through  counterfeits,  and 
during  his  entire  service  neither  he  nor  the  bank  lost  a  dollar  from  this  cause.  As  a 
youth  Myers  had  been  exceedingly  diSident,  bashfully  modest  to  the  extent  of  timidity, 
and  unable  to  express  himself  with  fluency  for  want  of  words.  To  remedy  his  lack  of 
words  he  undertook  and  accomplished  the  task  of  copying  word  for  word  all  the  ma- 
terial of  the  bank  dictionary.  Later,  wlien  overwork  warned  him  of  possible  loss  of 
sight,  he  forced  himself  to  abstain  from  reading  any  printed  matter  not  connected 
with  his  banking  duties  for  an  entire  year,  and  had  his  reward  for  what  he 
then  considered  the  hardest  task  of  his  life  by  such  renewal  of  sight  that  during  all  the 
succeeding  years  there  has  been  no  apparent  impairment  of  vision  under  the  severest 
tests.  As  au  out-door  recreation  he  made  many  of  the  earlier  •'  wet  plate  "  photo- 
graphic views,  and  later,  with  a  portable  outfit,  constructed  by  himself,  he  made  the 
first-known  series  of  stereoscopic  views  of  the  Adirondack  Wilderness  region,  beginning 
with  the  Old  John  Brown  Tract,  or  Arnold  House,  the  Forge,  Fulton  Chain  of  Lakes, 
the  Raquette,  Eagle  and  Blue  Mountain  Lake,  and  the  northern  wilderness,  in  com- 
pany with  a  party  of  roving  young  people,  without  guides,  whose  funnj'  wanderings 
were  aftervcards  published  under  the  title  of  ''  The  Modern  Babes  in  the  Woods,"  by 
H.  Perry  Smith,  in  connection  with  "A  Guide  to  the  Adirondack  Wdderness,"  by  Ed. 
R.  Wallace,  of  Syracuse,  who  has  annually  republished  the  guide,  with  additions,  mak- 
ing it  the  best-known  authority  in  this  region. 

In  July,  1867,  after  six  years  uninterrupted  service,  Mr.  Myers  resigned  his  position 
as  teller  and  acting  cashier  of  the  National  Mohawk  Valley  Bank,  and  within  a  month 
went  to  look  up  some  landed  interests  in  Steuben  county,  N.  T.,  where,  as  a  convenient 
point  for  attention  to  the  same,  he  soon  after  bought  a  photograph  gallery  in  the  rapidly 
growing  village  of  Hornellsville,  then  a  place  of  about  5,000  inhabitants.  Here  he  re- 
mained till  1875,  while  the  town  became  a  city  with  doubled  population,  and  he  had 
acquired  all  the  photograph  business  in  it,  concentrated  later  into  a  single  establishment 


504  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

widely-known  along  the  lines  of  the  Erie  railway  as  a  particularly  notable  place  of  re- 
sort, full  of  novel  attractions  and  features  of  interest  to  which  all  visitors  to  the  city 
were  brought  as  one  of  the  sights  of  the  town.  As  a  photographer,  Mr.  Myers  con- 
tributed numberless  improvements  in  the  art — valuable  apparatus  and  systems  of 
lighting. 

In  November,  1871,  at  Kornellsville,  Mr.  Myers  married  Miss  Mary  Breed  Hawley  of 
that  place,  a  handsome  and  highly  intellectual  young  lady,  whose  Revolutionary  an- 
cestors were  the  Hawleys,  of  Connecticut,  and  the  Breeds,  of  Breeds'  Hill,  near  Bos 
ton,  on  which  Bunker  Hill  Monument  is  erected. 

Miss  Hawley,  as  a  wife,  proved  an  influential  and  able  helpmeet.  Later,  as  "  Car- 
lotta,"  the  aeronaut,  she  has  won  reputation  as  the  most  able  air  navigator  in  the  world, 
irrespective  of  sex,  and  has  been  seen  by  more  people,  singly  and  collectively,  than  any 
other  living  person  of  modern  times,  in  any  walk  ot  lite.  She  is  also  the  author  of  a 
work  relating  her  serial  adventures,  entitled  ''  Skylarking  in  Cloudland." 

It  is  as  a  professor  of  seronautic  art  that  Mr.  Myers  has  attracted  most  notice,  and 
outranked  all  others  in  this  country.  His  interest  in  this  art  dates  from  his  return  to 
his  former  home  at  Mohawk  in  1875.  Previous  to  his  active  practice  of  this  profession 
he  spent  about  two  years  in  study  and  effort  to  produce  a  new  and  more  successful  sys- 
tem of  operating  hydrogen  gas  balloons.  Hydrogen  ballooning  had  been  practically 
abandoned  before  thi.s  because  exceedingly  uncertain,  and  very  expensive.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  reducing  the  expense  of  producing  and  inflating  such  balloons  more  than  one- 
half,  and  rendered  the  operation  so  certain  that  up  to  the  present  time  he  has  never 
made  a  failure  of  a'hydrogen  gas  inflation.  Another  difficulty  never  before  surmounted 
was  the  assumed  impossibility  of  permanently  retaining  the  subtle  hydrogen  in  any  en- 
velope of  thin  material.  Tiiis  he  succeeded  in  accomplishing  perfectly  by  applying  to 
thin  cotton  cloth,  by  machinery,  a  series  of  exceedingly  thin  varnish  coatings,  layer 
upon  layer,  so  that  each  succeeding  coat  overlaid  or  plugged  up  the  microscopic  pores 
in  the  underlying  varnish  film,  thus  producing  a  thin,  light  weight,  hydrogen-proof  fab- 
ric ready  for  cutting  out  and  forming  immediately  into  balloons,  completely  revolu- 
tionizing the  art  of  balloon  construction,  formerly  conducted  entirely  by  hand  in  an 
inefficient  manner. 

To  obtain  space  needed  for  further  development  he  removed  in  May,  1889,  to 
Frankfort,  N.  Y.,  and  founded  the  aeronautical  institution,  since  widely  known  as  the 
''Balloon  Farm,"  where,  instead  of  agricultural  produce,  all  kinds  of  sky  crafts  are 
raised.  This  unique  establishment  comprises  five  acres  of  ground,  including  flat  and 
sloping  lawns,  a  sheltered,  cosy  glen,  or  natural  amphitheatre  for  balloon  experiments 
or  harbor  for  air  craft,  and  a  handsome,  elaborate,  three  story  mansion,  having  a  front- 
age of  ninety  feet  and  a  depth  of  fifty-five  feet,  replete  with  every  facility  and  appoint- 
ment to  be  found  in  an  expensive  city  house.  Visible  for  miles  around,  as  a  landmark, 
it  overlooks  from  a  plateau  the  near  villages  of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  and  while  pecul- 
iarly situated  amidst  country  surroundings,  it  is  yet  in  the  village  of  Frankfort,  and  is 
reached  by  omnibus  from  the  New  York  Central  and  the  West  Shore  railway  stations 
in  five  or  ten  minutes.  The  first  and  second  stories  of  the  mansion  are  devoted  to  liv- 
ing or  entertainment  of  guests,  while  the  entire  third  story  and  spacious  attic  above 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  505 

are  occupied  by  balloons  and  air-ships  and  apparatus  for  construction  and  experiment, 
the  rear  half  of  the  third  story  forming  one  large  hall,  while  adjacent  rooms  iii- 
olade  a  chemical  laboratory,  a  machine  shop  or  lathe  room,  carpenter's  shop,  print- 
ing press,  and  a  great  variety  of  useful  tools  and  adjuncts.  An  alooved  library  on 
the  first  floor  contains  every  accessible  feature  or  item  of  information  relative  to 
teronautics  since  the  beginning  of  the  art,  including  its  old  and  rare  books,  and  an 
elaborate  and  extensive  scrap  book  system,  numbering  many  volumes  containing  re- 
ports of  serial  operations  all  over  the  world.  The  cellar  has  water  power,  gas  works 
and  an  extensive  steam  and  hot  air  plant,  and  here,  as  well  as  outside,  are  stored 
many  sets  of  portable  hydrogen  gas  generators,  so  that  it  is  possible  to  operate  upon 
the  premises  any  kind  of  aeronautical  experiment  with  ease,  advantage  of  which  has 
been  taken  to  introduce  the  novel  entertainment  of  '' balloon  lawn  parties,"  includ- 
ing free  ascensions  and  captive  balloon  observations,  in  which  even  the  children 
participate. 

The  latest  conspicuous  work  by  the  professor  has  been  in  connection  with  the  United 
States  government  rain-fall  operations,  the  initial  experiments  of  which  were  first  con- 
ducted by  him  at  the  balloon  farm,  and  next  at  Washington,  D.  C,  and  at  Midland, 
Texas.  In  addition  to  the  gas  apparatus,  seventy-four  hydrogen  balloons,  of  various 
sizes  for  meteorological  observations  and  for  explosions,  were  supplied  during  the  sea- 
sons of  1891-2,  a  single  order  of  ten  having  in  emergency  been  completed  within  five 
days,  while  to  build  a  single  one  by  any  other  system  formerly  required  a  month. 

Of  late  years  Prof.  Myers  has  devoted  much  time  to  air-ships,  or  flying  machine  ex- 
periments, with  the  result  that  he  lias  operated  during  several  seasons  past  a  vessel  or 
machine,  the  '' Skycycle,''  which  is  the  first  to  appear  repeatedly  in  public  and  make 
successful  voyages. 

During  many  years  a  contributor  to  several  pron.inent  newspapers  and  various  scien- 
tific and  other  periodicals,  he  has  also,  since  1885,  published  a  four-page  illustrated 
newspaper,  The  Balloon  Bulletin,  the  only  periodical  in  this  country  devoted  to 
seronautics. 

As  a  gas  balloonist  he  has  operated  repeatedly  in  thirty-six  counties  of  New  York 
State,  and  throughout  nineteen  States  of  the  Union  and  the  Canadas.  His  various 
balloon  experiences  would  make  a  large  and  interesting  book.  Singularly  enough  he 
does  not  consider  air  sailing  as  especially  dangerous,  except  with  the  hot-air  balloon 
and  the  now  prohibited  parachute,  both  of  which  he  condemns  as  always  unsafe.  He 
believes  hydrogen  gas  ballooning  to  be  the  most  attractive  of  pastimes  and  practically 
safe  at  all  times,  with  good  apparatus,  which  is  confirmed  by  over  twelve  hundred  as- 
cents occurring  under  his  personal  charge  without  loss  of  life,  limb  or  property.  As 
a  pioneer  he  was  the  first  to  ascend  by  the  use  of  natural  gas  from  the  earth,  Septem- 
ber 8,  1886,  for  which  the  gas,  starting  from  the  well  at  a  pressure  of  seven  hundred 
pounds  to  the  square  inch,  was  brought  thirty  miles  to  the  balloon.  A  second  ascent, 
by  "  Carlotta,"  followed,  made  memorable  by  the  highest  elevation  ever  attained  by 
any  one  in  this  country,  over  four  miles,  and  a  speed  of  ninety  miles  in  ninety  minutes. 

Prof.  Myers's  latest  ascension  with  natural  gas,  and  the  only  one  made  thus  far  with 
this  medium  in  New  York  State,  was  at  Sandy  Creek,  where  the  balloon  filled  directly 


506  niSTORT  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

from  the  well  to  ascertain  its  power  of  delivery.  This  amounted  to  10,000  cubic  feet 
in  one  hour,  and  as  a  result  of  this  test  the  work  of  development  of  that  gas  field  has 
continued,  with  increasing  success. 

Prof.  Myers  has  only  one  child,  Bessie  J5ria!,  a  bright  girl  of  twelve  and  a  perfect 
compound  of  the  studious  habits  of  the  father  and  the  somewhat  more  daring  charac- 
teristics of  the  mother.  As  a  child,  Bessie  jErial  made  her  first  balloon  ascension,  in 
company  with  her  mother,  from  Congress  Spring  Park,  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  in  1884,  when 
only  three  years  old,  and  again  accompanied  her  mother,  when  seven  years  old,  from 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  in  a  balloon  race  against  another  of  Prof.  Myers's  ajronauts.  This  was 
her  last  ascent,  e.Ncept  with  captive  balloons,  in  company  with  other  children  on  the 
occasions  of  the  balloon  lawn  parties  at  the  "  farm."  Prof.  Myers's  latest  ascension 
occurred  at  Woodstock,  Va.,  October,  1892,  with  a  hydrogen  gas  balloon,  and  on  the 
following  day  he  exhibited  there  the  first  air-ship  ever  floated  over  Southern  soil.  As 
the  conclusion  derived  from  unusually  extensive  information  on  the  subject,  and  from 
his  own  personal  efl"orts,  he  believes  the  problems  of  air  navigation  are  being  surely 
solved  by  many  independent  workers,  and  that  before  the  year  1900  we  shall 
achieve  astonishing  developments  in  jcronautic.  The  most  valuable  application  of 
the  balloon  at  the  present  day  he  believes  to  be  meteorological  observations  of  the  up- 
per air,  as  an  essential  aid  to  prognostications  by  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau, 
or  a  certain  key  to  the  causes  of  weather  changes.  In  the  near  future  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  the  observations  made  from  the  balloon  farm  will  form  the  basis  of  a  new 
system  of  foretelling  approaching  changes  by  the  Weather  Bureau. 


DR.  WILLIAM  MATHER.i 

Dr.  William  Mather  was  born  on  Barto  Hill,  one  mile  from  the  village  of  Fairfield, 
April  28,  1802.  He  was  a  direct  descendant,  in  the  eighth  generation,  of  John  and 
Ellen  Mather,  who  lived  at  Lowton,  Lancashire  county,  England,  near  Liverpool. 
Richanl  Mather,  the  grandson  of  John  and  the  son  of  Thomas  Mather,  preached  at 
Toxteth  Chapel,  in  Liverpool,  and  came  to  Boston  in  163.^.  From  this  origin  nearly  all 
of  the  Mather  name  in  this  country  have  come.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Buell, 
May  24,  1836,  whom  he  survived  sixteen  year.s.  He  is  survived  by  three  children, 
William  A.  Mather,  of  Fairfield,  Mrs.  Albert  B.  Watkins,  of  Albany,  and  Alonzo  C. 
Mather,  of  Chicago,  and  five  grandchildren. 

As  a  boy  Dr.  Mather  was  of  thoughtful,  studious  disposition,  and  early  developed  a 
marked  taste  for  scientific  pursuits.  lie  entered  Fairfield  Academy  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, and  continued  a  member  of  the  school  during  several  years.  Even  at  this  age  he 
had  done  much  original  work,  and  early  gave  promise  of  the  scientific  attainments 
which,  in  after  years,  were  to  make  him  a  valued  educator  in  his  special  field  of  work. 
He  afterwards  took  a  full  course  of  study  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of 
the  Western  District,  distingui.shing  himself  especially  in  the  study  of  chemistry,  and 

'   Prepared  for  and  taken  from  the  "  Mather  Genealogy." 


^>^,  JvXcvrk, 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  507 

graduated  in  1826.  He  never,  however,  practiced  tlie  profession  of  medicine,  giving  as 
a  reason  that  he  could  not  bear  to  witness  pain  and  suffering.  He  preferred  in  his 
modest  way,  the  more  quiet  life  of  student  and  teacher,  both  noble  callings,  and  for 
both  of  which  nature  had  well  fitted  him.  In  1827,  at  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  John  A. 
Kinnecut,  of  Buffalo,  who,  during  the  preceding  year,  as  a  resident  graduate,  had  taught 
a  class  in  chemistry.  Dr.  Mather  formed  a  class  for  private  examination  in  the  Medical 
College,  and  for  many  years  continued  his  connection  with  the  Medical  College. 

In  1828  he  was  invited  to  give  a  course  of  lectures  to  the  academic  and  theological 
students  at  Hamilton,  and  continued  to  visit  Hamilton  for  this  purpose  each  year  until 
1838,  when  he  was  appointed  Professor  of  Chemistry  in  Madison  University,  now 
Colgate.  From  a  letter  written  October  13,  1851,  by  Stephen  W.  Taylor,  we  learn  the 
conditions  of  the  contract.  Dr.  Mather  consented  to  give  instruction  to  the  students 
of  the  university  for  an  indefinite  term  of  years,  provide  and  keep  in  repair  his  own 
chemical  apparatus,  and  remove  his  cabinet  of  minerals,  fossils,  and  geological  specimens 
from  Fairfield  to  Madison  University,  in  consideration  for  which  he  was  to  receive  S-SSO 
per  year  if  he  remained  five  years  and  eventually  donated  his  cabinet  to  the  university  ; 
otherwise  he  was  to  receive  $300  per  year  from  the  beginning.  His  chemical  apparatus 
at  this  time  was  valued  at  $1,000,  and  his  cabinet  at  $500.  To  Dr.  Mather  the  Colgate 
University  owes  much  of  its  well-appointed  laboratory,  and  still  more  to  the  interest 
which  he  aroused  and  successfully  maintained  in  its  scientific  departments.  This  posi- 
tion he  filled  with  success,  adding  to  his  lectures  on  chemistry,  instruction  in  geology, 
until  1867.  In  1841  he  received  an  invitation  to  accept  the  professorship  of  chemistry 
and  Pharmacy  in  the  Medical  College  at  Castleton,  Vt.,  where  he  gave  courses  of  lec- 
tures for  several  successive  years. 

The  study  of  natural  sciences,  especially  chemistry,  was  in  its  infancy  during  these 
years,  and  instruction  was  given  very  rarely  except  in  large  schools  and  the  more  pro- 
gressive colleges.  The  system  of  lecturing  upon  scientific  subjects  throughout  the 
State,  in  the  diff^-rent  places  where  an  interest  in  them  had  begun  to  arise,  was  entered 
upon  with  great  zeal  by  a  few  pioneers  in  this  branch  of  learning.  Prominent  among 
these  pioneer  lecturers,  including  such  men  as  Prof.  John  W.  Hatch,  Dr.  Austin  Flint, 
Dr.  J.  M.  Wieting,  Prof.  Mandeville.  Prof.  Silliman  (the  older),  Dr.  Hitchcock,  and  a 
few  others,  we  find  Dr.  Mather,  whose  subject  and  specialty  was  chemistry. 

From  1828  to  1860,  during  such  parts  of  the  yeaj  as  he  could  spare  from  his  regular 
duties  at  Hamilton,  he  gave  courses  of  lectures  in  nearly  all  the  towns  of  the  State, 
notably  Buffalo,  Albany,  Rochester,  Oxford,  Auburn,  Ithaca,  Geneseo,  Avon,  Syracuse, 
Whitesboro,  Galway,  Saratoga  Springs,  Lansingburg,  Lyons,  Rome,  Amsterdam,  Her- 
kimer, Troy,  Waterford,  Utica,  Little  Falls,  Cooperstown,  Fort  Plain,  Schoharie,  Hud- 
son, Kingston,  Newport,  Oswego,  Binghamton,  Bath,  Elmira,  Penn  Yan,  Palmyra, 
Seneca  Falls,  Waterloo,  Norwich,  Fulton,  Pulaski,  Oswego,  Waterville,  Clinton,  Peeks- 
kill,  Adams,  Oneida,  and  many  other  places,  including  also  courses  of  lectures  at  the 
Albany  State  Normal  School,  and  the  Young  Men's  Association  of  Albany,  and  the 
Berkshire  Medical  College,  at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts. 

He  was  a  learned  and  instructive  lecturer.  As  his  lectures  were  illustrated  with  an 
ample  apparatus,  and  he  was  a  skillful  manipulator,  his  experiments  were  invariably 


508  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

successful.  To  show  tlie  very  high  value  placed  upon  Dr.  Mather  as  a  scientific  lecturer, 
we  quote  ver}'  briefly  a  few  extracts  from  press  notices  of  years  ago: 

We  congratulate  the  lovers  of  science  among  us  on  the  prospects  of  a  course  of  lect- 
ures on  chemistry  by  the  intelligent  and  experienced  lecturer  Dr.  William  Mather. — 
Peekskill  Rej>ublican,  February  25,  1851. 

Extracts  from  a  copy  of  resolutions  presented  to  Dr.  Wm.  Mather  : 

Resolved,  That  in  the  lectures  just  closed,  Mr.  M.  has  shown  himself  an  eminently 
successful  experimenter  and  thorough  master  of  the  principles  and  details  of  the  science 
which  he  teaches. 

Resolved,  That  we  feel  confident  in  saying  to  schools  and  colleges,  and  the  public 
generally,  wherever  Dr.  M.  may  lecture,  that  they  will  receive  an  ample  equivalent  in 
the  solid,  interesting  and  useful  instruction  which  he  imparts.  Dr.  Mather  displays  no 
badges  of  the  empyric.  He  is  a  plain,  interesting  and  instructive  lecturer.  He  has 
devoted  years  of  arduous  labor  to  the  science  of  chemistry,  and  shows  a  perfect  famil- 
iarity with  his  subject.  He  blends  with  illustrations  that  simplicity  peculiar  to  elemen- 
tary demonstration,  \vhile  he  leads  along  the  mind  to  comprehend  the  complicated 
results  of  the  chemical  combuiations  of  elementary  principles. —  Fulton  Patriot,  Septem- 
ber Ifi,  1847. 

As  an  author  he  wrote  no  extended  work,  but  his  pen  had  been  active  in  various 
directions  for  many  years,  and  his  contributions  to  local  and  scientific  periodicals  were 
numerous  and  valuable.  Perhaps  no  other  man  was  so  well  versed  in  the  early  history 
of  this  section,  especially  with  reference  to  its  pioneers,  and  the  rise  and  progress  of  its 
educational  institutions.  His  memory  was  remarkably  vivid,  enabling  him  to  recall 
with  great  accuracy  and  fullness  the  incidents  which  came  to  his  personal  knowledge 
from  his  earliest  years  as  a  resident  of  the  town.  His  assistance  to  ilr.  Benton,  in  the 
preparation  of  the  Histo  y  of  Herkimer  county,  was  invaluable;  and  many  pages  of 
that  work  were  written  entirely  by  Dr.  Mather,  and  for  which  he  did  not  receive  the 
credit  which  justly  belonged  to  him. 

His  series  of  articles  on  the  origin  of  Fairfield  Seminary,  and,  later  on,  a  similar  series 
on  the  histo  y,  work  and  influence  of  the  Medical  College,  were  extensively  read  and 
widely  copied.  Only  recently,  a  paper  prepared  by  him  on  the  Fairfield  Medical  Col- 
lege, was  read  before  the  Utica  Historical  Society,  by  a  prominent  physician  of  that 
city,  and  received  high  praise.  Kor  months  previous  to  his  death  he  was  engaged  in 
collecting  material  and  preparing  manuscript  for  the  forthcoming  History  of  Fairfield 
Seminary.  His  memory  was  remarkable,  especially  with  reference  to  events  which 
happened  in  his  youth  or  early  manhood.  He  took  much  interest  in  the  genealogy  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Fairfield  and  vicinity,  and  spent  much  time  in  tracing  out  lines  of 
descent  in  answer  to  questions  sent  to  him  from  people  now  widely  scaUered. 

He  gave  valuable  assistance  in  the  preparation  of  biographies  of  Dr.  Asa  Gray,  Dr 
Hadley,  and  many  others  whom  he  knew,  either  as  fellow  students  or  with  whom  he 
labored,  in  after  life,  as  an  educator.  His  penmanship,  in  the  style  of  half  a  century 
ago,  was  remarkable  for  its  neatness  and  clearness,  resembling  copper  plate,  and 
the  notes  which  he  took,  only  the  Monday  before  his  death,  as  secretary  of  the  Medical 
College  Board,  which  annually  meets  at  Little  Falls,  are  an  exact  counterpart  in  style 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  509 

and  penmanship  to  those  taken  by  him  in  the  same  capacity  when  he  was  first  elected 
secretary  in  1840. 

No  man  among  the  hundreds  of  distinguished  alumni  of  "  Old  Fairfield"  took  greater 
interest  in  his  alma  mater  than  Dr.  Mather.  From  his  early  youth  he  had  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  all  its  inner  and  outer  workings. 

He  took  special  pains  to  become  acquainted  with  all  its  teachers,  and  was  ever  ready 
with  his  kind  encouragement  and  offers  of  advice  and  assistance.  When  anew  teacher 
was  about  to  commence  his  duties  in  the  department  of  physical  science,  it  was  his 
custom  to  aid  him  in  his  first  use  of  the  apparatus,  and  frequently  to  assist  him  in  his 
experiments,  and  the  writer  of  this  article  will  ever  hold  him  in  grateful  remembrance 
for  much  information  and  help  in  that  department. 

So  solicitous  was  he  for  the  pro.sperity  of  the  school,  that  he  always  endeavored  to 
keep  in  his  mind  the  exact  number  of  students  present,  and  often,  at  the  beginning  of 
each  term  would  watch  the  number  of  lights  in  the  building  during  the  first  few  even- 
ings, in  order  that  he  might  judge  of  the  prospects  of  a  successful  term,  anxiously 
commenting  to  tho.se  whom  he  met  upon  the  favorable  or  unfavorable  indications. 
While  he  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  he  took  great  interest  in  the  Regents' 
examinations.  He  would  perform  the  tiresome  duties  of  a  committeeman,  and  look 
over  the  answer  papers,  and  was  always  regarded  by  the  students  as  a  very  pleasant 
and  efficient  guardian  of  the  Regents'  interests. 

In  prosperity  and  adversity  the  school  has  found  him  the  same  unvarying  champion, 
always  ready  to  work,  to  contribute  funds,  and  speak  for  its  interests.  The  teachers 
have  found  him  a  friend  and  co-worker  in  the  cause  of  education,  and  the  students  a 
man  abounding  in  knowledge  which  he  was  willing  to  impart. 

He  had  been  a  trustee  of  the  school  since  1853,  president  of  the  board  for  about 
twenty  years,  and  was  a  prompt  and  regular  attendant  at  all  the  meetings,  and  an 
active  participant  in  all  discussions  relating  to  its  financial  and  educational  matters. 

When,  a  few  years  ago,  the  indications  were  that  the  seminary  was  about  to  close, 
when  many  people  feared  that  "  Old  Fairfield  "  had  done  its  work  and  must  hencefor- 
ward be  counted  among  the  institutions  of  the  past,  Dr.  Mather,  with  earnest  solicitude 
and  zeal,  labored  to  bring  about  the  change  in  management  which  promised,  and  has 
resulted  in,  the  successful  and  permanent  establishment  of  the  school;  and  he  Hved  to 
rejoice  in  the  well  filled  rooms  and  numerous  lights  that  gleamed  from  the  windows 
oppo-site  his  residence. 

He  was  also  an  earnest  worker  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  was 
for  many  years  a  vestryman.  He  was  always  attentive  to  every  duty,  taking,  as  he 
did  in  every  good  work,  an"  active  interest  in  all  church  affairs;  and  it  was  often  re- 
marked by  those  who  knew  him  best  that  few  men  ever  lived  a  more  genuine,  practical, 
Christian  life  than  Dr.  Mather. 

He  was  a  man  of  perfect  honesty,  remarkable  in  his  habits  of  punctuality  in  all  duties, 
of  strict  accuracy  and  system  in  the  execution  and  record  of  all  business  transactions, 
and  of  marked  kindness  of  heart.  He  was  ever  careful  and  considerate  of  the  feelings 
and  circumstances  of  all  around  him,  and  the  universal  testimony  of  his  neighbors  and 
those  with  whom  he  came  into  the  most  constant  personal  contact,  shows  him  to  Lave 
65 


510  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

been  a  man  of  unusually  broad  views  and  benevolent  character.  In  his  latter  years  he 
was  somewhat  afflicted  with  deafness,  but  did  not  lose  his  deep  interest  in  all  current 
afFairs.  He  read  constantly  and  carefully,  and  kept  well  informed  on  public  questions 
of  the  day.  He  was  public  spirited,  and  contributed  freely  of  his  time  and  means  in 
support  of  local  projects.  He  retained  to  the  end  of  his  life  the  mental  faculties  of  a 
remarkably  well  balanced  and  even  brilliant  mind.  He  passed  away  June  26,  1890, 
in  the  fullness  of  years,  esteemed  and  lamented  by  the  entire  community. 


PROFESSOR  XERXES  ADDISON  WILLARD.i 

Professor  X.  A.  Willard  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1820.  His  family 
trace  their  ancestry  to  the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror,  A.  D.  1085,  through  Colonel 
Simon  Willard,  one  of  the  Puritans  from  England  who  settled  at  Boston  in  1634.  His 
father,  Dr.  N.  S.  Willard,  a  prominent  physician,  died  in  1S27.  After  preparatory 
studies  at  Fairfield  and  Cazenovia,  X.  A.  Willard  entered  Hamilton  College  in  1841. 
He  was  graduated  in  1845  and  at  once  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Loomis 
and  Nolton  at  Little  Falls. 

In  1848  he  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  L.  Hallett  of  Fairfield,  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, buying  the  farm  which  his  maternal  grandfather.  Judge  Evans  Wharry,  cleared 
from  the  wilderness  in  1785,  and  on  which  he  lived  and  died. 

Professor  Willard  gave  his  attention  principally  to  dairy  farming,  making  experi- 
ments with  milk  which  have  proved^highly  useful.  In  1855-6  he  organized  the  Farm- 
ers' Club  of  Little  Falls.  From  1858  to  1861  he  was  the  editor  of  the  Herkimer  County 
Journal.  In  1869  he  published  the  first  of  his  works — "  Essays  on  Agriculture  " — began 
contributing  articles  on  agriculture  to  periodicals,  and  wrote  for  the  New  York  State 
Agricultural  Society  a  pamphlet  on  "  Cheese  Daii-ying  in  Herkimer  County."  From  1860 
to  1862  he  was  canal  collector  at  Little  Falls.  In  1861  he  wrote  another  pamphlet 
on  dairying  for  the  State  Agricultural  Society,  and  in  1862  his  work  on  the  '"  Asso- 
ciated Dairies  of  New  York  "  was  issued  by  the  society,  being  the  first  published  ac- 
count of  the  new  dairy  system  now  so  generally  adopted  over  the  continent. 

In  1864  Professor  Willard  became  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Uika  Morning  Herald, 
and  for  five  years  conducted  an  agricultural  department  in  that  paper.  He  was 
one  of  the  leading  workers  in  organizing  the  American  Dairymen's  Asscciation,  and 
the  published  reports  of  that  body  contain  many  of  his  addresses  at  its  conventions. 

1  The  portrait  of  Professor  Willard,  which  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work  is  taken  from  a  paint- 
ingin  oil  madein  1879  by  the  late  Alonzo  Pease  of  .Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  which  for  some  time  hung  in 
the  Academy  of  Design,  New  York  City.  It  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Frank  H.  Willard  of  Lit- 
tle Falls,  and  is  considered  a  faithful  likeness.  In  person  Professor  Willard  was  slightly  above 
the  averajje  height,  of  rather  full  habil  and  light  complexion.  Maj.  Henry  E.  Alvordof  Maryland, 
writing  to  the  Country  CenlUmiin  soon  after  Professor  Willard's  death,  said  :  "  As  a  writer  and 
speaker  Professor  Willard  was  fluent,  entertaining,  practical,  and  both  timely  and  instructive. 
He  was  a  man  of  attractive  presence,  genial  manners  and  interesting  conversation,  and  had  hosts 
of  warm  friends." 


(Qy/\ 


'/^/m/r^ 


'^^rMV'^vV^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  511 

In  1866  Professor  Willard,  in  the  interest  of  the  American  Dair} men's  Association, 
traveled  extensively  over  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  Fiante  and  Switzerland,  observ- 
ing European  methods  in  dairying.  A  report  of  bis  investigatioES  was  published  by 
the  Agi-if^ultural  Department  at  Washington  and  caused  great  improvement  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  American  cheese. 

In  1869  he  was  employed  by  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of  England  to  write 
works  on  dairying,  and  he  furnished  the  society  with  one  on  "  American  Butter  Facto- 
ries "  and  one  on  "  Condensed  Milk  Manufacture." 

In  January,  1869,  Professor  Willard  became  dairy  editor  of  the  Rural  New-  Yorlcer, 
and  held  that  position  for  many  years.  In  1871  he  published  "  Practical  Dairy  Hus- 
bandry," an  octavo  volume  of  nearly  600  pages,  which  has  been  recognized  at  home  and 
abroad  as  a  standard  authority  on  this  subject.  In  1875  he  brought  out  his  "  Practical 
Butter  Book,"  which  has  long  been  a  standard  work  on  butter  making. 

Professor  Willard  was  the  first  to  inaugurate  the  system  of  "dairy  boards  of  trade." 
He  organized  in  1870-71  the  New  York  State  Dairymen's  Association,  of  which  he 
was  for  several  years  president. 

Professor  Willard,  during  his  lifetime,  delivered  a  great  number  of  addresses  on  ag- 
ricultural topics,  speaking  at  the  fairs  in  nearly  every  county  in  the  State  and  fre- 
quently in  other  States,  besides  delivering  courses  of  lectures  at  Cornell  University  and 
the  Maine  Agricultural  College.  He  traveled  extensively  in  America  as  well  as  in  Eu- 
rope, having  crossed  the  continent  in  1870  and  1875,  and  made  a  tour  of  Texas  and 
Colorado  in  1873. 

Professor  Wiilard's  reputation  as  a  writer  and  speaker  on  dairy  topics  was  well 
earned,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  and  will  endure  for  all  time.  The  London  (England) 
Milk  Journal  pronounced  "  Practical  Dairy  Husbandry  '  the  most  complete,  exhaus- 
tive and  valuable  work  on  the  subject  ever  published.'  "  The  late  Dr.  Edward  Smith, 
F.  R.  S.,  the  English  author,  said,  in  the  London  Standard,  that  his  work  on  "  Condensed 
Milk  Manufacture  "  was  incomparable  ''  in  clearness,  detail  and  correctness." 

Professor  Willard  died  suddenly  of  heart  disease  in  his  study,  on  his  farm  near 
Little  Falls,  on  the  morning  of  October  26,  1882.  The  night  previous  he  was  engaged 
until  a  late  hour  in  writing  an  article  on  the  dairy  for  the  "  Encyclopedia  Britanuica," 
and  this  was  his  last  work.  His  widow  survives  him,  living  at  the  family  residence, 
near  Little  Falls.  Of  his  five  children,  Frank  H.  lives  at  Little  Falls;  Addison  X.  and 
Harriet  C.  live  at  the  family  homestead ;  Stephen  S.  resides  at  Earlville,  111.,  where  he 
practices  dentistry,  and  Mary  Viola  (wife  of  Hon.  Charles  F.  A.  Bielby)  at  Deland,  Fla. 

Frank  Hallett  Willard.  The  oldest  son  of  Professor  X.  A.  Willard,  was  born  on 
Hillside  farm,  near  Little  Falls,  August  4,  1852.  He  attended  the  Little  Falls  Acad- 
emy and  later  entered  Fairfield  Seminary,  where  he  was  graduated  with  honors  in 
1876.  In  1877  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Mills  and  Palmer  at  Little 
Falls,  soon  afterward  entering  the  law  department  of  Hamilton  College,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1878  and  in  the  same  year  admitted  to  the  bar. 

From  1884  to  1886  Mr.  Willard  was  assistant  editor  of  the  Country  Gentleman, 
residing  at  Albany,  N.  Y.  In  1885  he  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  H.  Staples,  daughter 
of  Rev.  M.  W.  Staples,  of  Catskill,  N.  Y. 


512      .  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

In  1887  he  removed  to  Madison,  Wis.,  where,  with  Col.  Walter  W.  Wharry, 
he  purchased  the  Western  Farmer.  Col.  Wharry  soon  afterward  retired  from  the 
firm,  and  William  H.  Morri.son,  Superintendent  of  Farmers'  Institutes,  and  Hon. 
Henry  C.  Adams,  of  Madison,  were  admitted  to  partnership.  Mr.  Willard  was  editor- 
in-chief  and  manager  of  tliat  journal  until  October,  1890.  Under  his  charge  the  paper 
became  one  of  the  best  of  its  class  published  in  the  Northwest.  It  was  the  recognized 
exponent  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  and  the  Wisconsin  Farmers'  Insti- 
tutes ;  its  circulation  was  large,  and  it  exerted  a  wide-spread  and  well-deserved  influence 
in  its  chosen  field — the  advancement  of  agriculture.  In  the  autumn  of  1890  Mr.  Willard 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  paper  and  returned  to  his  native  town,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  writing  for  periodicals  and  in  other  literary  pursuits. 

Mr.  Willard  has  traveled  quite  extensively.  In  1882  he  made  a  trip  to  Europe, 
spending  some  time  in  England  and  Germany  studying  their  agriculture  and  agricul- 
tural experiment  stations;  he  contributed  his  observations  to  the  Country  Gentleman 
and  other  journals.  The  following  year  he  traveled  m  the  Southern  States.  Mr.  Wil- 
lard resides  at  the  village  of  Little  Fall?.     He  has  one  son  — Staples  Xerxes  Willard. 


ALONZO  WOOD. 

The  ancestry  of  Alonzo  Wood  may  be  readily  traced  back  to  the  hardy  New  Eng- 
landers  who  first  peopled  the  shores  of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut.  His  great-grand- 
father, Ebenezer  Wood,  died  in  Somers,  Conn.,  in  1792,  at  the  great  age  of  ninety-three 
years;  the  date  of  his  settlement  in  that  State  is  cot  known,  but  it  was,  of  course,  very 
early.  Among  his  chddren  was  Stephen  Wood,  grandfather  of  Alonzo,  who  was  born 
in  1730,  and  died  in  Monson,  Mass.,  at  the  age  of  ninety- six  years.  He  left  a  record 
for  bravery  and  heroism  in  the  French  and  Indian  war  and  performed  his  part  in  the 
peaceful  arts  that  established  civilization  in  the  new  country.  His  family  of  children 
consisted  of  Stephen,  David,  Jonathan,  Joseph,  Levi,  Beulah,  Hannah,  Lovisa.  David 
was  the  father  of  Alonzo,  and  was  born  on  the  5th  of  February,  1765,  at  Monson.  He 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  held  the  post  of  captain  in  the  militia,  and  was  a  sturdy 
representative  of  the  New  England  pioneers.  In  the  year  1792,  when  he  was  twenty- 
seven  years  old,  he  came  into  what  is  now  the  town  of  Winfield,  Herkimer  coimty,  his 
path  being  shown  only  by  marked  trees  for  much  of  the  distance,  and  settled  on  the 
homestead  which  has  ever  since  been  in  possession  of  the  family,  and  is  now  occupied 
by  Alonzo  Wood.  The  immediate  locality  became  known  in  early  years  as  "  Wood's 
Corners,"  two  roads  crossing  near  the  homestead  and  a  school-house  and  shops  being 
located  near  there.  David  Wood  was  a  man  of  marked  character  and  became  con- 
spicuous and  respected  in  the  early  community.  Before  his  removal  to  this  county  he 
married  Persis  Cliapin,  of  Munson.  She  died  in  1801,  and  he  married  in  the  following 
year  Abigail  Keep,  also  of  Munson.  She  died  on  the  6th  of  October,  1857,  and  he  died 
September  7,  1851.  Their  children  were  Orrin  and  Austin  (twins),  born  May  31,  1790: 
Pamelia,  borii  August  20,  1792;    Alfred,  bom  June  30,  1795;    David,  born  August  9, 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  513 

17i}8 ;  Amasa,  born  January  15,  1801;  the  foregoing  were  all  born  by  the  first  wife 
By  his  second  wife  the  children  were  Persis,  born  May  26,  1805;  Hiram,  born  August 
12,  1807  ;  Leander,  born  December  29,  1810;  Alonzo  (the  subject),  born  May  11, 1813; 
Jackson,  born  November  19,  1815  ;  Abigail,  born  July  22,  1818  ;  Simeon,  born  Feb- 
ruary 2.  1821.  The  last  four  are  living,  Alonzo  being  tlie  oldest,  and  now  (1892)  in  his 
eightieth  year. 

Alonzo  Wood  has  passed  a  life  of  active  labor,  most  of  which  has  been  devoted  to  the 
tilling  of  the  homestead  farm,  which  he  still  occupies,  and  where  he  has  erected  a  hand- 
some residence  across  the  road  from  the  old  dwelling  where  his  father  so  long  lived. 
He  has  always  taken  an  intelligent  interest  in  public  affairs,  but  has  never  sought  pub- 
lic office.  When  the  subject  of  organizing  a  bank  in  West  Winfield  came  up  for  discus- 
sion he  acted  in  its  favor  and  was  chosen  for  the  position  of  cashierfor  theyears  1856-7. 
A  few  years  later  he  was  chosen  vice-president,  and  when  Col.  D.  R.  Carrier  died,  Mr. 
Wood  was  chosen  president  of  the  bank,  which  office  he  still  occupies.  Although  now 
far  advanced  in  years,  he  makes  daily  journeys  from  his  residence  to  the  bank.  A  man 
of  extended  information,  inborn  integrity,  and  courteous  and  sociable  under  all  circum- 
stances, Mr.  Wood  enjoys  in  his  decHning  days  the  unwavering  friendship  and  respect 
of  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Wood  was  twice  married,  and  of  a  family  of  seven  children  two  daughters  and 
a  son  are  living. 


JAMES  B.  RAFTER. 

John  Rafter,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Ireland.  He  was 
married  to  Winifred  Connolly,  and  soon  after  emigrated  to  America.  Of  that  marriage 
six  children  are  now  living,  four  of  whom  are  sons,  as  follows:  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Judge  B.  E.  Rafter,  the  present  mayor  of  the  city  of  HoMon,  Kansas;  Dr.  J. 
A.  Rafter,  of  the  same  place,  and  Giles  S.  Rafter,  an  attorney  and  counselor  at  law, 
for  the  past  ten  years  employed  in  one  of  the  departments  at  Washington. 

James  B.  Rafter  was  born  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  June  12,  1842.  When  he  was 
one  j'ear  of  age  his  parents  removed  (o  the  town  of  Winfield,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y. 
He  received  his  education  at  the  West  Winfield  Academy,  and  after  leaving  school  was 
engaged  for  a  time  in  teaching.  He  was  the  principal  of  the  union  school  at  West 
Winfield,  and  was  also  the  principal  of  the  high  school  at  Conners'  Mills,  Missouri. 
Returning  from  the  South,  he  engaged,  for  a  few  years  in  farmmg,  and  served  as  a 
justice  of  the  peace  in  the  town  of  Bridgewater,  Oneida  county,  for  one  year,  when  he 
resigned  the  office,  and  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  S.  S.  Morgan,  at 
West  Winfield,  in  November,  1867,  and  so  assiduously  pursued  his  studies  that  he 
passed  his  examination  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  October,  1868.  He  was  sub- 
sequently admitted  to  practice  in  the  United  States  courts. 

In  1871  he  established  an  oflice  at  Mohawk,  N.  Y.,  where  he  is  still  in  active  practice, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  much  of  the  important  litigation  of  bis  vicinity. 


514  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

In  November,  1871,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Georgie  B.  Palmer,  of  Spottsylvania 
county,  Va. 

In  his  profession  he  has  reached  a  position  wholly  to  his  credit,  and  is  recognized  a> 
a  well-read  and  painstaking  lawyer,  devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  clients,  and  gives  to 
every  case  his  careful  and  personal  preparation. 

In  politics  he  is  an  earnest  and  active  Democrat,  and  has  given  his  party  his  services 
as  an  orator  in  every  presidential  campaign  since  his  majority,  but  has  never  sought 
political  office.  He  has  served  as  the  president  of  the  village  of  Mohawk,  and  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Education.  Since  early  manhood  Mr.  Rafter  has  been  a  staunch 
friend  of  the  cause  of  temperance,  and  has  delivered  many  lectures  in  Central  New 
York  and  in  the  West  for  its  promotion.  He  has  also  lectured  quite  extensively  upon 
educational  and  kindred  subjects.  He  is  a  trustee  of  Fairfield  Seminary  and  Military 
Academy,  and  is  assigned  as  one  of  the  lecturers  in  the  law  department  of  that  flourish- 
ing institution  of  learning.  In  a  business  way  he  is  wholly  a  self-made  man,  never 
having  received  aid  from  any  source. 

He  is  at  present  the  president  of  the  Mohawk  and  Ilion  Street  Railroad  Company, 
and  the  president  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  Hotel  Company.  He  was  prominently  instru- 
mental in  organizing  the  Mohawk  Valley  Knitting  Mills,  and  the  Knitting  Company  of 
Mohawk,  and  is  the  secretary  of  both  of  those  successful  business  corporations,  and  is 
a  director  in  the  board  of  each.  He  is  a  prominent  Mason,  arid  has  been  the  master  of 
his  lodge,  and  is  a  Knight  Templar.     He  is  one  of  the  vestrymen  of  Grace  church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rafter  have  three  children,  as  follows:  J.  Ernest  Rafter,  now  twenty 
years  of  age,  a  graduate  of  Fairfield  Seminary,  and  now  a  student  in  the  University  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  preparing  for  the  profession  of  the  law  ;  Clara  W.,  and  Leora 
May,  both  living  at  home  with  their  parents. 


ROBERT   MACKINNON 

Was  born  in  Cohoes,  Nov.  1,  1853.  He  is  of  Scotch  ancestry,  his  father,  Alexander 
MacKinnon,  being  a  native  of  Hawick,  Scotland.  His  father  married  Catherine  Morton, 
of  Hawick,  and  not  long  afterwards  came  to  America.  He  was  a  rib  knitter  by  trade, 
and  settled  in  Cohoes,  where  the  manufacture  of  knit  goods  was  largely  carried  on. 
He  died  in  Cohoes  in  1858,  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  five  years  old, 
leaving  a  family  of  three  children,  Robert,  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Sarah,  the  wife 
of  John  Smith,  a  member  of  the  firm  of  the  Little  Falls  Wool  Extract  Co.,  and  Miss 
Belle  MacKinnon,  who  is  assisting  Mr.  MacKinnon  in  the  management  of  his  business. 
Mr.  MacKinnon  received  what  is  termed  a  common  school  education;  and  at  an  early 
age  began  working  in  the  mills  of  Cohoes.  Until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  he 
continued  to  work  in  the  factory,  at  which  time  his  ambition  prompted  him  to  enter 
another  field,  and  he  began  to  study  law.  Into  this  he  plunged  with  all  his  natural 
ardor,  but  circumstances  induced  him  to  take  charge  of  a  department  in  one  of  the  large 
knitting  mills.     He  remained  in  this  position  two  years.     In   1881,  the  end  of  this 


BIOaRAPHICAL.  515 

period,  he  united  with  Eobt.  Ablett  and  Walter  Hume,  both  of  Cohoes,  and  formed 
the  firm  of  Ablett,  MacKinnon  &  Co.,  and  came  to  Little  Falls,  where  they  began  the 
manufacture  of  knit  goods  in  the  mill  where  Eugene  Walrath  is  now,  1 893,  manufacturing. 
In  1887  Mr.  MacKinnon  retired  from  the  firm  and  began  business  in  the  same  line  in 
the  building  formerly  occupied  by  W.  H.  Waters  as  a  lumber  yard.  He  soon  developed 
furtlier  the  admirable  business  qualifications  which  had  already  been  demonstrated,  and 
under  his  untiring  energy  and  enterprise,  success  followed  in  a  most  satisfactory  degree. 
His  trade  extended  very  rapidly,  and  in  the  year  1890  a  new  mill  was  finished,  which 
is  now  running  to  its  full  capacity,  and  ranks  as  the  largest  in  the  world  on  his  line  of 
goods.  From  a  list  of  employees  reaching  about  seventy-five  in  1887,  he  now  employs 
six  hundred.  The  character  of  his  product  occupies  a  high  position  in  the  market. 
The  pay  roll  amounts  to  over  $8,000  every  two  weeks.  He  manufactures  all  grades  of 
cotton,  wool  and  camel's-hair  underwear  for  children. 

Mr.  MacKinnon  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  his  exacting  business  duties,  as  well 
as  his  natural  tastes,  have  prevented  him  from  taking  an  active  position  in  that  field. 
He  is  at  the  present  time  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  the  village.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church,  and  the  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  Mr.  MacKinnon 
is  a  public  spirited  citizen,  and  has  been  constant  in  his  efforts  to  advance  the  best 
interests  of  Little  Falls. 

His  immediate  family  consists  of  his  wife,  formerly  Ella  Severson,  of  Cohoes,  and 
three  children,  Mollie,  Isabel  and  Marguerite. 


RUGENE    WALRATH 

Was  born  in  the  town  of  St.  Johnsville,  Montgomery  county,  on  the  13th  of  February, 
1845.  He  comes  of  German  ancestry,  who  were  the  early  settlers  of  the  valley.  His 
father  was  Martin  Walrath,  who  was  a  native  of  St.  Johnsville  and  a  respectable  farmer, 
and  died  in  that  town  in  1885.  His  mother  was  Julia  Flanders,  of  Fulton  county,  and 
she  died  in  1892.  They  had  twel\ie  children,  as  follows:  James,  now  living  on  the 
homestead  farm;  Harlan,  deceased;  Martha,  deceased;  Martin,  now  living  in  St. 
Johnsville;  Rugene,  the  subject  (the  two  latter  were  twins)  ;  Charles,  deceased ;  Mary, 
married  Romeyn  Youran,  of  St.  Johnsville,  and  living ;  Adam,  a  physician,  living  at 
Lassellsville,  Fulton  county  ;  Joseph,  living  in  St.  Johnsville ;  Alvin,  in  business  with 
Rugene  at  Little  Falls ;  George,  living  at  St.  Johnsville,  and  Edwin,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Rugene  Walrath  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  supplemented  with  three 
months  in  a  commercial  school,  which  he  left  at  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  had  previous 
to  that  time  served  as  a  clerk  for  a  period  in  a  store  in  St.  Johnsville,  and  had  de- 
termined that  he  would  follow  mercantile  business.  After  leaving  the  commercial 
school  he  clerked  a  few  years  at  St.  Johnsville,  and  then  entered  the  employ  of  Burch 
<fe  Company,  of  Little  Falls,  in  a  similar  capacity.  In  1873  be  went  into  the  office  of 
the  Little  Falls  Knitting  Mill  Company,  of  which  Titus  Sheard  was  president,  to  serve 


516  HISTORY  OF  nERKIMER  COUNTY. 

as  book-keeper.  Here  he  continned  about  six  years  until  1879,  when  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  company,  succeeding  Mr.  Sheard.  This  position  he  filled  with  ef- 
ficiency until  1886,  when  he  resigned  and  became  associated  with  J.  J.  Gilbert  in  the 
organization  of  the  Astoronga  Knitting  Mill.  Here  he  remained  until  1891,  when  on 
1st  of  June  he  left  that  mill,  and  in  July  he  took  the  old  mill  formerly  operated  by 
Green  &  Girvan  under  a  lease,  fitted  it  up  with  knitting  machinery  and  gave  it  the  name 
of  the  Riverside  Knitting  Mills.  The  mill  was  started  in  October  of  that  year,  and  is 
run  chieflv  in  the  manufacture  of  what  are  known  as  French  Balbriggan  cotton  under- 
wear. The  business  during  its  short  term  of  existence  has  been  successful,  and  prom- 
ises to  develop  under  Mr.  Walrath's  energetic  management  into  a  large  establishment. 
About  100  hands  are  now  (1892)  employed.  In  the  various  positions  of  a  business 
character,  the  duties  of  which  have  been  entrusted  to  Mr.  Walrath,  he  has  demon- 
strated his  possession  of  habits  of  industry  and  capacity  to  direct  enterprises  of  broad 
scope,  while  his  business  intercourse  with  others  has  been  marked  by  principles  of  in- 
tegrity and  honorable  dealing. 

Mr.  Walrath  is  independent  in  politics,  but  was  formerly  a  Democrat.  His  first 
political  office  was  justice  of  the  peace;  he  was  elected  supervisor  in  1882  and  held  the 
office  for  six  years,  viz. :  1882,  1883,  1884,  1885,  1886  and  1888.  It  is  remarkable  that 
three  times  he  was  elected  by  the  Democrats  without  an  opposing  candidate.  He 
served  as  trustee  of  the  village  one  term  and  was  on  the  school  board  one  term.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Walrath's  public  services  in  these  various 
offices  have  been  such  as  to  gain  the  approval  of  the  community  and  to  promote  its 
walfare. 

Mr.  Walrath  was  married  on  the  11th  of  October,  1876,  to  IdaE.  Lewis,  daughter 
of  George  H.  Lewis,  of  Utica.  They  have  three  children,  Harlan,  Raymond  and  Ru- 
gene. 


WILLI AiM  D.   GARLOCK,  M.   D. 

The  first  of  the  family  of  this  name  to  come  to  America  immigrated  with  the  German 
Palatines  who  settled  first  on  the  Hudson  river  and  later  in  Schoharie,  and  still  later  in 
the  Mohawk  valley,  of  whom  the  reader  has  learned  in  early  pages  of  this  volume. 
Whether  the  family  of  Oarlocks  came  directly  from  the  Palatine  or  not  is  an  unsettled 
question.  It  is  probable  that  the  original  immigrant  was  named  Christopher,  who  with 
his  descendants  was  prominent  in  the  early  struggles  of  the  patriots  along  the  Mohawk 
in  their  irrepressible  conflict  with  the  Indians  and  their  no  less  relentless  white  foes, 
as  well  as  in  the  peaceful  labors  of  clearing  and  tilling  farms.  Descended  from  these 
pioneers,  through  his  great-grandfather  Adam,  is  Nelson  Garlock.  who  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Manheim  and  is  still  living.  He  has  been  a  successful  farmer  and  enjoys  the 
respect  of  the  community  in  which  he  is  so  well  known.  He  married  Catharine  Yoran, 
who  is  descended  from  the  Snell  and  the  Timmerman  families,  members  of  both  of 
which  acted  conspicuously  in  the  early  events  occurring  in  the  Mohawk  valley.  She 
is  still   living.     Their  children  were  four,  as  follows  :  Afarguerite,   married   to  James 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  517 

Rodney  Douglass,  of  Hunter,  N.  Y. ;  Mary  E.,  married  to  Harry  Golden,  of  Little 
Falls;  Kate;  and  the  eldest,  William  D.,  the  subject,  born  April  2,  1855: 

William  D.  Garlock  inherits  the  sturdy  characteristics  of  his  ancestors.  To  this  fact 
may  be  credited  to  a  considerable  degree  his  unusual  capacity  for  work  and  study, 
wliich  has  enabled  him,  at  a  comparatively  early  age,  to  attain  his  present  honorable 
position  in  his  profession.  Leaving  the  district  schools  he  attended  the  Little  Falls 
Academy  two  years,  finishing  there  in  1871,  when  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  December 
of  that  year  he  entered  the  Hungerford  Collegiate  Institute  at  Adams,  N.  T.,  where  he 
graduated  in  July,  1874.  After  two  years  passed  at  his  hole,  and  when  his  decision 
was  formed  to  make  the  practice  of  medicine  his  life-work,  he  entered  Cornell  Univer- 
sity for  a  special  two  yeans'  course  in  laboratory  w'ork  and  dissection  under  Professor 
Burt  G.  Wilder,  preparatory  to  beginning  his  medical  studies,  which  he  took  up  on 
leaving  the  university  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  New  Tork  city. 
He  graduated  from  the  latter  college  in  1881  and  in  November  of  that  year  settled  per- 
manently in  Little  Falls.  While  in  New  Tork  he  studied  physical  diagnosis  under 
Zemansky,  at  the  out  door  poor  department  of  Bellevue  Hospital,  pathological  anatomy 
under  Delafield  and  Pruden,  and  post  mortem  examination  under  George  Peabody  at 
the  New  York  Hospital.  With  his  exceptional  capacity  for  hard  study  and  rapid  men- 
tal assimilation,  it  w-ill  be  readily  understood  that  Dr.  Garlock  carried  out  his  determin- 
ation to  neglect  no  effort  that  would  contribute  to  his  future  professional  ability  and 
attainments  and  that  through  such  effort  he  accomplished  his  purpose.  In  Little  Falls 
he  soon  secured  the  recognition  to  which  he  was  entitled,  both  in  and  out  of  his  profes- 
sion. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Herkimer  County  Medical  Society  since  1882 ;  a 
member  of  the  New  York  State  Medical  Association  since  1885,  and  president  of  its 
First  Branch  in  1892.  He  was  a  member  of  the  International  Medical  Congress  in  1887, 
and  was  chosen  president  of  the  Herkimer  County  Medical  Society  in  1890.  In  these 
various  professional  positions  Dr.  Garlock  has  demonstrated  his  fitness  to  fill  them  with 
honor  to  himself  and  for  the  welfare  of  the  organizations. 

It  has  been  Dr.  Garlock's  practice — a  practice  cultivated  because  of  his  natural  love 
for  the  work — to  always  investigate  and  study  the  causes  of  diseases,  looking  upon  that 
knowledge  as  the  best  foundation  for  success  in  any  line  of  practice.  This  has  led  him 
to  write  somewhat  upon  medical  topics  and  many  of  his  papers  have  found  professional 
acceptance  when  read  by  him  before  various  medical  societies.  When  vice-president 
of  the  County  Medical  Society,  in  December.  1885,  he  read  a  paper  on  "  The  Alkaloids 
of  Decomposition,"  in  which  he  treated  of  their  importance  in  the  study  of  typhoid 
fever,  etc.  The  views  presented  in  this  paper  were  somewhat  in  advance  of  the  ac- 
cepted knowledge  of  the  time,  but  they  are  now  generally  received  by  the  profession. 
He  has  frequently  presented  papers  at  various  meetings  of  the  County  Medical  Society 
on  various  subjects  connected  with  the  progress  of  medicine  and  the  pathology  and 
treatment  of  diseases.  Before  the  State  Medical  Association  he  read  a  paper  on 
"Typhoid  Fever  in  Children,"  and  another  before  the  same  association  on  "The  Origin 
and  Medicinal  Treatment  of  Uric  Acid  Calculus  of  the  Kidneys." 

In  1892  he  reported  to  the  State  Medical  Society  a  conspicuous  case  of  "Cancer  of 
the  Liver  Complicated  by  Gall  Stones  and  Renal  Calculi."     When  chosen  president  of 


518  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  county  society  Di-.  Garlock's  address  was  upon  "  Aphasia,"  and  while  a  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  State  Medical  Association  the  same  subject  was  further  pursued  in  an  ad- 
dress on  "  The  Action  of  the  Brain  as  Revealed  by  Recent  Studies  of  Aphasia." 

The  foregoing  facts  will  demonstrate  to  the  professional  reader  that  Dr.  Oarlock's 
position  among  his  medical  brethren  is  one  of  merited  distinction,  while  his  career 
among  his  many  patients  has  been  such  as  to  win  their  confidence  and  respect.  In 
politics  he  is  independent  with  Democratic  leanings,  but  takes  only  the  part  devolving 
upon  all  good  citizens  in  the  political  field.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

Dr.  Garlock  illustrates  the  great  truth  that  a  physician's  studies  should  end  only  with 
his  life.  It  is  conceded  by  his  medical  associates  that,  there  is  not  in  Herkimer  county 
a  more  faithful  or  intelligent  student,  and  it  necessarily  follows  that  the  successful  be- 
ginning of  his  professional  life  foreshadows  greater  eminence  and  honor  in  coming 
years. 

With  a  wife  lovely  in  person  and  character,  and  intelligent,  dutiful  and  affectionate 
children,  the  future  is  full  of  promises  of  happiness  for  him  and  his. 

Dr.  Garlock  was  married  on  the  22d  of  November.  1881,  to  Gertrude  Bidleman, 
daughter  of  Major  Morgan  Bidleman,  of  Manheim,  who  was  one  of  the  most  liberal- 
minded  and  successful  of  farmers,  as  well  as  a  genial  gentleman  of  rare  social  and  busi- 
ness qualities.  He  was  very  influential  in  town  and  county  affairs,  and  his  advice  was 
sought  by  many.  Her  mother  was  Ann  Windecker,  a  direct  descendant  of  Han  Yost 
Petrie,  one  of  the  Palatine  settlers.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Garlock  have  three  children:  Mor- 
gan Bidleman,  Louise  and  Gertrude  Catharine. 


EUGENE   E.  SHELDON. 

The  ancestors  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  originally  from  England  at  an  early 
date  and  settled  in  Rhode  Island,  where  Joseph  Sheldon,  the  great-grandfather  of 
Eugene,  was  born  in  1743.  At  some  time  prior  to  1766,  Joseph  Sheldon  moved  to 
Dover,  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  and  there,  in  the  year  1766,  married  Ruth  Aikin,  of 
Pawling,  Dutchess  county,  but  whose  birth-place  was  also  Rhode  Island.  Joseph 
Sheldon,  after  living  for  a  time  in  Dutchess  county,  moved  with  his  family  to  Wills- 
borough,  Essex  county,  N.  Y.,  locating  on  a  farm  upon  the  shore  of  Lake  Champlain, 
where  he  died  in  1836,  aged  ninety-two;  his  wife  Ruth  died  in  1832,  aged  ninety. 
Edmund  Sheldon,  grandfather  of  Eugene,  was  born  in  Dutchess  county  in  1769,  moved 
with  his  father,  about  1V81,  to  Willsborough,  was  married  1797  to  Mary  Ann  Haiglit, 
and  died  in  18.50,  aged  eighty-one.  Mary  Ann,  his  wife,  the  grandmother  of  Eugene, 
died  in  1880,  aged  ninety-nine  years  and  eight  months. 

Aikin  Edmund  Sheldon,  the  father  of  Eugene,  was  born  at  Willsborough  in  1804, 
on  the  farm  on  which  his  grandfather  first  located,  and  on  a  portion  of  which  he  is  still 
residing.  On  January  17,  1833,  he  married  Phoebe  Perry,  a  native  of  Essex  county, 
born  September  19,  1804,  and  who  died  April  4,  1887.     Aikin  Edmund  and  Phoebe 


BrOGRAPHICAL.  519 

P.  Sheldon,  his  wife,  had  seven  children,  four  of  whom,  besides  Eugene,  are  still  living. 
The  eldest,  Amelia,  is  the  wife  of  Silas  S.  Lee,  esq  ,  and  resides  at  Five  Lakes,  Michigan. 
The  next  eldest,  Augustus  C.  Sheldon,  is  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  resides  at  Minne- 
apolis, Minn.  He  is  also  interested  in  irrigation  enterprises,  and  is  president  of  the  Rio 
Verde  Canal  Company  of  Arizona,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  irrigation 
enterprises  in  that  territory.  The  other  living  children  of  AiUin  Sheldon  besides 
Eugene  are  two  daughters,  both  younger,  Charlotte  M.  and  Emma  A.  Cliarlotte  M. 
is  the  wife  of  G.  W.  Lee,  esq.,  and  both  sisters  reside  on  the  homestead  in  Wills- 
borough,  N.  Y. 

Eugene  E.  Sheldon  was  born  in  Willsborough,  Essex  county,  N.  Y.,  June  13th,  1844. 
He  acquired  sufficient  preparatory  education  for  admission  to  college  by  attending  the 
excellent  common  schools  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home,  and  afterwards  the  academies  at 
Essex,  N.  Y.,  and  Barre,  Vt.  He  entered  Middlebury  College,  at  Middlebury,  Vt.,  in 
1866,  and  was  graduated  with  honors  from  that  institution  in  1869.  While  in  college 
Mr.  Sheldon  became  a  member  of  the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon  society,  one  of  the  leading 
college  societies  in  this  country.  In  September,  1869.  Mr.  Sheldon  commenced  teach- 
ing in  the  academy  at  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  and  continued  during  the  school  years  of 
1869-70  and  1879-71,  during  the  latter  and  greater  part  of  that  period  as  principal. 

In  October,  1871,  he  entered  the  Columbia  College  Law  School,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1873,  and  in  June  of  the  same  year  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  a  General 
Term  of  the  Supreme  Court  held  at  Buffalo.  In  the  fall  of  1873  he  opened  an  office  in 
Little  Falls,  where  he  has  ever  since  continued  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession. 
Beginning  practice  alone,  he  was  afterwards  in  partnership,  from  June,  1882,  to  August, 
1888,  with  Sidney  W.  Petrie.  In  politics  Mr.  Sheldon  is  a  Republican,  and  has  done 
good  service  for  his  party. 

His  standing  in  his  profession,  and  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  citi- 
zens, led  to  his  election  to  the  office  of  district  attorney,  which  he  held  from  January 
1st,  1886,  to  January  1st,  1889.  In  November,  1889,  he  was  elected  county  judge  and 
surrogate,  and  is  still  the  incumbent  of  that  office.  It  is  not  too  much  to  state  that 
Judge  Sheldon  has  performed  the  duties  of  his  official  positions  with  honor  to  him- 
self and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  As  a  lawyer  he  has  attained 
success  by  fidelity,  hard  work,  and  persevering  devotion  to  his  business.  While  in  the 
office  of  district  attorney  he  was  engaged  in  the  trial  of  several  cases  of  importance, 
among  them  being  the  concluding  labors  of  the  prosecution  in  the  famous  Druse  murder 
case,  resulting  in  the  first  execution  in  Herkimer  county.  Another  capital  case  in 
which  he  supported  the  cause  of  the  people  was  that  of  Mondon,  which  was  sent  back 
for  a  new  trial.  The  prisoner  finally  plead  guilty  to  murder  in  the  second  degree,  and 
is  now  in  prison  for  life.  In  the  civil  case  of  Veeder  against  the  village  of  Little  Falls, 
to  recover  for  the  death  of  her  husband  who  was  drowned  in  the  canal,  several  new 
points  of  law  were  brought  up,  and  the  case  was  carried  to  the  Court  of  Appeals. 
Judge  Sheldon  won  for  his  client  a  judgment  of  $4,000.  Another  important  civil  case 
which  he  conducted  was  that  of  Leonard  A.  Brockett,  of  Salisbury,  against  the  New 
Jersey  Steamboat  Company,  for  injuries  received.  A  verdict  was  obtained  for  $5,500. 
Motion  was  made  for  a  new  trial,  and  the  appeal  was  carried  to   the  United  States 


/■)20  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Supreme  Court,  where  the  judgment  was  affirmed;  this  case  is  reported  in  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court  Reports. 

In  the  office  of  county  judge,  Mr.  Sheldon  bears  a  reputation  for  fairness  and  impar- 
liaUty,  and  a  Icnowledge  of  the  law  which  render  his  decisions  acceptable  to  the  bar 
and  highly  creditable  to  his  ability  as  a  magistrate. 

Judge  Sheldon  was  married  April  3,  1872,  to  Fannie  Lovell  Ward,  daughter  of  Alva 
and  Phila  L.  Ward,  of  Little  Falls.  They  have  two  children,  Francis  Eugene,  born 
May  ;il,  1873,  and  Louise  Dorothy,  born  April  2,  1876. 


MORGAN  C    CRIST. 

Philip  Crist, was  born  in  Orange  county,  N.  Y.,  February  7,  1783,  and  came  with  his 
parents  to  the  town  of  Fairfield,  Herkimer  county,  in  the  -spring  of  1795,  and  settled 
upon  a  farm  about  one  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Fairfield  village.  Here  he 
worked  upon  his  father's  farm  for  several  years.  He  then  learned  the  carpenter  and 
joiner's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for  a  number  of  years.  He  married  Lydia  Jackson, 
oldest  daughter  of  Jacob  Jackson,  and  at  the  death  of  his  father,  he  with  Stephen,  his 
older  brother,  bought  the  farm  and  in  a  few  years  Philip  obtained  full  possession  of  the 
old  homestead,  which  he  held  until  the  time  of  liis  death,  January  19,  1872.  Philip 
and  Lydia  Crist  had  four  children  :  Abram.  born  May  24,  181.5,  died  December  15,  1840 ; 
Jacob  J.,  born  June  9,  1819,  died  May  13,  1892;  Ilavvley,  born  September  30,  1827, 
died  July  28,  1852;  and  the  subject,  Morgan  C.  Crist,  was  born  near  Fairfield  village, 
June  10,  1822  He  lived  upon  the  farm  with  his  parents,  working  and  attending  the 
district  school  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  then  entered  the  seminary  at  Fair- 
field and  took  a  course  of  three  years,  obtaining  quite  a  liberal  education.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen  years  he  commenced  teaching  and  taught  several  terms  very  successfully. 
At  the  ag«  of  twenty-two  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  town  superintendent  of  com- 
mon schools,  which  office  he  held  five  years.  On  the  19th  of  September,  1850,  he  mar- 
ried Maria  Louesa  Bray  ton,  daughter  of  Daniel  Bray  ton,  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Fair- 
field. On  account  of  Mr.  Brayton's  feeble  health,  and  a  desire  that  his  daughter  should 
be  near  him,  by  his  solicitation  they  decided  to  remain  with  him  and  occupy  the  old 
homestead  on  which  Mrs.  Crist  was  born,  until  the  death  of  her  father,  which  occurred 
February  4,  1869.  During  this  time  Mr.  Crist  held  many  town  offices,  among  them 
commissioner  of  highway,  nine  years;  supervisor,  two  years;  justice  of  the  peace,  four 
years.  He  spent  much  of  his  time  in  official  business,  and  bis  judgment  and  advice  were 
often  sought  in  business  matters.  In  1869  Mr.  Crist  purchased  a  small  farm  near  Mid- 
dleville,  upon  which  he  erected  a  house  and  moved  into  it  March  2,  1870,  and  be- 
ing extensively  interested  in  real  estate,  now  spends  most  of  his  time  looking  after  his 
farms.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crist  have  one  son,  Daniel  B.,  born  November  4,  1856.  He 
was  married  to  Nette  Jackson,  December  11,  1883.  A  man  of  liberal  education, 
an  intelligent  thinker  upon  current  events,  a  strong  character  founded  and  built  upon 
principles  of  integrity,  Mr.  Crist  has  always  lived  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  esteem  and 
respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  521 

Daniel  Brayton,  father  of  Mrs.  Crist,  was  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  January  7,  1785; 
in  1793  be  moved  with  Stephen  Brayton,  his  father,  to  Adams,  Mass.,  and  in  1808  they 
came  to  Fairfield,  N.  T.,  and  purchased  a  farm  in  the  Arnold  neighborhood,  in  the  south 
part  of  the  town,  upon  which  he  lived  till  the  time  of  his  death.  Daniel  Brayton  was  a 
prominent  man  in  his  time,  having  been  called  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  fill  the  most  im- 
portant offices  in  town.  He  also  at  one  time  held  the  office  of  captain  of  a  company  of 
infantry,  and  on  the  10th  day  of  April,  1822,  lie  was  appointed  major  of  the  Fortieth 
Regiment  of  Infantry,  of  the  State  of  New  York,  by  Governer  De  Witt  Clinton,  a 
title  which  he  held  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 


THE  HINCKLEY  FAMILY. 

Elijah  Hinckley,  born  March  25,  1765,  and  Gardner  Hinckley  (Isl),  born  October  19, 
1766,  sons  of  Samuel  Hinckley  (5th)  and  his  wife,  Mary  Vincent  Hinckley,  were  born  in 
Pomfret,  Conn.  They  were  descended  from  Samuel  Hinckley  (1st),  who,  according  to 
old  records,  "  emigrated  from  England  in  the  latter  part  of  March,  1G35,  in  the  ship  Her- 
cules, of  200  tons,  from  Pemberton,  County  of  Kent,  not  far  from  London.  He  first 
settled  in  Scituate,  Mass.,  where  he  continued  to  re.side  until  1639,  when  he,  together 
with  the  larger  part  of  Minister  Lathrop's  congregation,  removed  to  Barnstable,  Cape 
Cod,  within  the  limits  of  Plymouth  Colony.  One  of  his  sons  was  for  many  years 
Governor  of  Plymouth  Colony." 

The  two  brothers,  Elijah  and  Gar.dner,  were  taught  tlie  carpenter's  trade.  They  came 
to  Russia,  then  a  part  of  Norway,  to  what  was  theu  called  "  Kingsland,"  a  part  of 
'■  The  Royal  Grant,"  about  1796.  Tradition  says  that  they  brought  axes  with  them  on 
their  journey  to  help  clear  the  way  through  the  forest.  On  October  8,  1796,  Elijah 
Hinckley  and  Elisha  Pool  bought  400  acres  of  land  of  John  Pettit,  near  what  is  now 
the  village  of  Gravesville,  paying  therefor  307£.  Soon  after  Gardner  Hinckley  bought 
out  the  interest  of  Mr.  Pool  in  the  land,  and  it  was  divided  between  the  two  brothers, 
each  receiving  about  200  acres.  These  farms  are  now  in  the  possession  of  some  of 
the  descendants  of  Elijah  Hinckley,  and  are  still  known  as  the  Hinckley  farms.  The 
brothers  cleared  some  land,  built  houses  of  logs  and  returned  to  Rhode  Island  to 
to  be  married.  The  comfortable  farm  house  which  Gardner  soon  after  built  on  his  farm 
is  still  standing,  in  good  preservation  and  still  painted  red.  He  is  described  by  those 
who  knew  him  well  as  a  tall  man  of  gracious  and  pleasing  address,  energetic  in  his 
business,  hospitable  and  generotjs  and  a  cordial  friend.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Russia 
in  1842  of  the  dreadful  scourge  that  swept  through  that  region,  called  the  "black 
tongue."     His  wife  died  in  1826.     They  had  no  children. 

Elijah  Hinckley  married  Sally  Vincent,  born  in  1770,  of  Westerly,  R.  L  The  Vin- 
cent family  trace  their  descent  from  William  Vincent  (1st),  who  emigrated  from  Eng- 
land about  1660.  The  family  was  well  connected  in  England,  and  old  painted  pictures 
of  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  Vincent  family,  which  they  presumably  brought  from  Eng- 
land with   them,  are  still  in  the  possession  of  their  descendants.     There  is  a  legend 


.'522  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

about  one  of  the  family,  who  was  a  Christian  martyr  about  the  beginning  of  the  fourth 
century. 

Wilhara  Vincent  (lsf>  settled  in  Greenwich,  R.  I.  One  of  his  sons,  Nicholas,  married 
his  stepsister,  Elizabeth  Reynolds,  whose  father,  Robert  Reynolds  (second  husband 
of  William  Vincent's  widow),  was  ''one  of  tlie  judges  on  the  bench  at  the  condemna- 
tion of  Charles  the  First,  and  who,  on  the  death  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  came  to  America 
with  a  number  of  the  other  judges  and  settled  North  Kingston,  now  called  Exeter,  R. 
I."  One  of  the  ten  children  of  Nicholas  and  Elizabeth  Vincent  was  Mary,  who  mar- 
ried Samuel  Hinckley  (5th),  the  father  of  Elijah  Hinckley,  and  another  was  Dr.  William 
Vincent,  sr.,  of  Westerly,  R.  I.,  who  was  the  father  of  Sally,  who  married  Elijah 
Hinckley.  Elilah  and  Sally,  his  wife,  settled  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Russia  in 
179G  or  1797.     They  soon  built  a  good  frame  house  and  acquired  a  comfortable  estate. 

They  had  several   children,  of  whom    two  only,  Samuel  (7th),  born 1801,  and 

Gardner  (2d),  born  October  2,  1808,  survived  their  infancy.  Sally  Hinckley  died  in  De- 
cember, 1808,  and  for  his  second  wife  Elijah  Hinckley  married  Zeruiah  Sarviah  Vin- 
cent, his  sister-in-law.  She  had  no  children.  He  was  an  invalid  for  many  years  and 
lived  quietly  on  his  farm,  much  respected  for  his  integrity.  He  died  March  29,  1822. 
Mrs.  Hinckley  died  at  the  homestead  June  8,  1847. 

Samuel  Hinckley  (7th)  married  Mary  S.  Atwood,  born  at  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  daughter 
of  Esek  and  Margaret  Sackrider  Atwood,  in  January,  1840.  They  had  one  son,  Elijah 
Gardner,  who  was  born  in  1842,  and  who  died  in  1870.  Elijah  G.  married  Martha 
Johnson,  of  Williston,  Vt.  They  had  two  children,  Anson  Johnson,  who  died,  aged 
fourteen  years,  and  Mary  Agnes,  now  living.  In  big  early  manhood  Samuel  Hinckley 
was  a  superintendent  of  railroad  building,  associated  with  his  friend,  Mr.  Charles  Case, 
but  losing  his  health,  he  bought  the  home  farm  in  Russia  of  his  brother  and  lived  there 
until  his  death  in  1873.     Ilis  wife  died  there  in  1875. 

Gardner  Hinckley  (2d)  inherited  a  delicate  constitution.  He  lived  at  home  on  the 
farm  until  the  death  of  his  father,  when,  being  in  his  fourteenth  year,  he  chose  William 
Graves,  of  Gravesville,  for  his  guardian,  and  spent  some  of  his  time  with  him,  going  to 
school.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  bought  his  brother's  share  in  the  home  farm  and  went 
in  business  for  himself.  His  opportunities  for  education  in  his  boyhood  were  limited, 
but  he  had  a  love  of  reading  and  study  which  continued  all  through  his  life,  and  in  his 
busiest  years  he  spent  many  hours  with  his  books.  In  September,  1829.  he  married 
Elizabeth  Atwood,  born  August  7,  1810,  daughter  of  Esek  and  Margaret  Sackrider  At- 
wood. Esek  Atwood  was  born  not  far  from  Burlington,  Vt.  He  was  well  educated, 
and  was  for  many  years  a  teacher.  His  first  wife,  mother  of  Elizabeth  Hinckley,  was 
born  of  Quaker  parentage  in  Upper  Canada.  In  1843  'Esquire  Atwood  moved  to  the 
town  of  Wilmurt  and  lived  there  many  years  and  held  various  town  offices.  He  was 
supervisor,  justice  many  times,  etc.  He  died  at  the  home  of  his  son  Thomas,  in  New 
Rochelle,  N.  Y.,  about  1862.  Gardner  and  Elizabeth  Hinckley  had  six  children,  two 
of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  survivors  are  Samuel  Gardner,  Caroline  Dyer  (Mrs. 
John  W.  Stanton),  Mary  Elizabeth  and  Sarah  Helen,  all  livins'  in  Hinckley,  N.  Y. 
Samuel  G.  married  Sarah  Fern,  of  Montgomery  county.  Tliey  have  five  children  liv- 
ing, Emma  Josephine,  Elijah  Gardner,  Edward  Fern,  Samuel,  and  Theodore  Ballou. 


BIOaRAPHICAL.  523 

About  1837  Gardner  Hinckley  (2d)  left  the  farm  and  became  agent  and  business 
manager  for  A.  K.  Morehouse,  who  owned  large  tracts  of  forest  land  in  the  counties  of 
Herkimer  and  Hamilton,  and  from  1838  to  1840  he  lived  for  about  a  year  at  Piseco 
Lake,  in  Hamilton  county.  For  the  pure  air,  pure  water  and  charming  scenery  of  the 
Adirondack  region  he  had  an  enthusiastic  fondness,  and  he  was  confident  that  the  time 
would  come  when  its  esthetic  and  sanitary  advantages  would  be  appreciated.  In  1840 
he  moved  to  Wilmurt  and  built  a  saw-mill  and  planing-mill  on  the  West  Canada  Creek 
near  "  Hinckley  "  bridge.  Much  of  the  lumber  made  there  was  carted  to  Utica  or  to 
Herkimer,  over  thirty  miles.  He  lived  in  Wilmurt  until  1854,  when  he  moved  to  the 
place  now  called  Hinckley.  He  was  supervisor  of  Wilmurt  for  several  terms  and  he 
held  other  town  offices.  He  was  was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in  1853-1854. 
About  1848,  in  partnership  with  Theodore  P.  Ballon,  of  Utica,  he  built  a  gang  saw- 
mill, planing-mill,  etc,  running  by  water  power,  on  the  West  Canada  Creek,  in  what 
is  now  the  village  of  Hinckley  (so  named  in  1891  in  his  memory),  and  he  continued  in 
the  lumber  busine.ss  until  his  death.  This  mill,  which  was  known  through  all  the  re- 
gion as  the  Gang  Mill,  had  at  the  time  when  it  was  built  the  largest  capacity  of  any 
water  power  mill  in  that  part  of  the  State,  being  able  to  saw  about  five  million  feet  of 
spruce  lumber  in  a  year  without  running  nights.  At  that  time — 1848 — there  was  no 
railroad  nearer  than  Utica,  eighteen  miles  distant.  Mr.  Hinckley  was  a  Methodist  and 
a  temperance  man,  inheriting  the  conscientiousness  of  his  ancestors.  He  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat until  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party,  and  from  that  time  a  Republican. 
He  was  a  man  of  medium  stature,  agreeable  address,  genial  temperament,  strict  integ- 
rity, and  amiable  disposition,  kind  and  generous  in  every  relation  of  life.  He  was  unaf- 
fected and  sincere  in  manner,  and  dignified,  but  not  austere.  He  was  deliberate  in  judg- 
ment, although  his  mental  processes  were  rapid,  and  he  expressed  his  thoughts  with 
clearness  and  force.  During  the  fifty  years  that  he  was  in  active  business  he  never  had 
a  law-suit  that  came  to  trial.  He  was  greatly  beloved  by  his  friends  and  respected  by 
all  in  his  social  and  business  relations.  His  council  was  often  sought  and  cheerfully 
given.  He  was  the  sympathizing  friend  of  young  people,  in  whose  happiness,  educa- 
tion and  advancement  he  was  cordially  interested.  While  his  own  will  was  strong  and 
his  ideals  high,  he  was  tolerant  in  his  judgment  of  those  who  were  easily  tempted,  and 
tender  and  helpful  toward  the  erring  and  unfortunate.  He  died  March  15,  1875.  Mrs. 
Hinckley  died  September  12,  1874. 


JOHN   W.  STANTON 

Was  born  August  31,  1814,  in  Belchertown,  Mass.  He  was  a  son  of  Randal  Stanton 
a  Baptist  minister  whose  father  was  Robert  Stanton  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Robert 
Stanton  was  a  Baptist  minister  and  a  prominent  man  in  Stonington,  Conn.,  where  he 
erected  a  church.  The  family  is  of  English  descent,  and  they  trace  their  ancestry  to  the 
coming  of  Thomas  Stanton  to  America  in  1635.  Thomas  Stanton  was  interpreter  general 
of  the  New  England  colonies.  At  Stonington,  Conn.,  he  built  a  trading  post.  J.  W. 
Stanton  was  reared  on  a  farm,  but  early  in  life  he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which 


524  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

he  followed  until  thirty  years  of  age.  He  had  the  largest  blacksmithing  estaVjlishnient  in 
Norwich,  Conn.,  at  that  time,  and  it  was  reputed  to  be  the  largest  in  the  State,  doing  much 
government  work.  He  married  Betsey,  daughter  of  William  and  Esther  (Gray)  Kimball. 
She  died  in  1844.  They  had  one  son,  William  H.,  who  for  a  number  of  years  was  mer- 
chant and  book-keeper  for  the  firm  of  Hinckley  &Ballou  at  Hinckley,  N.  Y.  In  1844 
Mr.  J.  W.  Stanton  came  t(>8alisbury,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  at  Jerseyfield 
Lake,  and  built  two  saw-mills  and  a  planing-mill  tliere.  He  remained  there  until  the 
fall  of  1848,  whfen,  sharing  in  the  first  gold  excitement,  he  went  to  California,  sailing  in 
January,  1849.  He  went  by  way  of  Vera  Cruz,  through  Mexico,  the  journey  taking 
about  five  months.  He  returned  to  Herkimer  county  in  the  next  year  and  resumed  his 
lumbering  business  and  continued  it  until  1856,  when  he  went  to  Gray,  N.  Y.,  and  be- 
came one  of  the  firm  of  Ladue,  Stanton  &  Company,  leather  manufacturers.  He  re- 
mained at  Gray  five  years.  He  thence  came  to  Hinckley,  and  has  resided  at  the  Hinck- 
ley homestead  in  that  village.  He  engaged  in  lumbering  for  the  firm  of  Hinckley  & 
Ballou  in  1861,  and  remained  in  that  business  until  1885,  when  he  retired.  He  was  a 
Whig  until  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  a 
Republican.  January  22,  1857,  he  married  Caroline  D.,  a  daughter  of  Gardner  Hinck- 
ley, of  Hinckley.     Mr.  Stanton  is  a  Presbyterian. 


ALBERT  M.  MILLS. 

The  ancestry  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  were  of  Scotch  and  English  origin.  His 
grandfather  was  from  Connecticut,  of  Enghsh  descent,  and  an  early  settler  in  New 
Hartford,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  being  a  contemporary  of  Hugh  White,  the  father  of 
Whitestown.  Hi.s  father  was  Dan  C.  Mills,  a  native  of  New  Hartford  and  a  respect- 
able farmer.  He  died  at  New  Hartford  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  eighty- five  years.  His 
mother  was  Jane  Campbell,  whose  father,  John  Campbell,  was  also  from  Connecticut, 
and  of  Scotch  descent,  and  settled  in  New  Hartford  at  about  the  same  time  with  Mr. 
Mills.  He  lived  to  a  great  age,  two  records  giving  it  respectively  as  99  and  101  years. 
The  sturdy  charactertistics  of  this  ancestry  are  transmitted  to  the  son  and  are  sufficient 
to  account  for  his  mental  strength  and  his  great  capacity  for  work. 

Albert  M.  Mills  was  born  in  New  Hartford,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  September  10, 
1841.  He  was  given  excellent  opportunities  to  secure  an  education,  which  he  improved 
to  the  utmost,  with  the  exception  of  an  intermission  to  answer  the  call  of  his  country 
in  the  late  war.  After  the  customary  period  in  the  district  school  and  a  short  term  in 
the  Sauquoit  Academy,  he  prepared  for  college  at  Fairfield  Seminary  and  entered  Am- 
herst College.  In  the  second  (Sophomore)  year  and  soon  after  tho  breaking  out  of  the 
war  (August,  1861)  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  Eighth  New  York  Cavalry,  wliich 
was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  until  the  establishmet  of  peace  in  186,5.  Mr. 
Mills  remained  with  the  command  through  its  whole  period  of  service,  which  he  left 
with  an  honorable  discharge  and  the  rank  of  lieutenant.  This  is  not  the  place  to  enter 
upon  the  details  of  so  long  a  period  of  active  service  in  the  :iniiv,     Tliose  who  are  fa- 


^Wj::ZA^ 


.fW 


BrOGRAPHICAL.  525 

miliar  with  the  work  of  the  cavahy  arm  of  the  great  Eastern  brancli  of  the  armies  of 
the  Union  will  not  need  to  be  informed  what  it  meant  to  pass  through  four  years  of 
active  service  therein.  Mr.  Mills  endured  the  hardships  of  the  soldier  with  the  forti- 
tude born  of  great  physical  strength  and  personal  bravery.  He  was  twice  wounded — 
once  by  a  saber  cut  across  his  hand  in  a  personal  encounter,  and  once  by  a  shot  in  the 
leg,  while  on  more  than  one  occasion  he  escaped  bullets  that  left  their  marks  in  his 
clothing.  He  was  taken  prisoner,  with  130  others,  by  the  notorious  Mosby,  but  the 
oncoming  of  the  battle  of  Opequan  enabled  them  to  escape  after  twenty-four  hours' 
confinement. 

Returning  from  the  army  in  August,  1865,  he  contemplated  finishing  his  collegiate 
course,  but  the  long  interruption  in  his  studies  and  an  ardent  desire  to  enter  act- 
ively upon  the  profession  which  he  has  since  followed,  led  him  to  abandon  that 
plan  and  he  entered  the  Michigan  University  Law  School  in  1865  and  graduated 
therefrom  in  June,  1867.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  this  State,  having  in  the  meantime  become  a  student  in  the  office  of  Hon.  George 
A.  Hardin  at  Little  Falls.  He  began  practice  in  1868  in  Newport,  Herkimer  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  until  1875.  From  the  very  outset  of  his  career  Mr.  Mills 
felt  a  deep  interest  in  politics  and  his  natural  and  acquired  qualifications  equipped  him 
thoroughly  for  active  work  in  that  field.  He  is  a  ready-and  forcible  speaker,  has  al- 
ways kept  abreast  of  the  times  and  conversant  with  all^matters  of  public  interest,  and 
it  is  not,  therefore,  remarkable  that  he  has  attained  success  in  politics.  He  has  always 
been  a  steadfast  Republican,  and  in  every  campaign  since  18G8  he  has  been  a  prom- 
inent and  aggressive  factor  and  his  influence,  particularly  in  his  own  Con- 
gressional district,  has  been  powerful  for  the  advancement  of  the  principles 
of  Republicanism  and  the  success  of  candidates  of  that  party.  In  the  fall^of  1870,  m 
recognition  of  his  ability  as  a  lawyer,  his  considerable  experience  in  dealing  with  the 
cases  of  criminals,  and  his  earnest  efforts  in  the  political  field,  Mr.  Mills  was  elected  dis- 
trict attorney  of  Herkimer  county,  beginning  his  term  of  service  January  1,  1871. 
This  office  he  held  two  terms  of  three  years  each,  and  it  is  sufficient  and  no  disparage- 
ment to  other  officials,  to  state  that  never  for  a  like  period  were  the  criminal  cases  of 
Herkimer  county  more  efficiently  conducted.  At  least  three  important  capital  cases 
came  into  his  hands,  and  convictions  were  secured  in  all.  He  retired  from  the  office 
still  more  firmly  established  in  the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  and  with  his  legal 
reputation  greatlv  enhanced. 

In  the  fall  of  1879  Mr.  Mills  secured  the  nomination  and  was  elected  to  the  State 
Senate,  where  he  remained  one  term.  In  that  body  he  was  a  member  of  the  judiciary 
committee,  vvhich,  among  other  matters,  performed  very  important  work  on  the  new 
Code  of  Civil  Procedure,  which  was  adopted  during  that  time.  Judge  William  H. 
Robertson,  of  Westchester  county,  was  chairman  of  the  committee.  Mr.  Mills  was  also 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  corporations,  before  which  came  important  legislation. 
In  the  great  contest  over  the  election  of  United  States  Senator,  after  the  resignation 
of  Mr.  Conkling  and  the  resulting  election  of  Senator  Warner  Miller,  Mr.  Mills  was  an 
active  and  efficient  participant. 
67 


52G  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Retiring  from  the  Senate,  Mr.  Mills  gave  liis  undivided  attention  to  liis  large  and  in- 
creasing law  practice,  except  as  he  was  called  into  the  service  of  his  party  in  the 
various  campaigns.  In  the  fall  of  1892  he  barely  escaped  the  nomination  for  Congress, 
and,  while  it  is  not  the  province  of  the  biographer  to  write  prophecy,  it  cannot  be  out 
of  place  to  hazard  the  prediction  that  in  the  near  future  Mr.  Mills  will  receive  further 
honors  from  his  party  if  he  will  accept  them. 

From  the  time  when  he  began  practice  in  Little  Falls  (1875)  Mr.  Mills  was  a  partner 
with  Mr.  Charles  J.  Palmer  and  Mr.  Kendrick  E.  Morgan,  of  the  firm  of  Mills, 
Palmer  &  Morgan.  This  firm  was  dissolved  in  1885,  and  he  subsequently  practiced 
alone  until  January  1,  1893,  when  he  became  a  member  of  the  prominent  law  firm  of 
Kennedy,  Tracy,  Mills  &  Ayling,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  He  stills  retains  his  residence  and 
an  office  in  Little  Falls. 

Mr.  Mills's  most  prominent  characteristics  are  indomitable  energy  and  perseverance, 
large  mental  capacity  and  inborn  uprightness  and  integrity.  While  easy  and  courteous 
with  those  who  approach  him,  his  quickness  of  thought  and  ready  apprehension  of 
what  is  said  to  him  give  him  at  times  a  manner  of  brusqueness.  -  But  his  persistence  in 
the  study  and  preparation  of  his  cases  and  the  natural  intuition  that  enables  him  to  see 
both  their  weak  and  their  strong  features,  are  well  known  among  his  brethren  at  the 
bar  and  his  clients. 

Mr.  Mills  was  married  in  1872  to  Mary  Barrj',  of  Newport,  Herkimer  county.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Standish  Barry,  who  was  assistant  United  States  treasurer 
under  Francis  B.  Spinner  during  the  war  period. 


ALPHONZO   DELOS    MARSHALL 

Was  born  in  the  town  of  Trenton,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  Jannary  8,  1819.  His  father 
was  Romeo  Marshall,  a  respected  farmer,  and  his  mother  was  Miss  Hariet  Van  Ant- 
werp. As  a  boy  A.  D.  Marshall  was  brought  up  on  his  father's  farm,  and  formed  those 
habits  of  industry  and  practical  labor  to  which  he  adhered  through  life.  When  he 
reached  his  majority  he  engaged  in  business  in  Frankfort  village  with  the  late  John 
Stillwell,  and  in  1845  the  firm  removed  to  Mohawk.  They  carried  on  a  successful  mer- 
cantile business  together  for  eighteen  years,  until  1867,  when  Mr,  Stilwell  retired,  and 
Reuben  Walker  became  a  member  of  the  firm.  Not  long  afterward  Mr.  Marshall  sold 
his  interest  in  the  business  to  Mr.  Walker  and  retired  from  mercantile  pursuits.  In  his 
business  career  Mr.  Marshall  followed  the  strict  rules  of  integrity  which  underlie  all 
honorable  success,  and  by  his  uprightness,  fairness  and  liberality  won  the  good  will  of 
all  with  whom  he  had  business  relations.  His  natural  business  qualifications  and  the 
confidence  felt  in  him  by  the  community  brought  him  a  large  measure  of  success. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  a  man  of  unusual  public  spirit,  and  his  substantial  aid  and  generous 
support  were  always  freely  given  to  any  measure  of  public  improvement  which  re- 
ceived his  sanction.  His  interest  in  public  affairs  led  him  to  considerable  activity  in 
politics,  though  not  in  any  sense  as  a  mere  partisan.  A  Republican  of  the  stauuchest 
character,  he  found  ample  favor  from  that  party,  and  in  1872  was  called  as  a  candidate 


filOaRAPHICAL.  627 

for  the  office  of  county  treasurer  and  elected.  So  satisfactory  was  his  administration 
of  the  duties  of  the  responsible  trust  that  he  was  recalled  and  served  the  second  term. 
Other  political  preferment  was  tendered  him,  and  he  filled  acceptably  the  several  vil- 
lage offices  which  he  was  asked  to  fill.  The  confidence  of  the  business  community  in 
Mr.  Marshall  was  shown  in  his  selection  as  president  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  Hotel 
Company,  treasurer  of  tlie  Mohawk  and  Ilion  Railroad  Company  and  director  of  the 
National  Mohawk  Valley  Bank.  In  these  several  stations  he  exhibited  those  prudent 
and  sagacious  business  qualifications  which  had  contributed  so  much  to  his  previous 
personal  success,  and  by  his  genial,  warm-hearted  temperament  won  a  place  in  the 
hearts  of  his  associates  that  was  equally  gratifying  to  them  and  to  himself.  At  a  meet- 
ing of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  National  Mohawk  Valley  Bank  soon  after  his 
death,  a  series  of  resolutions  was  adopted  in  eulogy  of  the  deceased,  in  which  appeared 
the  following  expression  :  "  That  in  his  decease  the  National  Mohawk  Valley  Bank 
has  lost  a  wise  and  discreet  member  of  its  board  of  directors,  the  social  circle  in  which 
he  moved  has  lost  a  contributor  to  its  enjoyment,  and  society  at  large  has  lost  a  mem- 
ber whose  excellence  of  heart,  rare  gifts  of  goodness,  unostentatious  charity  and  lib- 
eral benefactions  render  his  loss  a  public  calamity.  As  a  man  he  was  honorable  and 
enthusiastic ;  as  a  citizen  he  was  large-hearted  and  hberal ;  as  a  friend  he  was  true, 
loyal,  genial  and  consistent ;  as  a  business  man  he  was  honest,  and  hated  fraud  and 
artifice  with  an  undisguised  detestation  ;  in  his  family  circle  he  was  indulgent,  affec- 
tionate and  lovable."  Similar  expressions  were  also  made  by  the  Masonic  lodge,  of 
which  he  was  an  honored  member. 

The  traits  of  Mr.  Marshall's  character  which  were  most  con.spicuouswere  his  abound- 
ing kindheartedness  and  his  sympathy  with  those  in  trouble  and  consequent  readi- 
ness to  alleviate  sorrow  wherever  he  found  it.  These  traits  gave  him  a  remarkably 
large  circle  of  sincere  friends.  A  local  new.spaper  in  a  notice  printed  after  his  death 
spoke  as  follows  of  his  personality  :  "  He  had  won  his  way  into  the  confidence,  re- 
spect and  sincere  friendship  of  our  entire  county,  and  there  was  none  with  whom  he 
associated  who  will  not  ever  gratefully  recall  the  memory  of  his  genial  disposition,  his 
free,  open  manners,  his  warm,  generous  heart,  and  his  unbounded  hospitality.  To  his 
own  community  his  death  is  indeed  a  heavy  loss.  He  was  public-spirited,  tender- 
hearted, full  of  kindly  impulses  and  abounding  in  deeds  of  love  and  charity  to  those 
around  him.  In  business  he  was  honest,  truthful  and  successful;  in  his  social  relations 
he  was  kind,  courteous  and  popular ;  in  official  position  he  was  trustworthy,  vigilant 
and  upright." 

Mr.  Marshall  was  married  in  September,  1877,  to  Helen  M.  Curtiss,  who  survives  him 
and  resides  in  Mohawk.     Mr.  Marshall's  death  took  place  June  28,  1881. 


ROLLIN   HURLBUT  SMITH, 

Of  Little  Falls,  was  born  at  that  place  January  3,  1838.  He  is  a  son  of  Christopher 
Smith  and  grandson  of  Richard  Smith,  who  came  from  Rhode  Island  and  settled  in 
Fairfield  shortly  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War.     His  mother,  Nancy  Hurl- 


628  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

but,  was  a  daughter  of  Uriah  Hurlbut,  of  Fairfield,  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Hurlbiit, 
one  of  the  eleven  men  sent  from  England  by  Lords  Say  and  Seal  and  Brooke,  under 
Lion  Gardiner,  and  who  built  the  fort  near  the  mouth  of  the  Connecticut  River  atSay- 
brooke  in  1G35.  Thomas  Hurlbut  received  a  grant  from  the  Colony  of  150  acres  of 
land  tor  services  in  the  Pequot  war.  The  Smiths  in  the  early  days  of  Rhode  Island 
were  Quakers,  and  the  Friends'  Record  speaks  of  Christopher  Smith,  the  first  of  the 
family  to  come  to  this  country,  about  1640,  as  "an  ancient  friend  of  Providence." 

Christopher  Smith,  the  father  of  Judge  Smith,  removed  to  Little  Falls  from  Fairfield 
about  the  year  1829,  and  was  for  many  years  extentively  engaged  in  mercantile  and 
storage  and  forwarding  business  on  the  Erie  Canal. 

Rollin  H.  Smith,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the  )'oungest  of  four  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in, infancy,  and  the  eldest,  Sarah  H,.  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years.  He  attended  the  common  school,  and  afterwards  the  academy  at  Little  Falls 
until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  obtained  employment  as  a  clerk  in  a  store,  and  re- 
mained so  employed  several  years.  He  then  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  George 
A.  Hardin  as  a  student,  and  afterwards  studied  with  Judge  Hiram  Nolton,  from  whose 
office  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1803.  He  immediately  opened  an  office  m  his  na- 
tive village  and  has  resided  there  ever  since. 

Judge  Smith's  law  practice  has  consisted  mostly  of  cases  in  equity,  many  of  which 
have  involved  large  interests,  and  in  which  he  has  been  very  successful.  One  of  these 
was  the  defense  of  the  will  of  Daniel  Klock,  of  Manheim,  in  which  litigation  seven 
actions  were  instituted  against  his  client,  and  which  resulted  in  securing  for  her  about 
$4,500,  devised  to  her  by  the  will  of  her  husband.  He  is  now  engaged  in  defending  a 
suit  in  equity  brought  by  William  Seward  Webb  against  Morrison  &  Richardson,  in- 
volving large  interests  in  the  Adirondack  wilderness,  and  which  has  excited  much  pub- 
lic interest.  He  has  also  had  the  care,  as  attorney,  of  several  large  estates,  always  with 
satisfactory  results.  In  the  preparation  of  legal  arguments,  and  in  presenting  them  to 
the  court,  he  spares  no  pains  to  make  them  exhaustive  in  every  liglit  in  which  the  case 
can  be  fairly  presented.  This  characteristic,  together  with  his  recognized  integrity  as  a 
lawyer  and  citizen,  has  brought  him  clients  of  a  substantial  class  having  important  in- 
terests to  be  cared  for. 

In  politics  Judge  Smith  has  always  been  a  firm  believer  in  Jeffersonian  Democracy, 
and  although  his  party  in  the  county  has  been  since  1856  in  an  almost  hopeless  minority 
and  a  nomination  for  office  an  empty  honor,  he  was  brought  forward  in  1883  by  his 
friends  and  induced  to  accept  the  Democratic  nomination  for  the  office  of  county  judge 
and  surrogate.  He  was  elected,  being  the  first  and  only  Democratic  county  judge  since 
1856.  In  this  office  his  characteristic  fairness,  positive  integrity  and  knowledge  of  the 
law  were  prominently  set  forth.  In  the  administration  of  the  criminal  law  he  displayed 
in  his  rulings  such  knowledge  of  all  its  branches  that  but  one  of  the  cases  tried  before 
him  was  reversed  during  his  term  of  six  years. 

As  judge  and  surrogate,  Judge  Smith  was  also  known  for  his  uniform  courtesy  to  all 
who  appeared  before  him,  and  all  official  business  received  his  careful  and  intelligent 
attention.  In  1887  he  was  married  to  Miss  Nellie  Bramer,  the  accomplished  daughter 
of  Frank  Bramer,  of  Little  Falls. 


^m^. 


C2/    y/Uee/€4. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  529 

From  early  manhood  Judge  Smith  has  taken  much  interest  in  puhlic  affairs,  par- 
ticularly those  connected  with  the  material  development  and  progress  of  his  native 
village.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  one  of  the  first  directors  of  the  Little  Falls 
National  Bank;  one  of  the  orignial  stock-holders  of  the  Superior  Furnace  Company, 
and  is  at  present  one  of  the  village  water  commissioners.  He  has  been  repeatedly  called 
to  fill  village  offices,  such  as  corporation  attorney,  etc.  In  1877  he  was  placed  on  the 
Board  of  Education,  and  for  sixteen  years  has  been  its  president.  During  this  period 
great  advancement  has  been  made  in  curriculum,  a  graded  system  has  been  established, 
and  a  superintendent  employed,  by  which  changes  the  pubUc  schools  of  Little  Falls 
have  been  placed  in  line  with  the  latest  and  most  approved  school  systems. 


WILLIAM  T.  WHEELER 

Was  born  near  Cooperstown,  Otsego  county,  December  14,  1817,  and  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Little  Falls  in  1841,  and  carrried  on  the  business  of  hardware  and  tinsmith 
from  that  time  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  his  residence  on  Lansing  street  Jan- 
uary 3,  1885.  He  married  Sarah  A.  Higby,  who  died  October  31,  18G9.  Their  only 
child  is  Charles  V.  Wheeler,  who  succeeded  to  his  father's  business,  and  now  carries  on 
the  same  in  the  block  owned  by  deceased  and  Mr.  W.  G.  Milligan  at  the  corner  of  Ann 
and  Main  streets.  He  was  several  years  president  of  the  Little  Falls  Gas  Light  Com- 
pany and  subsequently  of  the  Henry  Cheney  Hammer  Company,  having  aided  in  its 
organization  in  1882.  He  was  Past  Eminent  Commander,  having  been  many  years  a 
member  of  the  Knights  Templar  Commandery  No.  26,  Litlle  Falls.  He  was  also  senior 
warden  of  Emanuel  church,  which  position  he  held  many  years  with  great  fidelity.  He 
was  half  owner  of,  and  supervised  the  construction  of  the  Hardin  and  Wheeler  block  on 
the  south  side  of  Main  street.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  great  modesty  and  retiring  in 
his  habits;  of  unquestioned  integrity  in  business;  a  warm  friend  and  a  valuable  citizen, 
enjoying  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  highest  respect   of  his  neighbors. 


JONAS  S.  BARNET. 

No  citizen  of  Little  Falls  is  better  known  or  more  highly  esteemed  than  Jonas  S. 
Barnet.  He  has  attained  a  very  high  position  in  the  business  life  of  the  village,  and  is 
one  of  the  foremost,  not  only  in  his  private  aflfairs,  but  in  those  which  concern  the  pub- 
lic as  well.  He  also  carries  on  stores  in  New  York  city  and  Boston  for  the  sale  of  the 
products  of  his  tanneries.  Mr.  Barnet  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  March  19,  1849, 
and  is  a  son  of  Solomon  Gotz  Barnet.  He  passed  his  youth  in  his  native  land,  and  re- 
ceived a  good  business  education  during  that  time.  In  July,  1870,  Mr.  Barnet  came  to 
the  United  States  of  America,  as  many  other  young  men  have  done.  He  became  en- 
gaged in  the  leather  industry,  as.sociating  with  him  his  brother,  Morris  S.  Barnet,  in 
1877.     In  1883  the  firm   built  the  tannery  at  Little  Falls,  and  in  1887  they  equipped  a 


o30  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

new  plant  at  the  same  location.  They  have  since  acquired  large  business  interests  in 
tliis  line  and  are  one  of  the  most  successful  tanning  firms  in  the  country.  J.  S.  Barnet 
&  Bro.  have  at  present,  in  a<IJitioM  to  their  large  tannery  at  Little  Falls,  an  establish- 
ment at  Gloversville,  which  they  have  conducted  for  some  time,  and  it  is  very  s\icce.ss- 
ful.  The  Little  Falls  establishment,  under  tlie  management  of  its  present  proprietor."", 
has  been  greatly  increased  in  its  capacity  and  in  the  amount  of  business  which  it  car- 
ries on.  There  are  now  employed  there  about  175  hands,  and  the  pay  roll  is  a  very 
large  one.  It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  say  that  J.  S.  Barnet  &  Bro.'s  industry  is  one  of 
the  leading  features  of  business  life  at  Little  Falls.  Jonas  S.  Barnet,  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  this  concern,  has  siiown  himself  possessed  of  the  liighest  order  of  business  quali- 
fications. Not  only  is  this  manifest  in  the  succes.sful  conduct  of  the  large  tannery  of 
which  he  is  the  head,  but  he  has  also  given  his  counsel  and  experience  in  public  aflairs 
largely  for  the  benefit  of  the  village.  He  was  chosen  in  May,  1892,  as  one  of  the  board 
of  police  and  fire  commissioners,  and  in  this  capacity  he  has  proven  himself  in  every 
way  worthy  of  the  confidence  which  has  been  repo.«ed  in  him.  Mr.  Barnet  married 
Hannah  Dick,  daughter  of  Bernhard  and  Sarah  Dick,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  They  have 
eleven  children  :  five  sons  and  six  daughters. 


JORAM    PETREE. 

The  reader  of  the  early  chapters  of  this  volume  has  learned  much  of  the  lives  of  the 
Palatines,  who  were  the  first  civilized  settlers  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  and  whose 
struggles  in  the  new  country  began  many  years  before  the  opening  of  the  great  war- 
fare which  gave  to  the  American  colonies  their  freedom  Those  Germans,  driven  from 
their  foreign  homes  by  religious  persecution,  performed  deeds  of  heroism,  endured  trials 
and  vicissitudes,  and  often  gave  up  their  lives  in  their  efforts  to  establish  peaceful 
homes  in  the  wilderness  where  they  could  rear  their  children  and  leave  their  sturdy 
descendants  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  blessing  of  religious  and  social  liberty.  From  one 
of  these  hardy  pioneers  was  directly  descended  Joram  Petree,  great-grandson  of  Johan 
Jost  Petree,  who  came  to  this  country  probably  a  little  earlier  than  1725,  settled  in  the 
Mohawk  valley,  and  was  one  of  the  original  patentees  of  Burnetsfield,  on  which  the 
village  of  Little  Falls  is  partly  built. 

Joram  Petree  was  born  in  1802,  on  the  family  homestead  about  two  miles  north  of 
the  village  of  Little  Falls,  but  made  the  village  his  home  after  his  boyhood.  His  youth 
and  its  opportunities  were  neither  better  nor  worse  than  those  of  other  boys  of  that 
early  day,  and  his  education  was  such  as  he  was  able  to  obtain  in  the  country  schools. 
His  father  was  Jost  Diedrich  Petree,  who  was  an  exceptionally  prosperous  farmer  on 
the  place  afterwards  occupied  by  the  late  Moses  Petree;  but  Joram  Petree  had  larger 
ambition  than  tilling  the  soil,  and  possessed  mercantile  predilections  which  greatly  in- 
fluenced his  after  life.  About  the  year  1825,  and  when  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
he  joined  with  his  brother  David  in  a  mercantile  business  in  a  store  on  the  south  side 
of  Main  street,  Little  Falls,  the  site  now  being  occupied  by  the  Skinner  Opera  House. 
The  stock  of  goods  handled  by  the  brothers  was  one  of  the  largest  of  the  time,  and  like 
most  early  country  stores,  embraced  dry  goods,  groceries  and  hardware.  They  were 
eminently  successful  from  the  first,  and  in  1838,  in  order  to  extend  their  business  oper- 


BIOaRAPHICAL.  531 

ations,  they  purchased  the  iron  foundry  of  Samuel  Smith,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Furnace  streets,  the  present  site  of  the  knitting  mill  of  Titus  Sheard.  The  foundry 
facilities  were  then  largely  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  cooking  and  parlor  stoves. 
The  foundry  was  conducted  by  the  brothers  until  1856.  After  the  opening  of  the  Erie 
canal,  Mr.  Petree  took  a  practical  interest  in  its  prosperity,  and  foresaw  its  great  im- 
portance to  all  business  interests  along  its  line,  as  well  as  to  the  passenger  traffic  between 
New  York,  Albany  and  the  young  and  growing  "West."  He  became  a  large  stock- 
holder in  a  line  of  packet  boats  running  between  Schenectady  and  Utica,  as  early  as 
1845,  and  had  substantially  the  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  line.  Under  his 
efficient  direction  the  enterprise  was  highly  prosperous,  and  from  his  holdings  in  it  he 
realized  large  profits.  The  time  came,  however,  when  the  opening  of  the  railroad  (now 
the  New  York  Central)  curtailed  the  business  and  profits  of  passenger  carriage  on  the 
canal,  and  it  is  conclusive  evidence  of  Mr.  Petree's  business  foresight  and  ability  to 
cope  with  the  inevitable  changes  incident  to  the  growth  and  development  of  the  country, 
so  as  to  stand  as  a  gainer  instead  of  a  loser  thereby,  that  in  1854  he  purchased  the 
entire  line  of  boats  of  the  company,  transported  them  westward  through  the  can.il  and 
Lake  Erie  to  the  then  more  recent  Toledo  and  Wabash  canal,  extending  between 
Toledo,  Ohio,  and  Lafayette,  Ind.,  where  a  line  was  established  which  he  actively 
managed,  and  of  which  he  was  the  principal  stockholder.  He  did  not,  however, 
change  his  residence  from  Little  Falls,  for  which  village  he  always  retained  the  warmest 
affection  and  for  whose  welfare  he  was  ever  desirous. 

Mr.  Petree's  long  business  career  was  marked  by  its  unvarying  success.  Enterprising 
and  energetic  at  all  times,  yet  prudent  and  sagacious,  the  conduct  of  his  varied  interests 
was  founded  upon  those  principles  of  integrity  and  fairness  towards  his  fellow-men 
which,  must  underlie  and  almost  always  prove  responsible  for  such  success  as  he 
attained.  He  was,  for  the  period  covering  his  active  lite,  a  bold  and  self-reHant  oper- 
ator, and  gained  the  confidence  and  respect  of  those  with  whom  he  had  business  rela- 
tions. He  possessed  broad  and  liberal  views  of  life,  and  his  counsel  was  esteemed  by 
all  who  sought  to  profit  by  it  in  practical  affairs. 

Mr.  Petree  was  married  on  the  13th  of  June,  1838,  to  Frances  Ford,  daughter  of 
Philip  Ford,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  To  them  were  born  tour  children,  Fanny  F,,  now  the  wife 
of  0.  O.  Cottle,  of  Bufl'alo;  Eugenia,  died  at  the  age  of  si.\  months  ;  Edmund  Clarence, 
deceased,  aged  seven  3'ears;  and  Charles  L.,  living  at  Little  Falls.  Mrs.  Petree  died 
October  5,  1862,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years,  six  months  and  four  days.  Joram 
Petree  died  October  16,  1869,  aged  sixty-seven  years. 

In  his  home  lite,  in  companionship  with  his  wife  and  children,  Mr.  Petree  was  kind, 
faithful,  and  solicitous  for  their  welfare  and  happiness.  To  give  them  comfort  was  his 
highest  pleasure,  and  to  leave  to  them  the  heritage  of  a  good  and  honorable  name  his 
best  ambition. 


JOHN  W.  VROOMAN. 

It  is  well  known  to  readers  of  this  volume  that  the  Mohawk  Valley  was  the  birth- 
place and  dwelling  place  of  many  men  and  women  whose  names  are  memorable  in  his- 
tory, and  whose  descendants  have  risen  to  distinction  in  the  State  and  nation.     Con- 


532  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

spicuous  among  these  names  is  that  of  Vrooman.  Far  back  in  the  bloody  annals  of  the 
frontier  of  what  became  the  Empire  State,  at  a  period  when  the  beautiful  valley  of  the 
historic  stream  which  took  its  name  from  the  original  occupants  of  the  soil,  and  when 
the  valley  was  fiercely  fought  for  by  representatives  of  three  European  powers,  each 
eager  to  drive  the  others  and  the  Indians  from  it,  we  learn  that  the  Vroomans  were  ac- 
tively conspicuous  in  the  stirring  events  of  the  time.  At  the  burning  of  Schenectady, 
February  9,  1G90,  the  record  says  that  Hendrick  Meese  and  Bartholomeus  Vrooman 
were  "  kild  and  burnt,"  and  ''Barent,  ye  Sonne  of  Adam  Vrooman,"  was  taken  prisoner 
and  carried  to  Canada. 

These  Vroomans,  like  many  others  of  the  original  white  settlers  along  the  Hud- 
son and  Mohawk  rivers,  were  Holland  Dutch,  a  sturdy,  heroic  and  virtuous  peo- 
ple, and  from  them  is  directly  descended  John  W.  Vrooman,  whose  lineage  is  traced 
back  to  Count  Egmont.  On  his  paternal  side  his  grandmother  was  a  Casler,  a  family 
name  that  also  stands  with  especial  prominence  upon  the  pages  of  the  history  of  the 
Mohawk  Valley,  and  she  was  closely  related  to  the  brave  General  Herkimer.  The 
father  of  Jolin  W.  Vrooman  was  Nicholas  Vrooman,  who  was  a  farmer  of  limited  mean.s, 
a  condition  that  reflected  against  the  early  opportunities  of  the  son.  His  mother's  maid- 
en name  was  Christina  Wright. 

John  W.  Vrooman  was  born  in  the  town  of  German  Flats,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y., 
on  the  28th  of  March,  1844.  In  his  elTorts  to  obtain  a  good  education  he  met  and  sur- 
mounted obstacles  common  to  many  who  were  reared  in  similar  circumstances. 
His  attendance  at  the  district  school  was  intermitted  with  labor  on  the  farm,  and  during 
his  subsequent  terms  in  the  Little  Falls  Academy  he  was  compelled  to  live  in  the  most 
economical  manner,  working  much  on  the  farm  by  day  in  his  vacations  and  studying 
at  night.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  teaclung  school  in  winter,  continuing  his 
academic  studies  in  the  summer,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  entered  the  office  of 
Judge  Ezra  Graves  in  Herkimer  to  study  law.  Here  also  he  devoted  himself  in  the 
winter  months  to  teaching,  thus  obtaining  money  for  his  current  expenses.  At  the  age 
of  nineteen,  while  a  student  in  the  law  office,  he  volunteered  in  the  United  States  Navy 
and  was  engaged  on  board  the  Vanderhilt  in  cruising  after  blockade  runners  until  the 
winter  of  1864-,'),  when  that  steamer  joined  the  North  Atlantic  Blockading  Squadron, 
and  he  i)articipated  in  the  two  battles  of  Fort  Fisher.  Hecontmued  in  the  service  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged.  He  resumed  the  study  of  the 
law  and  in  October,  1866,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Herkimer.  In  November,  1867,  Mr.  Vrooman  was  married  to  Ann  Ford, 
of  Mohawk.  January  1, 1868,  the  surrogate  of  the  county,  Amos  H.  Prescott,  appointed 
Mr.  Vrooman  chief  clerk,  a  position  which  he  faithfully  and  efficiently  filled  for  ten 
years.  In  January,  1876,  he  was  appointed  deputy  clerk  of  the  Assembly,  was  de- 
tailed as  financial  clerk  thereof,  and  reappointed  the  next  year.  In  1877  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  Herkimer  county  delegation  to  the  Rochester  convention,  at  which  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Republican  State  Committee.  Mr.  Vrooman  had  already 
shown  his  po.ssession  of  special  aptitude  and  unusual  capacity  for  successful  political 
work,  and  the  preferment  mentioned  and  other  subsequent  advancement  are  largely 
due  to  those  qualities  and  the  energy  and  unselfishness  with  which  he  used  them  for 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  533 

the  good  of  his  party.  At  the  time  of  his  election  on  tlie  State  Committee  he  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  large  and  friendly  political  acquaintanceship  and  by  tliem  he  was  induced 
to  enter  into  the  contest  for  the  clerkship  of  the  Senate,  resulting  in  his  election  to  that 
office  January  1,  1878.  In  this  responsible  position  he  served  ten  years  (1878-88),  be- 
ing elected  five  successive  terms,  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  many  prominent 
men  of  both  parties  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He  declined  to  stand  as  a  candi- 
date for  further  election,  and  at  the  close  of  his  official  career  the  following  resolutions 
were  unanimously  adopted  by  the  State  Senate: 

"  Resolved,  That  to  the  Hon.  John  W.  Vrooman,  who  has  for  ten  years  past  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  Clerk  of  the  Senate  with  marked  ability  and  courtesy,  we  hereby 
tender  our  congratulations  upon  the  honorable  reputation  he  has  maintained  during  the 
period  of  his  public  service.  We  entertain  the  highest  respect  for  his  many  virtues 
and  invoke  upon  him  in  his  future  career  unclouded  success. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  of  the  Senate  be  and  he  is  hereby  instructed  to  transmit 
to  Mr.  Vrooman  an  engrossed  copy  of  these  resolutions,  as  a  token  of  regard  from  the 
Senate  of  the  State  of  New  York." 

He  served  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  State  Committee  for  eight  years,  and  as 
secretary  of  the  Republican  State  Committee  seven  years  (^1880-81-83-84-85-86-88). 
In  the  last  named  year  he  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  office  and  retired  from 
politics,  leaving  a  record  singularly  free  from  criticism  in  either  party.  In  1889, 
after  his  retirement,  he  was  urged  to  head  the  ticket  put  in  the  field  by  the  Re- 
publican State  Convention,  but  declined.  In  September,  1891,  he  was  again  urged  to 
allow  his  name  to  be  placed  upon  the  Republican  State  ticket  and  the  convention  unan- 
imously nominated  him  as  lieutenant-governor.  Although  the  ticket  was  defeated,  Mr. 
Vrooman  ran  ahead  in  nearly  every  locality  and  in  the  aggregate  about  fifteen  thousand 
votes.  In  1892  he  was  a  presidential  elector  on  the  Republican  ticket  for  New  York 
State. 

Mr.  Vrooman,  upon  leaving  the  Senate,  immediately  turned  his  attention  to  business 
enterprise,  in  which  he  has  met  with  deserved  success.  He  engaged  in  banking  in 
Herkimer  village,  but  was  called  from  that  in  1890  by  his  election  to  the  office  of  treas- 
urer of  the  Mutual  Reserve  Fund  Tiife  Association  of  New  York,  and  chairman  of  the 
executive  committee.  This  office  came  to  him  unsought  and  its  great  importance  in  a 
business  and  financial  sense,  with  the  highly  complimentary  letter  announcing  his  elec- 
tion, constitute  a  tribute  to  his  character  and  ability  of  which  he  is  justly  proud.  The 
duties  of  his  office  take  him  to  New  York  city,  where  he  finds  a  host  of  congenial 
friends,  but  he  retains  his  residence  in  Herkimer. 

Mr.  Vrooman  has  for  many  years  been  conspicuous  in  the  Order  of  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons.  He  was  made  a  Mason  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  in  Herkimer  Lodge, 
No.  423,  F.  and  A.  M. ;  served  as  Secretary,  Senior  Deacon  and  Senior  Warden  of  his 
lodge  ;  also  Acting  Master  one  year  and  Wor.sliipful  Master  three  years.  He  was  ap- 
pointed Senior  Grand  Deacon  of  the  Grand  Lodge  by  five  successive  Grand  Masters, 
and  then  elected  Junior  Grand  Warden  for  two  years,  Senior  Grand  Warden  for  two 
years,  and  Deputy  Grand  Master  for  four  years.  The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State,  at  its 
annual  session  held  in  New  York,  June,  1890,  elected  him  by  a  uuauimous  vote  Most 
Worshipful  Grand  Master,  and  in  June,  1891,  he  was  unanimously  re-elected.  His 
08 


534  niSTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

addresses,  in  Uraiiil  Lodge,  were  remarkable  tor  the  concise  and  masterly  manner  ii. 
which  he  presented  the  condition  of  the  Fraternity  in  the  jurisdiction.  In  -June,  ISrrj 
he  was  unanimously  elected  Grand  Master  for  a  third  term,  but  declined  further  servic 
in  that  high  office.  He  is  a  member  of  Iroquois  Chapter,  No.  2.36,  Royal  Arch  Masons, 
at  Ilion,  N.  Y.,  and  of  Utica  Commandery,  No.  3,  Knights  Templar.  He  has  been 
favored  with  honorary  membership  in  a  number  of  Masonic  lodges ;  among  them  may 
be  mentioned  Anglo-American  Lodge  and  Bloomsbury  Rifles  Lodge  of  London,  Englan'i 
It  will  be  observed  that  he  was  elected  by  eight  hundred  representatives  in  the  Grand 
Lod»e  eleven  successive  times  to  various  positions,  and  in  no  instance  was  there  a 
candidate  named  against  him  or  a  vote  cast  against  him. 

If  such  a  thing  were  possible,  it  might  be  inferred  that  Mr.  Vrooman  inherited  hi- 
Masonic  predilections,  for  among  his  ancestors  were  men  of  distinction  in  that  order. 
In  a  historical  sketch  of  St.  George's  Lodge,  Schenectady,  which  was  founded  under  the 
auspices  of  Sir  .lohn  Johnson,  the  record  shows  that  Walter  Vrooman,  a  direct  ancestor 
of  John  W..  was  a  member  of  that  lodge,  and  that  Lawrence  Vrooman  was  for  a  time 
its  secretary.  The  following  resolution  appears  on  the  lodge  record  for  December  26, 
1780,  and  is  of  peculiar  interest  in  this  connection : 

Resolved,  That  fifty  shillings,  hard  money,  out  of  the  funds  of  this  Lodge,  shall  \n- 
delivered  into  the  hands  of  brother  Robert  Alexander,  for  the  use  of  brother  Walter 
Vrooman's  family,  who  is  now  captive  with  the  enemy,  and  the  same  amount  be  paid 
into  the  hands  of  John  Cummins,  for  the  >ise  of  brother  Andrew  Ryner's  family,  who 
is  also  taken  captive. 

In  the  social  life  of  the  metropolis,  as  well  as  in  Albany,  Mr.  Vrooman  has  long  oc- 
cupied an  enviable  position.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Holland  Society  and  of  the  New 
York  State  Volunteer  Firemen's  Home.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  Club  of 
New  York,  the  Lotos  Club,  the  American  Yacht  Club,  and  the  Farragut  Naval  Veteran 
Association,  all  of  New  York  city,  and  of  Aaron  Helmer  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Herkimer. 
A1.S0  an  honorary  member  of  the  Montauk  Club  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn.  These 
honors  have  been  bestowed  upon  him,  not  through  persi.stent  effort  of  himself  or 
friends,  but  as  a  tribute  to  his  geniality,  knowledge  of  affairs,  and  the  universal  courtesy 
which  has  won  him  so  much  popularity. 

Mr.  Vrooman  has  for  many  years  been  an  earnest,  active  and  consistent  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  For  several  years  he  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  Herkimer,  and  for  fifteen  years  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school  of  his  church  in  that  place.  While  never  offensively  aggressive  in  the  expression 
of  his  views  of  Christianity,  he  has  always  shown  himself  ready  to  uphold  the  princi- 
ples he  professes  on  all  proper  occasions,  and  is  frequently  called  upon  to  address  Sun- 
day schools,  Young  People's  Christian  Associations,  and  other  societies  of  young  peo- 
ple, for  whom  he  always  feels  the  deepest  interest. 

After  twenty-five  years  of  public  life,  during  which  he  was  constantly  forming  new 
acquaintatjces  and  making  new  friends,  Mr.  Vrooman  now  finds  himself  standing  h'gh 
in  the  estimation  of  all,  and  one  of  the  widest  known  and  most  popular  men  of  this 
State.  He  possesses  that  rare  quahfication  which  enables  him  to  never  forget  a  face  or 
a  name,  and  he  seldom  makes  an  acquaintance  who  does  not  become  also  his  friend. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  „:;;, 

GEORGE  ANSON  HARDIN 

Was  born  August  17,  1832,  in  the  town  oi  Winfiekl,  ;i  mile  and  lialf  north  of  West 
Winfield  village.  Col.  Joseph  Hardin,  his  father,  was  liorn  in  East  Hampton,  Connect- 
icut, in  1804,  and  was  a  son  of  Nathan  Hardin  and  Philena  Sears  Clark,  who  resided 
in  Connecticut  until  181G,  when  the_y  removed  to  this  State. 

They  were  descendants  o£  the  Pilgrims,  the  Clarks  tracing  their  genealogy  to  the 
Reverend  Mr.  Mayhew,  a  minister  who  landed  at  Plymouth.  The  Clarks  were  also 
active  in  the  defence  of  their  country  during  the  Revolution. 

Col.  Josepli  Hardin  married  Amanda  Backus,  a  daughter  of  Deacon  Anson  Backus, 
who  removed  from  Massachusetts,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  town. 

April  1,  1839,  Col.  Joseph  Hardin  removed  with  his  family  to  the  farm  on  the  west 
side  of  the  village  of  West  Winfield,  and  remained  there  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1870,  having  received  injuries  by  the  overturning  of  a  wagon.  He  was  an  active 
business  man;  a  trustee  of  West  Winfield  Academy;  a  director  of  the  bank,  and  for 
many  years  colonel  of  a  militia  regiment. 

George  A.  Hardin,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  attended  the  common  schools  until  he 
was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when,  at  Whitestown  Seminary  and  Cazenovia  Seminary,  he 
prepared  for  college,  teaching  three  winters  to  aid  in  bearing  the  exnerse  of  his  educa- 
tion, which  was  finished  at  Union  College  in  1852,  while  Dr.  Nott  was  president  of 
that  institution. 

He  then  began  immediately  to  read  law,  and  removed  to  Little  Falls  May  30,  1853,  en- 
tering the  law  office  of  Messrs.  Nolton  &  Lake.  March  30,  1854,  he  was  appointed  village 
clerk,  and  July  4,  1854,  at  Watertown,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  A  portion  of  the  sum- 
mer of  that  year  he  spent  at  Monmouth,  111.;  returning  in  the  fall,  he  formed  a  co- 
partnership with  Judge  Nolton,  which  existed  until  1860,  wlien  the  firm  of  Hardin  & 
Burrows  was  formed  and  continued  until  January  1,  1872. 

In  1858  Lauren  Ford  resigned  as  district  attorney  and  Gov.  John  A.  King  appointed 
Mr.  Hardin  to  that  office,  and  in  November  he  was  elected  by  the  people  and  served 
until  the  close  of  1861.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  be  was  nominated  for  senator  for  the 
Herkimer  and  Otsego  district  by  the  Republican  party  and  by  the  People's  party,  being 
elected  by  about  3,500  majority.  In  the  Senate  his  voice  and  vote  supported  en- 
thusiastically all  the  Union  war  measures.  At  the  close  of  his  senatorial  term  he 
resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1871  the  Republicans  chose  delegates  in  five 
of  the  six  counties  of  the  Fifth  Judicial  District  favorable  to  him  as  a  candidate  for  a 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  in  September  the  Republican  convention  placed  him 
in  nomination.  The  Democratic  party  also  nominated  him  and  he  was  elected,  having 
received  the  support  of  both  political  parties. 

The  duties  of  a  trial  judge  were  discharged  from  the  time  of  taking  the  office  until 
1879,  when,  on  account  of  the  impaired  health  of  Judge  Mullin,  he  was  asked  to  serve, 
in  exchange,  m  the  General  Term  as  an  associate  justice  in  the  Fourth  Judicial  Depart- 
ment. In  November,  1881,  Governor  Cornell  assigned  him  to  the  General  Term,  Judge 
Mullin's  term  closing  with  the  year. 


536  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

In  1884,  a  reorganization  of  tlie  department  was  effected,  and  Governor  Grover 
Cleveland  designated  him  as  presiding  justice  of  the  new  Fourth  Department. 

In  1885  he  was  again  nominated  by  the  Republicans  and  also  placed  upon  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket.  He  was  unanimously  elected  a  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and 
December  6,  1885,  Governor  David  B.  Hill  designated  him  presiding  ju.stice  of  the 
Fourth  Judicial  Department,  which  designation  holds  good  "  during  h's  official  term  as 
a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court."     (Code  Section  220). 

In  June,  1S7G,  Hamilton  College  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 

The  manner  in  which  the  duties  of  a  trial  judge  were  discharged  is  known  to  the 
people  and  the  bar  of  the  district  in  which  he  held  his  own  terms,  and  several  extra 
terms,  during  the  impaired  health  of  Judges  MuUin  and  Doolittle. 

The  record  of  his  opinions  as  tiial  and  appellate  judge  is  found  in  the  last  five  vol- 
umes of  "  Barbour's  Reports,"  in  the  last  fifty  volumes  of  "Hun's  Reports,'' in  the 
"  New  York  State  Reporter  "  and  in  other  law  reports. 

In  his  twenty-two  years  of  service  upon  the  bench,  he  has  attended  every  term  as- 
signed to  him  except  one,  having  had  good  health  and  vigor  for  the  performance  of  the 
exacting  duties  of  the  position. 

In  July,  1868,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Annette  Augusta  Arnold,  in  Emanuel  church, 
of  which  he  has  been  a  vestryman  for  twenty-five  years. 

In  1885  he  acted  as  chairman  of  the  Citizens'  Committee  that  matured  the  plans  for 
the  water  works  system,  so  valuable  to  the  village. 

For  the  last  thirty  years  he  has  been  an  active  director  in  the  National  Herkimer 
County  Bank,  and  in  that  capacity  has  acquired  an  extensive  knowledge  of  the  business 
affairs  of  the  community,  evinced  a  sympathy  in  its  progress  and  an  interest  in  its 
prosperity. 

In  1892  he  was  solicited  by  the  publishers  to  supervise  and  assist  in  the  publication 
'  of  the  History  of  Herkimer  County,  and  has  contributed  articles  and  materials  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  challenge  the  gratitude  of  the  publishers. 

Having  been  a  life-long  resident  of  the  county,  and  for  twenty-nine  years  a  public 
official  therein,  its  citizens  must  form  their  own  estimate  of  his  industry,  ability  and 
character  without  any  words  of  commendation  in  the  pages  of  this  work. 


JOSHUA  JUDSON  GILBERT. 

In  the  first  decade  of  the  century,  when  the  present  city  of  Utica  was  a  growing  vil- 
lage, John  Gilbert,  an  Englishman,  settled  in  Oneida  county  and  erected  a  starch  factory 
just  outside  the  western  boundary  of  the  city  limits.  Here  shortly  afterwards,  in  the 
year  1807,  he  was  joined  by  his  brother,  Edward  Gilbert,  the  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  biography.  The  family  was  already  identified  with  the  industry  which  the  brothers 
carried  on  at  Utica,  an  elder  brother  having  some  time  previouslj'  commenced  the  busi- 
ness of  starch-making  at  Jersey  City,  N.  J.  Edward  Gilbert,  who  was  born  in  Lon- 
don, England,  in  April,  1787,  came  to  this  country  in  1794,  and  resided  with  his 
brother's  family  in  New  Jersey  up  to  the  time  that  he  joined  his  brother  John  in  Utica. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  537 

His  wife  was  Anne  Maddock,  the  daughter  of  Roger  Worthington  Maddock  and  Sarah 
Harwood,  his  wife,  of  Birches,  England,  at,  which  place  Mrs.  Gilbert  was  born  in  the 
same  year  and  month  as  her  husband. 

On  the  I5thof  September,  1866,  Edward  Gilbert,  who  was  then  residing  at  Lewis- 
burg,  Pa.,  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Justin  Loomis,  died,  survived  by  five  children,  John 
M.  and  Colgate  Gilbert,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Joshua  J.,  Mrs.  Andrew  Tembroek,  of  Ann 
Arbor,  Mich.,  and  Mrs.  Loomis,  above  referred  to. 

Joshua  Judson  Gilbert  was  born  at  Utica  on  the  4th  day  of  September,  1821.  His 
education  was  received  at  the  Utica  Academy,  a  well-known  educational  institution  of 
those  days,  and  soon  after  his  graduation  he  went  to  Buffalo,  where,  with  his  brothers, 
he  was  engaged  for  four  years  in  the  manufacture  of  soap.  Returning  to  Utica,  he  re- 
mained with  his  father  until  1854,  when  he  decided  upon  Little  Falls  as  an  excellent 
point  for  the  erection  of  works  for  the  manufacture  of  starch,  and  coming  to  Little 
Falls  in  that  year,  he  remained  a  resident  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  February 
5,  1881. 

The  great  value  of  the  water  power  was  an  important  factor  in  Mr.  Gilbert's  de- 
cision to  make  Little  Falls  his  home.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  erected  the  stone  build- 
ing which  is  now  used  by  his  son  as  the  Astoronga  Knitting  Mills,  together  with  the  el- 
evator adjoining  for  the  storage  of  grain  used  in  the  factory.  Thoroughly  acquainted 
from  his  previous  experience  in  his  father's  factory  with  the  processes  employed  in 
starch-making  at  that  date,  Mr.  Gilbert  was  keenly  alive  to  the  attendant  disadvantages 
of  the  method,  and  in  the  early  portion  of  his  residence  in  Little  Falls  he  entered  upon 
a  series  of  experiments  by  which  he  sought  to  produce  a  better  quality  of  starch  than 
was  then  obtainable.  As  a  result  of  these  experiments  he  made  certain  discoveries 
which  have  led  to  a  revolution  in  the  whole  process  of  starch-making. 

Mr.  Gilbert  patented  his  invention!,,  but  the  principles  of  his  patent  having  become 
known  to  other  manufacturers  of  starch,  he  was  forced  into  litigation  to  prevent  in- 
fringement, which,  after  dragging  on  for  years,  was  only  finally  adjudicated  some  years 
after  his  death,  and  in  favor  of  a  syndicate  to  whom  he  had  sold  his  rights.  During  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  Elijah  Reed  was  his  partner  in  this  business.  Mr.  Gilbert  was  al- 
ways deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  and  development  of  the  village,  and  believed 
most  firmly  that  the  right  policy,  energetically  pursued  by  the  citizens,  would  result  in 
Little  Falls  becoming  an  industrial  town  of  considerable  magnitude.  This  belief  he 
was  always  ready  to  confirm  by  act,  not  hesitatimr  to  invest  his  capital  in  projected  in- 
dustries, and  giving  his  aid  efficiently  and  willingly  in  all  ways  which  presented  them- 
selves for  the  upbuilding'  of  the  institutions  of  the  town.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
active  promoters  of  the  Little  Falls  Knitting  Mill  Company  when  that  corporation  was 
formed  in  1872,  and  acted  as  its  treasurer  until  his  death.  Much  of  his  time  during  the 
latter  years  of  his  life  was  occupied  with  the  management  of  the  tannery  now  owned 
by  J.  S.  Barnett  &  Brothers,  which  he  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Weeks  bought  of  Nelson  Rust 
in  1874,  and  which  they  considerably  enlarged.  He  was  also  conspicuous  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Warrior  Mower  Company,  and  was  one  of  its  directors,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  also  one  of  the  directors  of  the  National  Herkimer  County 
Bank. 


538  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

In  poUtics  Mr.  Gilbert  waa  a  Republican ;  but  although  earnest  in  his  advocacy  o£ 
the  principles  of  this  party  and  zealous  for  their  success,  he  never  himself  sought  pub- 
lic office,  and  the  only  position  of  an  elective  nature  for  which  he  ever  allowed  himself 
to  be  presented  was  that  of  member  of  the  village  Board  of  Education,  and  in  that  ca- 
pacity he  served  for  several  years,  displaying  the  same  interest,  energy  and  judgment 
in  the  cause  of  education  which  distinguished  him  m  the  other  relations  of  life.  The 
salient  points  in  his  character  were  his  clear  judgments  of  men  and  affairs,  his  integrity 
and  his  unwavering  decision  when  persuaded  that  he  was  right.  His  friendship  was 
steadfast  and  earnest ;  his  acts  of  charity  and  benevolence  were  many  and  generous. 

Mr.  Gilbert  was  married  in  April,  1857,  to  Elizabeth  Rust,  of  Little  Falls,  daughter 
of  Nelson  Rust.  (Vide  biography  of  Nelson  Rust  herein.)  He  was  survived  by  Mrs. 
Gilbert  and  three  children,  one  son.  Nelson  Rust,  having  died  in  infancy,  J.  Jud.son  and 
Nelson  Rust  Gilbert  and  Mrs.  D.  E.  Knowlton. 


NELSON    RUST. 

Nelson  Rust  was  born  at  Kent,  Litchfield  county.  Conn.,  on  the  17th  of  March,  1801, 
and  died  at  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  on  the  14th  of  August,  1876.  He  was  descended  from 
New  England  stock,  the  first  of  the  family  to  settle  in  this  country  having  been  Henry 
Rust,  who,  in  company  with  a  number  of  families  from  Hingham,  Norfolk  county, 
England,  came  to  the  then  infant  colony  of  Massachusetts  in  1C35,  and  founded  the 
town  of  Hingham,  near  Boston.  After  a  residence  of  a  few  years  at  Hingham,  Henry 
Rust  removed  to  Boston,  of  which  place  he  was  a  resident  until  his  death  in  1684.  His 
descendants  spread  through  the  New  England  colonies  as  this  territory  was  developed 
and  settled,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution,  Levi  Rust,  a  descendant  in  the  fifth 
generation  from  Henry,  was  a  citizen  of  Connecticut,  and  served  as  lieutenant  in  one 
of  the  regiments  raised  in  his  State.  His  son,  Roswell  Rust,  born  in  1774,  was  a  farmer 
at  Kent,  Connecticut,  where  he  married  Eleanor  Booth,  in  1709.  The  second  son' of 
this  marriage  was  Nelson  Rust,  who,  by  the  death  of  his  father  in  1816,  followed  shortly 
by  that  of  his  mother  in  1819,  was  left  an  orphan  at  eighteen  and  thrown  largely  upon 
his  own  resources  for  his  support. 

In  addition  to  his  farm,  his  father  had  owned  a  small  tannery  at  Kent,  and,  ac- 
quainted with  this  business,  Mr.  Rust  determined  to  follow  it  as  a  means  of  livelihood. 
In  order  to  perfect  himself  in  the  details,  he  spent  several  months  at  Quebec  and  at 
New  Haven,  studying  the  processes  of  tanning  as  carried  on  at  those  places.  Early  in 
the  20's  he  determined  to  settle  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  there  he  formed  a  partnership  in 
the  grocery  and  hardware  business  with  Paul  Wetherbee,  whose  daughter  Eluthera  he 
married  on  the  25th  of  September,  1827. 

Growing  dissatisfied  with  his  business  in  Troy,  he  decided  to  resume  his  trade  of 
tanning,  and  coming  to  Herkimer  county,  he  spent  some  time  in  investigating  the  best 
location  for  a  tannery,  residing  for  some  months  in  Herkimer,  and  in  Stratford,  in 
which  latter  town  he  subsequently  established  a  branch  of  his  business.  Eventually  he 
determined  upon  Little  Falls  as  the  most  favorable  site,  and  soon  after  his  arrival  there 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  539 

in  1831,  he  established  himself  on  North  Ann  street,  near  Main,  where  he  cariied  on 
his  business  for  about  three  years,  when  finding  his  building  too  small  for  the  develop- 
ment of  his  business,  he  removed  his  plant  to  East  Mill  street,  at  the  point  where  the 
establishment  of  J.  S.  Barnett  &  Brother  now  stands.  Here  he  continued  the  manu- 
facture of  leather  until  shortly  before  his  death,  the  sale  of  his  tannery  and  leather 
store  on  Second  street  to  Gilbert  &  Weeks  occurring  forty  years  to  a  day  from  the  time 
he  commenced  business  on  that  site.  For  some  years,  during  his  location  on  Mill 
street,  Stephen  Brown  was  associated  witli  him  as  a  partner,  a  relation  which  was 
terminated  by  Mr.  Brown's  death. 

In  politics  Mr.  Rust  was  an  ardent  member  of  the  Whig  party,  and  later  a  no  less 
ardent  believer  in  the  doctrines  of  its  successor,  the  Republican  party.  Caring  little  for 
political  preferment,  the  only  office  he  ever  held  was  that  of  president  of  the  village 
during  the  year  1851. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Rust  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
had  been  closely  connected  with  and  a  trustee  of  that  society  for  several  years  before 
he  became  a  member. 

The  personal  characteristics  of  Mr.  Rust  were  well  stated  at  the  time  of  his  death  as 
follows:  "'Mr.  Rust  was  one  of  our  best  known,  most  highly  esteemed,  and  most 
influential  citizens.  His  faithfulness  as  a  friend  has  almost  passed  into  a  proverb,  his 
ready  kindness  to  the  poor  and  suffering  was  ever  a  marked  characteristic  of  his  daily 
life.  His  sympathies  were  largely  enlisted  toward  any  good  work  of  whose  merits  he 
became  convinced.  He  was  a  thoroughly  honest  and  a  very  successful  business  man. 
No  one  dare  question  his  word  or  impugn  his  motives;  his  judgment  was  remarkably 
reliable,  and  his  busine.ss  intercourse  during  forty  years  was  marked  by  very  many 
pleasant  friendships,  and  characterized  b)'  a  stern  devotion  to  truth  and  uprightness 
which  commanded  the  respect  of  even  those  who  were  never  privileged  to  share  his 
intimate  acquaintance." 

Mr.  Rust  was  the  father  of  seven  children,  four  of  whom  survived  him  :  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Gilbert,  Mrs.  Barry  Van  Vechten,  Miss  Helen  Rust,  and  Mrs.  Charles  Lynds 
Petree,  all  of  Little  Falls. 


DWIGHT  D.  WARNE, 

Senior  member  of  the  firm  of  D.  D.  and  F.  L.  Warne,  owners  and  managers  of  Fairfield 
Seminary  and  Military  Academy.  The  remarkable  prosperity  that  Old  Fairfield  Sem- 
inary enjoys  naturally  calls  the  attention  of  not  only  every  alumnus  and  friend  of  the 
school,  but  every  citizen  of  the  country  interested  in  the  education  of  the  rising  gener- 
ation, to  the  men  whose  untiring  efforts  have  revived  interest  in,  secured  support,  and 
established  this  old  institution  of  learning  upon  a  permanent  basis. 

Prof.  D.  D.  Warne,  whose  portrait  we  present,  was  born  at  East  Varick,  Seneca 
county,  N.  Y.,  November  26,  1855.  His  mother  was  a  Parker,  the  name  of  a  Quaker 
family  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  Cayuga  county,  and  before  her  marriage  had 
achieved  remarkable  success  as  a  teacher  in  her  own  and  adjoining  counties.     From  his 


540  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

mother  he  inherited  that  necessary  quaUfication  in  a  teacher  which  we  call  tact,  love 
for  the  profession  of  teaching,  and  intense  enthusiasm,  all  of  which  are  among  his 
marked  characteristics.  The  Warnes  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Monmouth  county. 
New  Jersey.  Later  members  of  the  family,  particularly  the  grandfather  of  the  present 
sketch,  moved  to  Seneca  county,  this  State,  and  nearly  all  the  members  of  the  family 
have  been  successful  wagon  manufacturers,  Professors  D.  D.  and  F.  L.  being  the  only 
members  who  have  not  followed  this  business,  and  even  they  were  required  by  their 
father  to  learn  the  business  during  vacations  while  pursuing  their  preparatory  studies. 
From  his  father  he  learned  his  habits  of  tireless  industry  and  practical  methods  of  busi- 
ness. His  mother  was  his  principal  teacher  until  he  entered  the  public  school  of  his 
native  place.  Later  on  he  was  for  a  long  time  a  private  pupil  of  Prof.  Warren  Mann, 
now  of  Potsdam  Normal  School.  Many  other  prominent  educators  instructed  him  in 
various  lines  of  educational  work. 

Having  early  decided  to  follow  the  profession  of  teaching,  he  entered  the  Normal 
School  at  Albany,  and  graduated  first  in  a  class  of  thirty-six.  In  the  fall  of  '76  he  was 
called  to  the  principalship  of  the  new  union  school  at  Williamson,  N.  Y.,  where  he  re- 
mained four  years.  Dr.  A.  G.  Austin,  then  president  of  the  Board  of  Education,  and 
late  lecturer  in  St.  Louis  Medical  College,  writes  that  Prof.  Warne  brought  the  school 
to  a  high  degree  of  prosperity,  and  that  his  methods  of  instruction  were  superior  to 
those  of  any  other  principal  in  that  section. 

At  the  beginning  of  his  second  year  at  Williamson  he  married  Miss  Vida  E.  Brown, 
of  Ontario,  N.  Y.,  his  first  assistant  teacher  in  the  school. 

Receiving  a  call  from  the  president  of  the  Board  of  Education  at  Richville,  St.  Law- 
rence county,  he  accepted.  The  school  was  sadly  demoralized  when  he  went  there, 
but  during  the  two  years  of  his  administration  he  nobly  worked  in  school  and  out, 
brought  the  school  to  a  high  standard,  and  made  himself  well  known  as  a  popular  in- 
structor throughout  the  entire  assembly  district.  Hermon,  in  an  adjoining  town,  having 
erected  a  very  fine  new  school  building,  persuaded  him,  through  the  efforts  of  Senator 
D.  S.  Lynde,  to  become  principal  of  its  school.  Here  he  remained  three  years,  and 
became  known  throughout  a  large  portion  of  the  State  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
school  organizers,  canvassers  and  managers  in  the  State.  His  salary,  at  $1,200  a  year, 
was  more  than  paid  by  the  non-residents  in  his  room  alone.  During  his  stay  in  St. 
Lawrence  county  he  put  into  successful  operation  plans  which  he  had  been  maturing 
for  a  long  time  for  the  organization  and  successful  operation  of  Town  Teachers'  Associ- 
ations. He  visited  nearly  every  portion  of  the  county  in  order  to  awaken  interest 
among  the  district  school  teachers  and  make  those  meetings  which  were  held  every 
month  a  success.  In  this  connection  Hon.  A.  X.  Parker,  John  A.  Haig  and  G.  A. 
Lewis,  the  last  two  school  commissioners,  speak  of  him  as  an  educator  of  character, 
integrity,  and  capacity,  and  one  who  labors  with  untiring  zeal  m  the  cause  of  education. 
In  the  class  room  he  is  without  a  superior.  Thoroughly  and  practically  educated,  pos- 
sessed of  tact  m  discipline  in  management,  a  ready  and  easy  conversationalist,  with 
years  of  experience  in  instructing  large  classes,  he  imbues  his  students  with  his  own 
industry,  energy  and  ambition.  His  .specialty  is  the  preparation  of  students  for  the 
profession  of  teaching.     More  than  fifteen  hundred  teachers  in  this  State  have  received 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  541 

instruction  in  methods  from  him.  Commendations,  which  are  before  us  as  we  write, 
and  written  by  some  of  our  best  known  educators,  speak  of  him  as  one  of  the  best 
posted  and  most  successful  instructors  of  teachers'  classes  in  the  State. 

Outside  of  his  profession  he  is  a  genial,  clever  and  interesting  companion,  a  fluent 
talker,  with  pleasing  address,  and  a  man  of  considerable  magnitude  and  attractiveness. 
He  readily  wins  the  confidence  of  those  around  him,  and  is  a  very  proper  and  desirable 
person  to  instruct  the  youth  of  the  present  day. 

He  is  a  member  of  Pultneyville  Lodge,  No.  159,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  for  a  long  time  was 
secretary.  He  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  Williamson  Lodge,  No.  270,  A.  0. 
U.  W  ,  and  was  the  first  ilaster  Workman  of  that  lodge.  When  in  Western  New  York 
he  gave  much  time  and  attention  to  lodge  work,  and  at  one  time  was  one  of  the  dis- 
trict deputies  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W. 

To  close  this  sketch  without  giving  to  our  readers  a  brief  announcement  of  what 
Prof.  Warne  has  done  and  is  doing  to  place  "  Old  Fairfield  "  back  in  line — topmost 
among  the  best  academies  and  preparatory  schools  in  the  State,  would  be  not  only  a 
great  injustice  to  him,  but  to  the  thousands  who  once  received  mental  training  at  this  in- 
stitution, and  who  still  retain  pleasant  memories  of  their  youthful  days  spent  there,  and 
who  read  with  untold  delight  of  its  prosperity  and  successful  prospects  for  the  future. 

Over  ninety  years  ago,  in  the  spring  of  1803,  was  established  Fairfield  Academy,  and 
for  twenty  years  it  flourished  without  competition,  and  for  many  years  there  were  few 
institutions  of  like  character  in  the  State.  At  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  and  about 
ten  years  thereafter  the  attendance  from  abroad  commenced  and  continued  to  wane, 
and  the  residents  of  Fairfield  saw  failure  sucoi'ed  failure  until  it  was  thought  impossible 
to  maintain  the  institution  much  longer.  The  buildings  gradually  became  dilapidated, 
and  the  beauty  and  attractiveness  of  those  once  loved  halls  were  transformed  into  bar- 
ren, desolate  and  unsightly  pictures. 

This  is  what  Prof.  Warne  found  in  1885  when  he  took  hold  of  the  work  of  reviving 
interest  in  and  securing  support  for  Fairfield  Seminary. 

Before  he  had  accepted  the  principalship  of  Fairfield  Seminary  he  and  his  brother, 
F  L.  Warne,  had  visited  several  localities  in  this  and  other  States  in  search  of  a  desir- 
able school  thalt  could  be  rented  or  bought.  He  found  several  desirable  pieces  of 
property  with  the  one  exception  that  the  villages  in  which  the  property  was  situated 
were  either  unhealthy  or  contained  places  of  daraoralizing  resort.  They  selected  Fair- 
beld  for  the  following  ^reasons :  Because  it  contains  no  such  places  of  resort.  The 
situation  of  the  school  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  State,  being  entirely  rural,  in 
a  very  small,  quiet  village.  The  grounds  are  ample  and  the  buildings  cover  the  most 
ground  of  any  seminary  buildings  in  the  State.  If  is  conceded  that  Fairfield  Seminary 
for  more  than  eighty  years  has  occupied  a  place  of  usefulness  second  to  none  among 
educational  institutions  of  like  grade  in  this  country.  Its  literary  societies,  incorpo- 
rated under  the  laws  of  the  State,  have  for  years  ranked  with  those  of  the  colleges  of 
the  State.  Every  alumnus  of  the  school  is  loyal  to  its  interests.  These  were  the  prin- 
cipal reasons  why  they  selected  Fairfield.  How  well  they  have  succeeded  is  plainly 
told  in  the  unsurpassed  equipments  and  remarkable  prosperity  of  the  institution  con- 
ducted to-day  both  as  a  seminary  and  a  military  academy. 
69 


542  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 


WARNER    MILLER. 


It  is  impossible  to  ^rive  within  the  limits  of  this  article  a  complete  and  satisfactory 
sketch  of  the  life  and  public  services  of  a  distinguished  citizen  of  Herkimer,  whos. 
private  and  public  life  has  been  alike  creditable  to  himself  and  to  the  county  of  li- 
adoption.  Fully  told,  with  appropri.-ite  quotations  from  his  public  utterances  on  great 
vital  questions,  it  would  fill  this  volume. 

Warner  Miller  is  a  descendant  in  the  fifth  generation  of  John  Miller,  who  came  to 
this  country  from  Germany  about  1680,  and  located  in  Westchester  county.  He  left 
four  sons  and  four  daughters.  The  land  was  divided  among  the  sons,  who  were  James, 
Abram,  Elijah  and  Anthony.  Warner  Miller's  descent  is  from  the  last  two  sons, 
Martha,  the  second  daughter  of  Elijah,  marrying  William,  the  eldest  son  of  Anthony — 
and  their  seventh  son  was  Hiram,  who  was  Warner  Miller's  father. 

Elijah  Miller  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Continental  Army,  and  was  killed  early  in  the 
Revolutionary  War  together  with  two  of  his  sons.  His  widow,  Ann  Fisher  ^filler,  was 
left  in  charge  of  five  children.  Her  farm  house  stood  a  little  north  of  the  village  of 
White  Plains,  and  became  Washington's  headquarters  while  he  w.is  operating  in  that 
locality.  Her  farm  buildings  were  used  for  hospital  purposes,  and  her  farm  was  cov- 
ered with  tents.  A  chronicler  has  said:  ''In  the  life  of  Mrs.  Ann  Fisher  Miller, 
American  Liberty  and  White  Plains  Methodism  are  closely  allied.  In  her  house 
Washington  laid  his  plans  for  the  success  of  the  American  arms,  and  also  here  Method- 
ism was  first  preached  in  White  Plains." 

The  younger  children  of  William  and  Martha  Miller  were  born  after  their  removal 
to  Rensselaer  county,  a  mile  from  Johnsonville,  where  Millertown,  now  known  as 
North  Pittstown,  was  named  for  the  family.  Hiram  Miller,  the  father  of  Warner, 
was  born  here,  where  he  remained  until  some  time  after  his  marriage  \n  1832,  then 
removing  to  Oswego.  One  of  Warner  Miller's  granduncles,  Abraham,  a  Ircensed  ex- 
horter  of  the  Methodist  church,  was  for  twelve  years  a  representative  of  Westchester 
county  in  the  New  York  Legislature.  Loyal  to  the  faith  of  his  forefathers,  Mr.  Miller 
remains  a  strong  figure  in  the  Methodist  church,  and  was  a  notable  participant  as  a  lay 
delegate  at  the  World's  General  Conference  in  New  York  in  May,  1888. 

Hiram  Miller's  wife  was  Mary  Ann  Warner,  of  Salisbury,  Conn.,  from  one  of  the 
sturdy  Revolutionary  families  of  that  State.  In  her  youth  she  came  to  Millertown,  and 
there  found  her  future  husband,  with  whom  she  enjoyed  a  happy  union  for  forty-eight 
years.  In  1837  they  removed  to  H,\nniba',  Oswego  county,  where  they  took  a  large 
farm.  Here  their  son  Warner  was  born  August  12,  1838.  The  following  year  they 
returned  to  their  former  home  at  Millertown,  where  they  remained  for  a  few  years, 
afterwards  locating  on  a  farm  near  NorthviUe,  Fulton  county.  Here  Warner  Miller 
grew  to  manhood,  working  on  the  farm  in  the  summer,  and  attending  school  in  the 
winter.  In  their  declining  years  ihey  came,  by  his  invitation,  to  Herkimer  to  pass  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.  The  father  was  struck  by  a  railroad  train  in  Herkimer  and 
killed  in  January,  1882.     The  mother  died  in  1880. 

Warner  Miller's  parents  gave  their  only  stirviving  child  better  advantages  for  learning 
than  the  children  of  most  farmers  of  that  day.  He  attended  a  select  school  a  few  miles 
from  home  until  he  had  a  fair  knowledge  of  arithmetic,  physiology  and  book-keeping, 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  543 

and  at  fourteen  his  father  sent  him  to  an  academy  at  Charlotteville,  whose  principal 
was  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Flack.  Then  he  determined  to  goto  college,  and  for  this  he  was 
obliged  to  earn  most  of  the  money  himself.  It  is  said  to  have  been  the  desire  and 
purpose  of  his  parents  to  educate  their  son  for  the  ministry,  but  the  plan  was  not 
approved  by  him,  whose  tastes  seemed  to  point  to  other  fields  of  usefulness  and  honor. 
At  sixteen  his  father  gave  him  fourteen  dollars  and  a  silver  watch,  with  which  he  set 
out  to  "  seek  his  fortune."  Ee  left  his  farm  home  in  New  York,  and  in  a  little  frame 
school  house  near  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  taught  his  first  school  at  a  salary  of 
thirty-seven  dollars  a  month,  which  was  his  first  independent  venture  in  life.  He  fol- 
lowed the  profession  of  teaching  for  a  few  years,  studying  meanwhile  to  prepare  him- 
self for  college.  He  entered  Union  College  in  1856,  worked  his  own  way  through  that 
institution,  graduating  with  honor  in  1860.  After  graduation,  he  taught  Latin  and 
Greek  in  Fort  Edward  Institute  for  a  year,  but  the  times  were  not  such  as  to  tempt 
men  of  his  temperament  to  scholastic  pursuits. 

The  Civil  War  was  on,  and  in  October,  1861,  he  joined  Company  I  of  the  Fifth 
New  York  Cavalry  as  a  private  soldier.  He  was  soon  made  sergeant-major  of  his 
regiment,  and  as  a  drill-master  showed  his  fitness  by  learning  the  three  books  of  United 
States  Cavalry  Tactics  by  heart.  His  regiment  went  with  General  Banks  into  the 
Shenandoah  valley,  and  it  was  at  Winchester,  after  Stonewall  Jackson's  victory,  that 
he  was  captured  by  the  rebels,  while  lying  in  the  hospital  suffering  with  an  attack  of 
typhoid  fever.  He  was  paroled.  The  United  States  government  at  that  time  refused 
to  exchange  prisoners,  and  he  was  compelled  to  take  his  discharge  on  June  7,  1862.  Six 
months  later  he  made  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  re-enter  the  army.  No  option  being 
left  him,  he  returned  to  the  vocations  of  peace.  Mr.  Miller's  personal  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  common  soldier,  strengthened  by  knowledge  of  the  hardships  endured 
on  the  field  and  in  the  hospital,  has  kept  him  in  active  association  with  old  comrades, 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Aaron  Helmer  Post  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  of  Herkimer.  It  also 
made  him,  when  in  Congress,  a  successful  advocate  of  bi'ls  to  increase  the  pensions  of 
soldiers  and  to  otherwise  promote  their  interests.  ' 

Shut  out  from  military  service,  he  gave  little  further  thought  to  Greek  roots  and 
Latin  syniax,  but  started  out  to  make  his  fortune.  He  secured  a  position  in  a  paper 
mill  at  Fort  Edward,  soon  mastered  the  method  of  manufacture,  and  worked  his  way 
to  the  foreman.ship.  From  the  first  he  saw  how  crude  were  the  processes,  and  he 
dreamed  of  the  possibilities.  He  was  sent  by  his  employers,  as  an  expert,  to  Belgium 
to  supervise  the  oonstruction  and  operation  of  a  paper  mill  to  manufacture  straw  paper 
by  a  new  process.  While  engaged  in  this  enterprise  his  attention  wan  attracted  to  the 
use  of  wood  as  an  ingredient  m  paper.  He  imiuediateiy  grasped  the  fact  that  this  was 
the  discovery  destined  to  revolutionize  paper-making.  He  returned  home  to  develop 
the  idea.  Having  no  means  of  his  own,  he  interested  friends  to  join  him  in  the  organ- 
ization of  a  company  for  the  experiment  of  pulp-making.  There  were  innumerable 
obstacles  in  the  way.  He  has  often  spoken  of  those  days  when  he  stood  on  the  brink 
of  his  great  success,  as  the  darkest  in  his  whole  career.  Paper  makers  did  not  take 
kindly  to  the  new  discovery.  Their  first  experiments  with  it  were  crude  and  unsatis- 
factory.    They  were  sure  that  wood  pulp  would  never  make  paper ;  they  refused  to 


544  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

use  it,  and  the  company  saw  its  product  thrown  back  into  its  storeliouses,  an  unmarl<et- 
able  article.  It  needed  such  an  emergency  to  test  Warner  Miller.  Unshaken  and 
sanguine,  he  was  more  determined  than  ever.  His  own  e.xperiments  had  convinced 
him  that  a  satisfactory  paper  could  be  made  of  which  at  least  seventy-five  per  cent, 
was  wood  pulp,  and  at  such  a  price  as  would  compel  manufacturers  to  use  the  new 
ingredient  in  self-defense.  So  a  paper  mill  was  added  to  the  pulp  manufactory,  and  he 
quickly  demonstrated  the  absolute  correctness  of  his  theory.  Success  came  at  once,  as 
he  knew  it  must,  and  thus  began  the  era  of  cheap  paper,  and  to  Warner  Miller  belongs 
the  credit.  For  a  time  his  pohtical  opponents  were  accustomed  to  apply  to  him  the 
epithet  "  Wood  Pulp."  Mr.  Miller  never  resented  this,  but  in  public  addresses  and  other- 
wise alluded  to  it  as  his  only  title  to  nobility.  The  process  has  revolutionized  journal- 
ism, and  has  done  more  than  any  other  one  invention  to  make  possible  the  tremendous 
increase  in  the  publication  of^successful  newspapers. 

Mr.  Miller  early  showed  his  natural  aptitude  for  politics.  For  many  years  he  was 
chairman  of  the  Republican  county  committee  of  Herkimer  county,  and  repeatedly 
demonstrated  his  skill  as  a  political  organizer.  His  first  appearance  in  public  life  was 
as  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  National  Convention  of  1872,  at  Philadelphia,  which 
renominated  President  Grant.  In  1873  he  was  elected  to  represent  Herkimer  county  in 
the  Assembly,  and  was  his  own  successor  in  that  body  the  following  year.  Here  he 
was  brought  into  close  association  with  many  of  the  men  who  have  since  been  poten- 
tial in  the  aflairs  of  state,  and  among  them  made  his  mark  as  a  man  of  self-poise,  cool 
judgment  and  great  industry.  He  served  on  the  insurance  committee  in  the  Assembly 
of  1874.  and  on  the  ways  and  means  and  canal  committees  in  1875. 

It  was  through  his  efforts  that  the  first  law  was  passed  in  this  State,  providing  for 
compulsory  education.  In  1878  he  was  elected  to  the  Forty-sixth  Congress  by  the  Re- 
publicans of  the  Twenty-Second  Congressional  District,  then  composed  of  the  counties 
of  Herkimer,  Jefferson  and  Lewis.  In  1880  he  was  re-elected,  and  his  majorities  in 
both  contests  demonstrated  his  strength  and  popularity  among  those  farming  counties. 
In  tlie  House  of  Representatives  he  served  on  the  committee  on  militia.  He  devoted 
himself  faithfully  to  the  duties  of  his  office,  making  few  speeches,  but  studying  care- 
fully the  methods  of  legislation  and  the  principles  underlying  it,  and  constantly  grow- 
ing in  influence  and  popularity. 

Mr.  Miller  had  hardly  entered  upon  his  second  term  as  representative  in  Congress  in 
1881,  before  the  complications  arose  which  led  to  the  resignations  of  Senators  Conkling 
and  Piatt,  and  the  long  dead-lock  in  the  Legislature  at  Albany.  He  was  at  once 
suggested  by  many  of  his  friends  as  an  admirable  candidate  for  United  States  Senator 
to  fill  one  of  the  vacancies.  He  received  many  complimentary  votes  in  the  early  days 
of  that  struggle  which  began  in  May  and  continued  two  months.  It  ended  July  16, 
1801, — the  most  memorable  political  contest  in  the  State — in  the  chpice  of  Mr.  Miller 
for  the  long  term  in  place  of  Senator  Piatt,  followed  a  few  days  later  by  the  election 
of  his  colleague  in  Congress,  Elbridge  G.  Lapham. 

The  people  soon  found  that  a  man  had  been  chosen  to  represent  them  in  the  United 
States  Senate  fully  equal  to  the  requirements  of  the  imperial  State,  and  who  was  des- 
tined to  occupy  a  position  in  that  body  altogether  worthy  of  the  great  Commonwealth 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  545 

whose  interests  he  considered  with  quick  intelUgence  and  ceaseless  industry.  The 
study  and  observation  of  all  these  years  of  preparation  were  now  brought  promptly 
and  effectively  into  requisition  upon  this  broader  field.  The  deliberation  and  careful 
methods  of  the  Senate  were  in  keeping  with  the  mental  habits  and  tastes  of  Mr.  Miller, 
and  his  voice  was  soon  heard  on  many  of  the  vital  questions  then  pending  in  Congress. 
He  rose  steadily  to  the  rank  of  a  skillful  and  effective  debater,  and  in  the  estimation  of 
his  colleagues  and  friends.  He  proved  what  had  been  claimed  for  him.  that  he  was  a 
faithful,  conscientious,  able  and  industrious  representative  of  the  greatest  State  in  the 
Union,  and  he  steadily  won  honors  for  himself  and  his  Staff.  That  veteran  legislator, 
Senator  Sherman,  of  Ohio,  once  said  of  Mi-.  Miller  and  of  his  work  and  influence  in  the 
Senate  :  "  He  is  one  of  our  ablest  senators.  Judged  by  that  crucial  test,  the  power 
•'  to  produce  results,  he  is  one  of  the  strongest  men  we  have.  You  notice  that  when 
•'he  undertakes  a  thing,  it  is  very  apt  to  be  carried.  He  has  represented  New  York 
''  right  along  with  courage  and  great  ability,  as  questions  have  come  up  in  which  she  had 
"stake.  Both  in  the  committee  room  and  in  the  Senate,  he  presents  a  subject  with 
"  force  and  clearness.  In  his  relations  with  senators  he  shows  good  judgment  and  good 
"feeling,  and  does  not  weaken  his  influence  by  the  friction  of  unnecessary  personal 
"antagonism."'  The  lamented  Senator  John  A.  Logan,  who  became  his  trusted  friend, 
remarked  to  a  colleague  during  the  great  debate  on  tlie  tariff  in  1882,  that  he  had 
learned  not  only  to  let  Warner  Miller  alone,  but  to  follow  his  vote  on  any  question  that 
goncerned  the  tariff. 

Mr.  Miller  was  popular  with  his  colleagues.  He  was  capable  of  every  achievement 
to  which  he  .set  himself.  He  was  a  tireless  worker,  a  close  student,  a  believer  in  com- 
mon sense  methods,  and  never  shrank  from  any  task  which  the  welfare  of  his  great 
constituency  assigned  to  him.  Mr.  Miller  was  first  appointed  in  1882  a  member  of  the 
committee  on  Commerce,  and  Post  Offices  and  Post  Roads.  In  1883  he  was  made  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  Education  and  Labor.  In  1884  he  was  assigned  to  the 
committees  on  Finance.  In  1886  he  was  made  chairman  of  the  committee  on  Agri- 
culture, which  afterward  included  Forestry.  From  these  committees  emanated  some 
of  the  most  important  legislation  of  the  period  covering  Mr.  Miller's  service.  It  is  im- 
possible to  enumerate  at  length  ah  the  legi-slation  affecting  the  business  and  commerce 
of  New  York  and  the  country  to  the  enactment  of  which  Mr.  Miller  successfully  de- 
voted himself.  Among  the  most  important  was  the  head-money  tax  law,  by  which 
more  than  $250,000  a  year  is  saved  to  the  people  of  New  York,  and  the  entire  burden 
of  the  support  of  Castle  Garden  lifted  from  their  shoulders.  The  tax  on  our  internal 
marine  for  the  support  of  marine  hospitals  was  abolished  by  his  efforts.  The  so-called 
Dingley  bill  shows  his  handiwork  in  all  its  parts  as  a  member  of  the  special  joint  com- 
mittee on  the  decline  of  the  American  merchant  marine.  He  aided  in  protecting  sailors 
from  the  extortions  of  boarding-house  keepers  and  of  the  men  engaged  in  shipping 
crews.  He  began  the  movement  and  secured  the  first  appropriation  for  deepening  the 
water  over  Sandy  Hook  bar,  an  improvement  which  added  greatly  to  the  commercial 
advantages  of  the  metropolis.  He  also  secured  a  large  number  of  much  needed  ap- 
propriations for  the  development  of  our  several  harbors  in  the  annnal  river  and  harbor 
bills.     He  thoroughly  believed  in  the  policy  of  internal  improvements,  as  he  believed 


546  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

in  the  ceaseeless  prosperity  of  our  country  wliich  demanded  these  improvements,  and 
he  could  not  be  driven  by  threats  or  criticism  from  this  position,  which  proved  to  be 
the  right  one,  showing  his  far-seeing  good  judgment  as  in  many  other  directions.  Mr. 
Miller  was  also  a  member  of  the  special  committee  of  the  Senate  which  investigated 
the  transportation  problem,  the  result  of  who.se  labors  was  the  existing  law  for  the 
regulation  of  railroads.  In  the  consideration  of  the  Chinese  exclusion  act,  his  votes 
were  uniformly  cast  for  the  most  rigid  measiires,  because  he  felt  that  the  Mongolian 
was  of  necessity  an  alien  in  the  United  States,  incapable  of  assimilation,  and  because 
he  realized  that  the  American  laborer  could  not  compete  with  him.  To  that  ad- 
vanced ground  the  country  has  since  come.  He  also  took  a  strong  position  in  advo- 
cating all  measures  to  prevent  the  evil  of  contract  labor  importation,  and  it  was 
largely  through  his  efforts  that  the  bill  prohibiting  the  importation  of  contract  labor 
was  perfected  in  the  committee  on  Education  and  Labor,  whence  it  was  reported  by 
him  to  the  Senate,  and  which  passed  that  body.  In  this  connection  he  took  a  posi- 
tion against  the  ownership  of  large  farms.  The  eight-hour  law  also  found  an 
earnest  champion  in  Mr.  Miller,  again  demonstrating  his  large-hearted  sympathy  with 
the  laboring  classes. 

Mr.  Miller's  first  great  speech  in  the  Senate  was  an  elaborate  explanation  and  vindi- 
cation of  the  principle  and  the  operation  of  the  protective  tariff.  The  free  trade  lead- 
ers read  carefully  prepared  arguments  which  Mr.  Miller  answered  each  time  in  extended 
extemporaneous  speeches,  which  attracted  the  close  attention  of  his  colleagues  and  the 
country,  and  which  were  powerful  agencies  in  carrying  the  tariff  bill  of  1882-3  to  a 
successful  issue.  He  believed  in  protection,  for  the  benefit  of  American  labor,  he  op- 
posed "free  raw  materials,"  he  fought  .successfully  for  the  preservation  of  the  duty  on 
aniline  dye  colors,  and  his  defence  of  the  duty  on  salt  and  the  glass  industries  of  the 
country  was  earnest  and  effective.  He  al.so  led  the  contest  in  favor  of  keeping  the 
duty  on  cigars.  But  his  greatest  struggle  in  tariff  legislation  was  in  fixing  the  duty  on 
iron  ore.  He  held  fast  to  the  principle  that  the  resources  of  our  own  country  should 
be  developed  and  brought  into  use.  He  contended  for  a  tariff  rate  of  one  dollar  per 
ton.  The  tarifl"  commission  had  recommended  fifty  cents,  which  had  been  approved  by 
the  Senate  Committee.  The  rate  was  finally  fixed  at  seventy-five  cents,  and  his  efforts 
in  this  matter  were  recognized  as  most  powerful. 

When  the  Senate  committees  were  organized,  at  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Miller's  sec- 
ond year,  he  was  given  his  choice  of  chairmanships  from  a  number  of  vacant  commit- 
tees. To  the  surprise  of  all,  and  against  the  remonstrances  of  friends,  he  chose  the 
committee  on  Agriculture.  The  fact  that  this  committee  had  heretofore  done  nothing, 
determined  the  senator  to  identify  himself  with  it.  The  result  showed  his  good  judg- 
ment, for  he  made  a  record  for  himself  and  the  committee  which  attracted  universal 
attention.  It  was  in  this  committee  that  the  measure  for  the  extirpation  of  pleuro- 
pneumonia among  cattle  was  perfected,  and  one  of  his  crowning  eftbrts  was  his  suc- 
cessful championship  of  the  bill  to  place  a  tax  on  oleomargarine.  This  bill  had  passed 
the  House  with  a  proclamation  that  it  must  be  killed  in  the  Senate.  The  manufac- 
turers'of  the  product  sent  a  powerful  and  determined  lobby  to  Washington  to  defeat 
the  bill.     They  sought  to  have  it  referred  to  the  Finance  Committee  where  it  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  547 

hoped  to  smother  it,  but  Mr.  Miller's  valiant  fight  sent  it  to  the  committee  on  Agricul- 
ture, from  whence  it  was  favorably  reported.  It  became  a  law,  and  another  victory— 
a  victory  for  honest  butter — was  placed  to  Mr.  Miller's  credit.  But  the  most  signifi- 
cant work  in  the  direction  of  promoting  the  interests  of  agriculture,  performed  by  the 
senator,  was  in  his  successful  advocacy  of  the  bill  creating  a  new  cabinet  office,  to  be 
known  as  the  Department  of  Agriculture.  This  measure  Mr.  Miller  succeeded  in  carry- 
ing through  the  Senate  shortly  before  the  expiration  of  his  term.  It  will  be  seen  that 
in  some  re.spects  the  most  important  work  performed  by  Senator  Miller  was  in  con- 
nection with  the  general  welfare  of  the  agricultural  intere.sts  of  the  country.  He  kept 
a  watchful  eye  upon  all  that  concerned  the  farmer  and  never  missed  an  opportunity  to 
speak  in  behalf  of  the  great  pursuit  which  lies  at  the  root  of  our  prosperity,  and  it  was 
well  said  by  that  veteran  observer  of  men  and  events  in  Washington — Ben.  Perley 
Poore — that  "  Warner  Miller  was  the  first  man  to  give  agriculture  a  national  promi- 
nence in  the  Senate." 

Taken  altogether,  Mr.  Miller's  service  as  a  legislator  was  of  inestimable  value  to  his 
own  State  and  to  the  country.  His  sound  judgment,  his  vigilance,  and  his  devotion  to 
the  best  interests  of  the  people,  place  him  in  the  foremost  rank  among  the  able  states- 
men of  his  time.  He  was  a  tireless  worker  and  a  most  faithful  public  servant,  making 
a  proud  record  for  himself,  and  justifying  the  most  earnest  expectations  of  his  friends. 
He  accepted  his  election  to  the  United  States  Senate  in  1881  without  elation,  mod- 
estly settins  himself  to  work  to  serve  his  great  constituency  to  the  utmost  of  his  ability. 
He  grew  with  his  work  and  his  experience,  and  reached  the  stature  of  a  typical  states- 
man. His  defeat  for  re-election  in  1887  was  accepted  without  complaint,  censure  or 
criticism.  His  friends  believed  him  justly  entitled,  by  his  eminent  service  to  the  indorse- 
ment, which  a  re-election  would  imply,  labored  zealously  for  him,  and  will  ever  believe 
that  his  defeat  was  the  forerunner  and  the  cause  of  the  disasters  which  have  overtaken 
his  party  in  this  State  since  that  time. 

Mr.  Miller's  political  experiences  have  been  varied  and  interesting.  He  has  always 
been  a  believer  in  and  an  advocate  of  honest  politics.  For  many  years  he  directed  the 
Republican  organization  in  Herkimer  county.  He  became  an  influential  factor  in  State 
politics  and  his  opinions  ahvays  carried  weight.  He  presided  over  the  first  Republican. 
State  Convention  held  after  his  election  as  senator  in  1881,  held  in  New  York.  His 
opening  address  was  a  memorable  one.  The  convention  was  held  soon  after  the  death 
of  President  Garfield.  "We  meet  under  the  shadow  of  a  great  sorrow,"  was  his  well- 
remembered  opening  sentence.  In  1882  he  labored  at  Saratoga  for  the  renomination  of 
Governor  Cornell.  Secretary  Folger  was  nominated  and  defeated  by  Cleveland,  who  then 
began  his  march  as  a  "  man  of  destiny."  At  the  State  Convention  held  at  Richfield 
Springs  in  1883,  he  was  chosen  permanent  president.  In  that  convention  he  actively 
pres-ed  a  movement  for  a  larger  representation  in  State  Conventions,  based  on  Re- 
publican vote  rather  than  the  fixed  plan  of  three  from  each  assembly  district.  His 
plan  was  adopted  very  soon  after  and  has  since  prevailed.  In  1884  he  favored  the 
nomination  of  Blaine  for  president,  which  was  the  result  of  the  Chicago  Convention. 
In  1888  he  was  a  delegate  at  the  National  Convention  and  was  active  in  throwing  the 
vote  of  New  York  for  the  nomination  of  Benjamin  Harrison,  his  intimate  associate  in 


548  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  Senate.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  Mr.  Miller  himself  might  have  received 
the  nomination  had  he  permitted  the  real  situation  to  be  known  among  his  friends. 
While  the  contest  was  going  on  several  State  delegations  approached  him  and  offered 
to  give  him  their  votes  if  the  New  York  delegation  would  present  his  name.  He  would 
not  broach  the  subject  to  any  member  of  his  delegation,  and  continued  his  efforts  for 
Harrison.  When  the  Republican  State  Convention  met  in  the  September  following, 
Mr.  Miller's  name  was  the  only  one  presented  for  the  nomination  of  governor,  and  he 
was  unanimously  nominated  amid  great  enthusiasm.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  a  remarkable  one.  Mr.  Miller  at  once'began  a  vigorous  campaign.  He  addressed 
over  seventy  meetings  and  visited  nearly  every  county  of  the  State.  Ilis  speeches  and 
his  endurance  were  the  wonder  of  his  friends.  He  was  brave  and  frank  in  his  utter- 
ances and  won  the  respect  of  his  opponents.  His  party  had  spoken  in  its  platforms 
for  protection  to  America  industry  and  for  high  license.  He  made  a  square  issue.  His 
experience  in  the  Senate  enabled  him  to  present  the  subject  of  protection  in  its  best 
form,  and  he  courageously  made  a  fight  for  the  home  against  the  saloon.  The  sa- 
loon interest  made  a  desperate  resistance,  raised  a  large  fund,  and  defeated  Mr.  Mil- 
ler at  the  polls.  Unreasoning  supporters  of  Prohibition  saw  high  license  and  temperance 
legislation  killed  for  a  generation.  The  plurality  counted  against  him  was  19,171. 
The  Prohibition  vote  was  30,215.  But  he  came  out  of  the  conflict  a  hero.  He  had 
made  the  contest  on  a  national  issue  as  well,  carried  New  York  for  Harrison,  thus 
making  sure  of  the  latter's  election.  The  newly  elected  president  sent  a  celebrated 
telegram  to  Mr.  Miller,  in  which  he  referred  to  the  great  leader  who  had  "  fallen  outside 
the  breastworks  "  Thousands  of  devoted  friends  hoped  and  believed  that  Mr.  Har- 
rison would  at  least  offer  Mr.  Miller  a  position  in  the  cabinet,  and  a  great  movement 
was  made  with  that  end  in  view  until  checked  by  Mr.  Miller  himself.  The  latter  was 
a  delegate  at  the  National  Convention  at  Minneapolis  in  1892.  He  favored  the  nomi- 
nation of  Mr.  James  G.  Blaine,  but  he  came  home  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  cam- 
paign for  Harrison. 

Ever  since  he  entered  politics  he  has  been  active  in  every  political  campaign. 
He  is  a  popular  speaker.  He  talks  common  sense  in  a  way  to  carry  conviction.  His 
arguments  are  straightforward,  convincing,  plain  and  unvarnished.  Especially  in 
agricultural  communities  is  he  a  favorite  speaker,  and  the  vote  cast  for  him  for  gov- 
ernor in  the  country  districts  testified  to  his  popularity.  He  never  has  stooped  to 
deception  or  intrigue  in  any  of  his  political  experiences.  His  word  has  always  been 
sacredly  kept,  and  he  has  been  alike  true  to  friend  and  opponent. 

In  1889  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Nicaragua  Canal  Construction  Company.  A 
few  months  afterwards  he  made  an  extensive  tour  of  observation  in  Nicaragua  in  the 
interest  of  the  company.  The  trip  was  eventful  from  the  fact  that  he  and  his  party 
were  shipwrecked  on  Roncador  Island  in  the  Caribbean  Sea.  No  lives  were  lost,  and 
there  was  little  inconvenience  beyond  a  vexatious  delay.  A  boat  was  rowed  seventy 
miles  to  another  island  to  give  information  of  the  disaster  and  to  arrange  for  relief. 
It  was  an  exciting  if  not  an  enjoyable  incident  of  the  trip.  Had  the  sea  been  leps 
smooth  at  the  time  the  vessel  went  on  the  treacherous  rocks  in  the  early  morning,  this 
sketch  might  have  been   an  obituary.     He  has  visited  Europe  in  the  interests  of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  549 

Uanal  and  has  also  brought  the  enterprise  to  the  attention  of  American  capitalists  in 
many  States.  He  has  faith  with  many  others  that  this  great  projected  waterway  will 
be  an  accomplished  fact,  that  the  United  States  government  will  in  good  time  indorse 
the  undertaking,  and  that  it  will,  when  completed,  revolutionize  the  commerce  of  the 
world.  Mr.  Miller  does  not  allow  his  labors  in  this  national  work  to  interfere  with 
careful  attention  to  his  large  private  interests.  He  is  still  an  extensive  manufacturer 
of  wood  pulp  and  paper,  with  plants  at  Lyons  Falls,  Herkimer,  and  Palmer  Falls.  He 
is  an  influential  leader  in  the  association  of  manufacturers,  and  must  take  pride  in  the 
fact  that  he  has  been  such  a  powerful  agent  in  bringing  the  manufacture  of  paper  to 
its  present  wonderful  state.  He  no  doubt  contrasts  his  present  influential  position  with 
the  dark  days  when  he  was  struggling  to  make  the  world  know  the  usefulness  of  the 
invention. 

Personally,  Mr.  Miller  is  a  type  of  vigorous  manhood.  Blessed  with  good  health, 
abundant  strength,  a  strong  intellect,  be  stands  as  a  worthy  illustration  of  American 
pluck  and  energy.  He  hates  hypocrisy  and  demagogism,  is  frank  and  open  in  his 
ways  and  his  friendships,  steadfast  in  his  opinions  which  he  believes  to  be  right,  a 
true  friend  and  an  honorable  opponent.  In  1865  he  married  Caroline  Churchill, 
and  his  family  consists  now  of  his  devoted  and  accomplished  wife,  one  daughter, 
Augusta,  and  three  sons.  Max,  Burr,  and  Guy.  Miss  Miller  has  been  given  a  com- 
plete education  in  this  country  and  has  spent  two  years  at  institutions  in  Germany 
and  Italy.  Max  is  engaged  in  his  father's  manufactory  at  Palmer  Falls.  Burr  is  an 
architect  in  New  York  city,  and  Guy  is  finishing  a  oour.se  at  Union  University.  All 
his  children  have  been  carefully  and  liberally  educated.  Mr.  Miller's  home  on  his  farm 
at  Herkimer  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  residences  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  overlooking 
the  Mohawk  river,  two  great  trunk  railroad  lines,  the  Brie  Canal  and  county  roadways. 
A  view  from  his  residence  is  a  study  in  commerce,  and  may  well  inspire  a  sentiment  of 
confidence  in  the  growth  and  activity  of  the  country.  It  is  here  that  Herkimer  county's 
most  honored  citizen  spends  his  summers  among  his  neighbors  and  his  friends,  passing 
the  winter  months  in  the  metropolis.  Mr.  Miller  keeps  up  his  interest  in  national  and 
commercial  aflfairs,  and  he  is  an  honored  guest  at  every  gathering  which  combines 
social  pleasures  with  the  discussion  of  questions  of  vital  interests  to  the  metropolis,  the 
State  or  the  country.  His  public  addresses  on  educational  questions  in  his  own  and 
other  States  rank  with  his  political  expressions  as  valuable  contributions  to  the  political, 
economic  and  educational  literature  of  his  time. 

Mr.  Miller  is  now  in  the  full  strength  of  his  years  and  can  feel  the  consciousness  that 
he  has  given  his  friends,  his  State,  and  the  republic  the  best  efforts  of  his  nature,  and 
can  already  look  back  upon  an  honorable  and  useful  life  as  the  proudest  legacy  he  can 
leave  to  his  people. 
70 


550  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

BENJAMIN  F.  GREENE 

Was  born  in  the  town  of  Fairfield,  read  law  in  Herkimer,  and  removed  to  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  was  elected  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court;  he  served  from  1851  to 
1861,  having  at  one  time  been  presiding  justice.     He  was  a  careful  painstaking  officer. 


EDMUND  O'CONOR 

Was  born  in  Manheim,   read  law   in   Herkimer,   removed    to   Binghamton,   Broome 
county,  and  is  now  State  Senator,  with  a  good  record. 


PART  II. 

FAMILY  SKETCHES. 


FAMILY   SKETCHES. 


Abbot,  Sardis  L.,  Litchfield,  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  Litchfield,  owns  a 
dairy  and  grain  farm  of  120  acres.  He  was  highway  commissioner  for  three  years, 
was  three  times  justice  of  the  peace,  and  held  that  office  for  ten  years;  he  also  held 
the  office  of  assessor  for  five  years.  He  was  born  in  Cobleskill,  Schoharie  county, 
February  19,  1810,  and  settled  m  this  town  April  7,  1834.  He  married  Rebecca  Bud- 
long,  a  native  of  this  town,  and  born  on  this  farm,  where  she  lived  all  her  life.  She 
was  born  May  3,  1811,  and  she  died  October  3,  1888,  leaving  one  son,  Charles  F. ;  she 
had  two  children  who  died:  John  J.,  August  21,  1858,  and  a  daughter,  Ophelia  L. 
Maltby,  who  died  September  15,  1878,  and  left  three  children  :  Eugene  A.,  Charles  W. 
and  Lelia  R.  Maltby.  Charles  F.,  the  only  son  of  Sardis  L.  and  Rebecca  Abbott,  mar- 
ried Alice  E.  Vincent,  and  they  have  four  children :  Florence  A.,  Charles  W.,  Gor- 
don N.  and  Robert.  Sardis  L.  Abbott  is  a  son  of  James  P.,  who  was  a  son  of  Joseph, 
a  native  of  Hamden  county,  Mass.  Mrs.  Rebecca  Abbot  was  a  daughter  of  John  Bud- 
long,  a  native  of  this  State,  and  son  of  Aaron  Budlong.  The  law  in  early  days  was 
that  every  boy  eighteen  years  old  was  liable  to  military  duty,  consequently  Sardis  L. 
Abbott  was  enrolled,  and  went  into  the  ranks,  from  which  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  cap- 
tain, and  after  serving  four  or  five  years  he  resigned. 

Allen,  D.  E.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Mohawk,  April  12,  1852,  and  has  been  in 
the  furniture  business  since  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  In  1886  he  married  Mi.ss 
Blanche  Elwood.  Mr.  Allen  is  a  Mason  and  a  man  of  high  standing  socially  in  Mo- 
hawk. His  father,  Enos  Allen,  came  to  Mohawk  in  1840  from  Connecticut.  His 
grandfather,  Delaney  Allen,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  the  family  history  ex- 
tends back  two  hundred  years  in  this  country.  This  well  and  favorably  known  furni- 
ture business  was  founded  nearly  half  a  century  ago  by  E.  Allen,  father  of  the  pres- 
ent proprietor.  Some  twenty  years  ago  Mr.  Allen  associated  with  him  his  son,  D.  E. 
Allen,  when  it  was  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  E.  Allen  &  Son,  and  finally  in 
1886,  at  the  death  of  his  father,  D.  E.  Allen  assumed  sole  control ;  and  he  has  fully 
maintained  the  high  reputation  of  the  house  which  it  has  always  borne  for  handling 
the  most  reliable  goods  at  the  most  reasonable  prices.  The  warerooms  are  comprised 
in  a  four  story  building  22  x  60  feet  in  dimensions  and  having  a  floorage  area  of  6,000 
square  feet.  D.  E.  Allen  was  born  in  Mohawk  and  is  a  gentleman  of  excellent  busi- 
ness standing,  enjoying  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  entire  community.  He  is  a  di- 
rector of  the  Mohawk  Valley  National  Bank,  the  Mohawk  Valley  Knitting  Mills,  and 
the  Knitting  Company  of  Mohawk,  Limited.  He  is  also  the  possessor  of  considerable 
real  estate  in  the  village,  and  although  busily  engaged  in  his  enterprise,  he  still  finds 


2  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

time  to  interest  himself  in  fine  Holstein  cattle,  and  has  one  of  the  finest  dairy  farms 
of  225  acres  in  this  section  of  the  State,  with  a  creamery  and  cheese  factory  attached. 

Abrial,  John,  Little  Falls,  the  foreman  of  George  &  Holden's  mills,  known  as 
the  Little  Falls  Paper  Company,  is  a  native  of  Livingston,  Columbia  County,  N.  Y. 
He  has  worked  successfully  in  many  factories,  including  Bingham  Mills,  Glencoe 
Mills,  Livingston,  and  foreman  at  Linlilhgo.  He  came  to  his  present  position  four 
years  ago  and  three  years  ago  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  foreman.  His  ancestors 
were  residents  of  this  State  for  upwards  of  a  century.  Mr.  Abrial  is  an  expert  in  all 
departments  of  the  manufacture,  and  to  his  skill  and  intelligence  is  due  much  of  the 
credit  for  the  excellence  of  the  products  of  these  mills. 

Ashenhurst,  W.  F.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Philadelphia  and  has  always  been  in  the 
plumbing  business.  At  fifteen  years  of  age  he  began  his  trade  in  New  Yoik  City,  re- 
maining until  1872.  He  then  went  to  Oswego  and  after  spending  seven  years  in  that 
city,  came  to  Little  Falls  in  October,  1880,  and  the  following  March  entered  into 
partnership  witti  Mr.  McDermot.  Mr.  Ashenhurst  is  a  thorough  business  man,  of 
the  highest  integrity,  and  to  his  own  abilities  and  industry  he  owes  the  success  that  he 
has  met  with.  He  is  a  high  degree  Mason,  being  past  high  priest  of  the  chapter 
of  R.  A.  M.,  and  also  an  officer  in  the  Little  Falls  Commandery  of  Knights 
Templar.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  in  politics  lie  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

Abbott,  William  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  State  of  Maine.  His  earlier  years 
were  passed  upon  a  farm,  and  when  about  sixteen  years  of  age  he  learned  the  photo- 
graphic business,  a  business  he  has  since  carried  on.  He,  after  becoming  a  skilled 
artist,  traveled  for  some  time  and  located  eventually  about  thiity-three  years  ago  in 
Little  Falls  where  he  now  conducts  the  leading  art  studio.  He  was  appointed  deputy 
sherifl"  under  V^alentine  Brown  in  1884  and  served  under  him  for  three  years  and  in 
1392,  January  1,  he  was  again  appointed  deputy  sheriff  under  Sylvester  Wilson  of 
Herkimer.  He  has  also  been  foreman  of  one  of  the  local  fire  companies.  He  married 
Miss  Nancy  B.  Dygert  of  Little  Falls,  and  has  three  children  :  Two  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter. Sheriff  Abbott  is  thoroughly  identified  with  local,  social  and  benevolent  institu- 
tions and  has  been  just  at  present  writing  appointed  excise  commissioner. 

Aland,  Charles,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  London,  England,  in  November,  1855.  He 
was  one  of  three  children  of  Henry  and  Martha  Martin  Aland.  He  was  educated 
at  Helperton  Academy,  Wiltshire.  He  married  Annie  E.  Weaver,  of  London,  and 
in  1880  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  at  Rome,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Aland  took  charge 
of  an  iron  foundry,  where  he  remained  for  five  years,  when  became  to  Frankfort,  and 
was  placed  in  charge  of  the  brass  and  iron  foundry  of  th«  West  Shore  Railroad 
shops,  where  he  has  since  remained. 

Acers,  Frank  B.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Warren  August  22,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of 
William  E.  and  Caroline  (Duell)  Acers.  His  grandfather,  George  Acers,  came  from 
Vermont  and  settled  north  of  Little  Lakes.  He  raised  a  large  family  and  died  Septem- 
ber 23,   1830.     Willim  E.  Acers  was  born  in  Vermont  March  4,  1788,  and  came  to 


FAMILY  SKETCnES.  3 

Warren  with  his  parents.  He  was  married  three  times ;  first  to  Atlie  Scotf,  wlio  bore 
him  eight  children,  and  died  April  4,  1825 ;  and  he  married  second  Margaret  Scott, 
who  bore  him  one  child.  His  third  wife  was  Caroline  (Duell)  Wall,  the  mother  of  our 
subject.  Frank  B.  Acers  began  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  working  by  the 
month.  In  1876  he  located  where  he  now  lives  on  150  acres.  He  is  a  breeder  of 
Ayrshire  cattle,  the  only  one  thus  engaged  in  this  section  ;  also  of  Cotswold  sheep,  of 
the  Dan  McDonald  flock,  for  which  McDonald  received  the  first  premium  at  the  State 
Fair.  He  married  June  25,  1875,  Josephine,  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Orpha  (Waldron) 
Staring.  They  have  three  children,  Carrie  L.,  Grace  M.  and  Kenneth  G.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  active  in  the  Methodist  church. 

Abrams,  Professor  J.  K.,  principal  of  the  Church  Street  Union  school.  Little  Falls, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Charleston,  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y.  When  nine  years  old 
he  moved  with  his  parents  on  a  farm  near  Braman's  Corners,  Schenectady  county,  at- 
tended the  village  school  and  worked  on  the  farm  when  there  was  no  school.  When 
the  Princeton  Academy  opened  he  entered  that  institution  as  a  student ;  afterward  the 
Charlotte  Seminary,  where  he  developed  as  a  mathematician.  He  began  teaching 
early  in  the  fifties,  when  it  was  the  ambition  of  farmers'  sons  to  teach  school  for  $14 
per  month  and  board  'round.  Twenty-five  years  ago  he  came  to  Little  Falls  to  assume 
his  present  position,  and  has  filled  it  with  ability  and  success  ever  since.  He  is  the 
oldest  teacher  in  the  county  in  point  of  actual  teaching,  which  amounts  to  almost  forty 
years.  During  all  these  years  of  teaching  Prof.  Abrams  has  been  a  close  student  of 
professional  literature,  besides  covering  a  wide  field  of  general  reading.  Prof.  Abrams 
is  a  descendant  of  an  old  and  honorable  German  family  that  came  to  America  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  He  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  His 
people  on  his  mother's  side  came  from  Connecticut  in  1795,  and  his  father  served  at 
Plattsburgh  during  the  war  of  1812. 

Armstrong,  George  A.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Otsego  county  July  14,  1859,  a  son  of 
Azariah  and  Hannah  Armstrong.  He  was  educated  at  the  Academy  of  West  Winfield. 
He  read  with  Dr.  J.  F.  Huntley  and  studied  medicine  at  the  University  of  New  York, 
graduating  in  1884.  He  commenced  practice  at  Elizabeth,  N.  J. ;  after  that  went  to 
Buriington,  Otsego  county,  where  he  practiced  four  years ;  then  came  to  West  Win- 
field and  bought  out  Dr.  J.  F.  Huntley,  and  has  bsen  here  ever  since.  He  married  Sep- 
tember 9,  1885,  Emma  Kate  Greene,  of  Tarrytown,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Hester 
Greene,  and  they  have  three  children  living.  Vera  H.,  and  Allan  Stone  and  Kenneth 
Greene.  They  have  lost  one  child,  Edna  Grant,  who  died  September  24,  1891,  aged 
about  one  year. 

Arnold,  Thomas,  Russia,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  in  1820,  a  son  of  George,  a  son 
of  Thomas,  who  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born  in  1730.  He  was  a  farmer  and 
lived  and  died  in  his  native  State.  His  wife  was  Hannah  Green,  a  relative  of  General 
Green  of  Revolutionary  fame.  They  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  George 
Arnold  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born  in  1777.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  built  the 
court-house  at  Providence,  R.  1.     He  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Randall, 


4  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

and  Aunie  Spiagiie  Randall.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  Spragiie,  of  Cranston, 
R.  I.,  who  was  a  cousin  of  Governor  Sprague.  Mr.  Arnold  was  a  colonel  in  the  State 
militia.  He  came  from  Newport  in  1821,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
cotton  yarn.  In  1823  he  removed  to  Poland,  and  there  manufactured  yarn  for  eight 
years.  He  afterwards  engaged  in  buying  and  gelling  cotton  until  his  death  in  1871  in 
Poland,  and  his  wife  in  1871.  Thomas  Arnold  came  to  Herkimer  county  with  his 
parents  when  a  child,  and  has  resided  in  Newport  and  Poland  for  seventy  years.  He 
received  a  common  school  education,  and  was  reared  on  the  farm  where  he  now  re- 
sides. He  was  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in  buying  stock  and  shipping  dressed 
beef  east  from  Chicago,  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  same  business  at  Utica.  He  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  been  justice  of  the  peace  for  about  twenty  years.  His  maternal 
grandfather  was  Jonathan  Randall,  a  resident  of  Cranston,  R.  I. 

Angell,  Delavan  A.,  Winfield,  is  agent  and  operator  at  Cedarville  Station,  on  the 
Richfield  Branch  of  the  D.  L.  &  W.  R.  R.  He  was  the  first  station  agent  there,  and 
had  his  office  in  a  box  car  the  first  summer,  that  of  1870,  when  this  branch  was  com- 
pleted to  Richfield  Springs.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Universalist  church  at  Cedarville. 
He  was  born  where  he  and  his  sisters,  Amelia  D.  Angell  and  Louisa  A.  Angell,  now 
live,  in  Chepachet.  They  have  a  brother,  Charles  D.  Angell,  who  has  one  son,  Elon 
Delavan  Angell.  They  are  children  of  Emer  Angell,  who  was  born  in  New  Berlin, 
Chenango  county,  and  Fidelia  A.  Payne  Angell,  who  was  born  in  Litchfield,  this 
county,  a  daughter  of  Setli  Payne,  of  Rhode  Island,  and  Ruth  Lynde,  of  Massachusetts. 
Their  grandfather,  Emer  Angell,  married  Lydia  Rice,  in  1797,  and  emigrated  from 
Providence,  R.  I.,  to  New  Berlin,  N.  Y.,  as  one  of  the  first  settlers,  journeying  by 
marked  trees.     He  was  drafted  to  serve  in  the  war  of  1812. 

Arnold,  Harry  C,  Fairfield,  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  fam- 
ilies. He  was  born  June  12,  1862,  on  the  farm  he  now  owns.  He  received  his  edu- 
cation at  Fort  Plain  and  Fairfield.  His  farm  consists  of  350  acres  and  a  dairy  of 
seventy  cows.  He  is  a  member  o*  the  Grange,  and  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  the  county.     His  father,  Daniel  B.  Arnold,  died  in  1887. 

Buck,  Lyman  H.  was  born  in  Russia,  N.  Y.,  January  2,  1837,  a  son  of  William  Buck, 
who  was  born  in  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  October  G,  1807.  He  bought  a  farm  near  Poland, 
where  he  resided  until  IStiO,  when  he  purchased  an  adjoining  farm,  where  he  lived  the 
remainder  of  his  days.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the  State  Bank  at  Poland,  or- 
ganized in  1870,  and  president  of  the  National  Bank  until  his  death.  He  died  in  1880. 
His  wife  Susan,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Susannah  (Buck)  Millington,  is  still  living 
in  Poland.  Jonathan  was  born  in  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  in  1774,  was  a  son  of  Solomon 
Millington,  a  native  of  Shaftsbury,  who  died  in  1833,  and  his  wife  in  1835.  Jonathan 
Millington  had  one  son  and  five  daughters.  He  was  drafted  in  the  war  of  1812.  He 
died  in  1854.  Lyman  Buck  was  educated  in  Fairfield  Seminary.  In  connection  with 
farming,  he  taught  school  several  terms.  Afterwards  followed  farming,  exclusively 
on  the  old  homestead,  which  he  and  his  brother  now  own.  Mr.  Buck  with  Charles  D. 
Buck,  Peter  Newman,  Felus  Prindle  and  Marcena  May,  owned  for  a  number  of  years 
the  Poland  cheese  factory  and  manufactured  large  quantities  of  cheese.     Lyman  H. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  5 

Buck  owns  land  in  Herkimer  County,  and  also  quite  extensively  in  several  of  tlie 
Western  States.  He  is  one  of  the  stockholders  and  president  of  the  Union  Store  in 
Poland.  He  is  a  Republican.  He  furnished  a  substitute  in  the  Civil  War.  Mr.  Buck 
has  always  supported  the  Baptist  Church.  His  wife  is  Frances  M.  Ferris,  whom  he 
married  February  20,  1865.  She  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Col.  Timothy  H.  Ferris,  of 
Russia.     Mr.  Buck  and  wife  have  one  child,  Harriet  Gudrida,  at  home. 

Burlingame,  B.  W.,  Russia,  was  born  August  19,  1849,  in  Minden,  Montgomery 
counly.  His  father  was  Peter  B.,  son  of  Benjamin  Burlingame  of  Dutchess  county, 
who  married  Elizabeth  Bice  and  had  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Bis  wife  died  in 
1.810  and  he  married  a  widow  Dempster  of  Kingsbury.  She  died  and  he  was  a 
third  time  married.  He  died  near  Gray  about  1852,  aged  seventy-six.  Peter  B. 
Burlingame  was  born  July  29,  1804,  in  Dutchess  county.  November  17,  1834,  he 
married  Sarah  E.  Bonfie,  a  native  of  Montgomery  county,  born  February  14,  1812, 
and  a  daughter  of  Barnabas  Bonfie,  who  was  a  son  of  Henry,  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, who  had  seven  children.  Barnabas  Bonfie  was  born  January  13,  1785, 
in  Amsterdam,  and  married  Polly  Smith,  of  Dutchess  county,  born  February  22, 
1787,  by  whom  he  had  seven  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  died  in  Gray,  1871, 
and  his  wife  in  1874.  Peter  B.  Burlingame  and  wife  had  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  two  of  whom  are  living,  subject  of  sketch  and  Mary  E.,  who  has  three 
children  living.  Her  mother  resides  with  her.  Barnabas  E.,  son  of  Peter  B..  was  in 
the  117th  New  York  Infanliy,  Company  C,  and  died  May  25,  1863,  aged  nineteen. 
Mr.  Burlingame  died  January  14,  1888,  in  Grant.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  but  his  principal  occupation  has  been  farming.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  is  a  member  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church  and  his  wife  is  a  Methodist. 
Mr.  Burlingame  was  twice  married  :  First,  to  Alma  S.,  daughter  of  Henry  Caruthers. 
She  was  born  June  31,  1853,  and  died  August  29,  1886.  They  had  two  children,  of 
whom  one  died  in  infancy,  and  Frank  W.,  born  October  26,  1884.  His  second  wife 
was  Mattie  (Hollenbeck)  Pardee,  born  in  Salisbury,  October  10,  1845.  Her 
father  was  Francis,  son  of  Jasper  Hollenbeck,  born  near  Hudson,  who  married  Miss 
Van  Wormer,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Francis  Hollenbeck 
vras  born  near  Hudson,  1810.  His  wife  was  Margaret  A.  Emery  and  they  had  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  He  died  October  26, 1872,  and  his  wife  in  1881.  Subject's 
wife  was  first  married  in  1868  to  Joseph  Pardee,  born  1837,  in  Russia,  a  son  of  Loien 
and  Betsy  (Prindle)  Pardee  of  Russia.  Joseph  Pardee  and  wife  had  two  children: 
Merritt  J.,  deceased,  and  Edith  G.     Mr.  Pardee  died  in  1871. 

Bridenbecker,  Amos,  Schuyler,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  lives,  April  20, 
1817.  His  father,  Daniel  B.,  was  also  a  native  of  Schuyler,  and  his  grandfather  came 
from  Germany  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  about  Fort 
Schuyler.  September  27,  1838,  Mr.  Bridenbecker  married  Caroline  Pruyn,  and  they 
had  three  children :  Mrs.  Dr.  E.  W.  Raynor  and  Mrs.  George  W.  Richardson,  and  one 
son,  Ezra  D.,  who  died  September  19,  1851.  He  married  second,  in  1853,  Ann  M. 
Young.  Mr.  Bridenbecker  was  in  the  militia  under  General  Spinner,  with  rank  of 
lieutenant- colonel. 


6  HISTORY  OF  nERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Brown,  Horace,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Frankfort  March  23,  1839,  he  being  one  of 
thirteen  children  of  J.  Z.  Brown  (son  of  Darius),  who  was  born  in  the  same  town 
October  (i,  1807;  he  was  a  farmer  and  a  preacher,  being  a  Methodist  minister  and 
preaching  for  fifty  years.  He  died  in  his  native  town  July  21,  1887.  Darius  Brown, 
a  brother  of  Horace,  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  He  died  May  10,  1864, 
aged  twenty-nine  years.  His  life  was  lost  at  Spottsylvania,  his  body  not  being  re- 
covered. Another  brother,  Burton,  served  in  the  war,  was  honorably  discharged  on 
account  of  ill  health,  and  died  about  a  year  later.  Mr.  Brown  has  always  made  his 
home  in  his  native  town. 

Bradley,  H.  W.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  county  June  2,  1852,  and 
has  been  in  mechanical  lines  all  his  business  life.  He  came  to  Ilion  in  1874  and  entered 
the  armory  as  tool  maker.  He  has  been  assistant  superintendent  since  1888.  In  1873 
he  married  Anna  G.  Austin,  of  Windsor,  Vt.,  and  they  have  had  one  son,  Lester  H., 
who  is  studymg  at  Norwich  University.  Mr.  Bradley  stands  high  in  Masonry,  and  is 
one  of  the  substantial  men  of  Uion. 

Barringer,  C.  A.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Ilion  December  31,  1845,  and  has  lived 
all  his  life  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born.  His  father  was  Samuel  Barringer,  and  his 
grandfather  Zachariah  Barringer.  Our  subject  owns  135  acres  of  fine  farming  land,  and 
his  two  sisters,  Mary  and  Martha,  reside  with  him. 

Burch,  S.  C,  German  Flats,  was  born  January  8,  1861,  and  was  educated  in  the 
Ilion  Academy.  After  acting  as  book-keeper  for  some  years,  he  and  his  father,  C.  B. 
Burch,  started  in  business  in  1884.  The  next  year  Mr.  Burch  married  Alvira  C.  Bud- 
long,  daughter  of  William  Budlong.  Mr.  Burch  has  been  village  clerk,  and  a  promi- 
nent member  of  the  K.  of  P.,  Odd  Fellows,  the  Uion.Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  and  is 
very  highly  esteemed  in  the  social  circles  of  Ilion. 

Bellinger,  George  P.,  Danube,  was  born  on  the  old  farm  in  1867.  He  was  liberally 
educated  at  Fort  Plain  and  at  the  Clinton  Liberal  Institute  and  assisted  his  father  on 
the.  farm  until  the  death  of  that  gentleman,  when  he  succeeded  to  the  property,  which 
occurred  on  the  2d  of  Noveuiber.  1888.  He  married  Grace  Johnson  on  the  9th  of 
September,  1891,  and  they  have  a  daughter,  Ruth,  born  November,  18,  1892.  Christian 
Bellinger,  great-grandfather  to  George  P.,  settled  here  early  in  the  seventeenth  century  ; 
his  great  grandfather,  Christian  Bellinger,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians.  His 
father,  James  Bellinger,  lived  and  died  on  the  old  farm.  He  owns  about  125  acres  of 
6ne  dairy  land  and  keeps  about  forty  head  of  stock. 

Burch,  C.  B.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Otsego  county  December  7,  1834.  His 
father  was  Orlo  Burch.  C.  B.  Burch  was  first  engaged  as  a  clerk  and  then  in  farming. 
He  came  to  Ilion  in  1865  and  worked  in  the  armory  for  ten  years.  In  1884  he  estab- 
lished his  present  business.  Mr.  Burch  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U. 
W.  In  June,  1863,  he  married  Miss  Harriet  A.  Ross,  and  they  have  five  children, 
three  sous  and  two  daughters ;  Seymour  C,  W.  W.,  and  A.  W.,  are  the  sons. 

Barse,  F.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  town  of  Herkimer,  October 
5,  1830,  and  came  to  Ilion  in  1863.     After  filling  responsible  positions  he  embarked  in 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  '  7 

the  saloon  and  bottling  business  fifteen  years  ago,  and  in  1882  the  firm  became 
Barse  &  Miller,  as  it  at  present  exists.  Mr.  Barse  married  Mary  B.  Wildey,  and  they 
have  one  daughter,  Kate.  Mr.  Barse's  mother  was  a  Miss  Smith,  related  to  the  Smiths 
of  Herkimer. 

Benton,  W.  W.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Andover,  Vt.,  January  2C.  1830.  He 
was  a  blacksmith's  son,  and  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmith.  After  two  years  spent  in 
the  armory  at  Springfield  he  came  in  1863  to  Ilion  and  has  been  in  the  armory  ever 
since,  being  now  one  of  the  contractors.  He  is  a  Mason,  and  has  served  on  the  Board 
of  Education.  In  185G  he  married  Meriam  L.  Hunllev  ;  they  had  one  son,  W.  W.  jr. 
virhodied  in  his  seventeenth  year,  a  promising  young  man,  who  had  already  distmguished 
himself  as  a  student. 

Bennett,  R.  W.,  Frankfort,  only  son  of  Daniel  and  Oalista  (Dyke)  Bennett,  was 
born  in  Frankfort.  Daniel,  the  father,  was  born  in  Connecticut.  He  settled  in  Frank- 
fort si.Kty-five  years  ago  and  is  now  living  at  ninety-one  years  of  age,  his  wife  Cali.sta 
also  being  eighty  seven  years  of  age;  his  father,  Waterman  Bennett,  was  a  native  of 
Connecticut;  his  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  R.  W.  Bennett  was 
married  February  6,  1853,  to  Dorcas  R.  Cooledge,  daughter  of  Horace  and  Mary  (Buck) 
Cooledge,  of  Frankfort.     They  have  one  daughter,  Flora  A.  (Mrs.  John  E.  Maynard). 

Maynard,  John  B.,  a  native  of  the  town  of  Litchfield,  has  lived  in  Frankfort  fourteen 
years.  He  married  February  G,  1878,  Flora  A.  Bennett,  of  Frankfort;  they  have  three 
children,  Arthur  B.,  Mabel  A.,  and  Ella  Jenette.  His  place,  "Valley  View  Stock 
Farm,"  of  one  hundred  acres  is  as  the  name  indicates,  situated  upon  a  hill  which  gives 
a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  In  1890  Mr.  Maynard  built  a  very  fine  barn 
for  dairy  and  stock  purposes,  it  being  thirty-six  by  seventy-two  feet  with  twenty  feet 
posts,  and  basement  finely  arranged  for  thirty  cows,  with  stalls  and  box  stalls  for 
horses  also,  it  being  one  of  the  notable  buildings  of  the  town. 

Baird,  John,  Norway,  was  born  in  Dumfriesshire,  Scotland,  November,  1852.  He  is 
the  fourth  of  six  children  born  to  John  and  Elizabeth  (McCulloch)  Baird,  of  Scotland, 
where  they  lived  and  died.  Elizabeth  Baird  died  in  1855,  and  Mr.  Baird  married  Mary 
Gordon,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children.  He  was  a  successful  dairyman.  He  died  in 
1886.  In  1871  John  and  his  brother  James  came  to  America.  James  spent  the  most 
of  his  life,  after  coming  here,  in  Otsego  county,  as  a  cheese-maker  and  school  teacher. 
He  died  in  1876.  John  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  parish 
schools  of  Scotland.  He  has  followed  cheese-making  since  he  came  to  America.  For 
the  last  ten  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  White  Creek  Cheese  Factory  of  Norway. 
In  1881  he  married  Ella  Fox  and  they  have  had  three  daughters:  Grace  N,  Ella  F., 
and  Mildred  E.  Mr.  Baird  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge,  No.  451, 
F.  and  A.  M.  Mrs.  Baird  is  a  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Sarah  (Elwood)  Fox  of 
Stark.  Mr.  Fox  is  of  German  descent  and  his  wife  is  of  English  descent.  They  reared 
eight  children  and  both  died  in  Stark,  N.  Y. 

Bellinger,  J.  C,  of  Newell  &  Bellinger,  Little  Falls,  is  a  grandson  and  namesake  of  J. 
C.  Bellinger,  one  of  the  prominent  characters  of  the  early  part  of  the  present  century. 


8  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

His  great-grandfather  was  Henry  Bellinger;  so  he  represents  the  fourth  generation  of 
this  branch  of  the  Bellinger  family  in  this  State.  J.  C.  Bellinger  is  a  native  of  East 
Bloorafield,  Ontario  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born  in  1866.  Although  but  a  young 
man,  he  is  one  of  the  bright  business  men  of  the  town.  July  1,  1891,  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  J.  R.  Newell.  He  had  formerly  been  a  clerk  in  the  same  business. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Burney,  F.  C,  Little  Fall.s,  though  a  young  man  is  distinctly  one  of  the  representa- 
tive business  men  of  Little  Falls.  He  is  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  county  and  a  de- 
scendant of  one  of  the  oldest  families  jn  the  county,  on  his  mother's  side.  He  embarked 
in  the  hardware  business  in  1888  with  a  Mr,  Cooper,  but  in  January,  1891,  this  firm 
dissolved  and  was  replaced  by  Burney  Brothers,  as  it  remains  at  present,  the  partners 
being  F.  C.  and  J.  G.  Burney.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of  both  Odd 
Fellows  and  Masons.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  has  three  brothers,  and  all 
four  are  Masons;  one  of  the  four  raised  the  other  three,  all  at  one  time.  The 
business  of  Burney  Brothers  is  large  and  important,  and  by  honorable  methods  and 
superior  bilsiness  management  they  have  become  important  factors  in  the  commer- 
cial life  of  Little  Falls. 

Brown,  Roswell  E.,  Little  Falls,  commission  broker  for  Armour  &  Company,  is  a 
native  of  Fairfield,  and  spent  his  early  years  in  farming.  Subsequently  he  .«pent  some 
time  in  the  live-stock  business.  Ten  years  ago  he  came  to  Little  Falls  to  take  his 
present  position  with  Armour  &  Company,  and  during  this  time  he  has  had  a  large  and 
constantly  increasing  business.  Mr.  Brown  is  well  known  in  the  social  as  well  a.s  com- 
mercial circles  of  this  part  of  the  State,  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  order  of  B.  and  P.  Elks  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Mc- 
Kinley  Republican.  Mr.  Brown's  grandfather  came  to  New  York  State  from 
Connecticut. 

Barney,  Dr.  A.  G.,  Dolgeville,  father  of  F.  M.  Barney,  M.  D.,  settled  in  Dolgeville  in 
July,  1861.  He  died  here  September  2.  1888.  F.  M.  Barney  was  educated  in  Fair- 
field Seminary  and  graduated  from  the  Albany  Medical  College  March  15,  1888.  Dr. 
Barney  married  Mattie  Broderick  of  Little  Falls.  They  have  no  family.  The  doctor 
is  health  officer  of  the  town  and  is  identified  with  local,  social  and  benevolent  associa- 
tions.    His  ancestors  came  originally  from  Massachusetts. 

Bishton,  F.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  England  and  came  to  America  in  1876,  lo- 
cating in  Ilion.  He  established  his  meat-market  here  in  that  year  and  has  since  con- 
ducted it  with  success.  In  18G7  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Simpson  and  they  have  a 
family  of  four  boys  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Bishton  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor. 

Bellinger,  James  H.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  son  of  P.  E.  Bellinger,  of  whom  mention  is 
made  elsewhere,  and  although  a  young  man  is  one  of  the  representative  farmeis  of  Lit- 
tle Falls,  and  probably  the  most  able  and  successful  of  all  the  men  who  are  known  un- 
der the  same  name.  He  is  a  native  of  this  township  and  was  educated  in  Little  Falls 
and  Utica.     He  married  Eva  Brown  and  they  have  one  child,  a  son.     He  owns  16'2 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  9 

acres,  used  for  dairy  purposes  and  grain,  and  has  thirty-eight  cows.     Mr.  BelHnger 
is  a  Democrat  and  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

Burke,  M.  L.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Utica  and  was  born  September  23,  1837. 
He  learned  the  locksmith's  trade  but  has  been  for  the  last  thirty-two  years  a  con- 
tractor in  connection  with  the  Remington  Arms  Company.  In  1857  he  married 
Miss  Annie  Fogerty,  by  whom  he  has  had  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters. The  sons  are  William,  Fred  J.,  and  Frank  T.,  the  daughters,  Mrs.  Charles  R. 
Hubbell  of  Syracuse,  Isabella  and  Mary  E.,  now  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Munson  of  Herkimer, 
H.  Ellen  T.,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Fox  of  Little  Falls.  Mr.  Burke  is  one  of  the  leading 
men  of  Ilion  and  was  elected  trustee  of  the  village  in  1892.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  and  a  member  of  Knights  Templar  in  the  Masonic  order  of  Little  Falls  Com- 
mandery,  No.  26. 

Budlong,  A.  L.,  Frankfort,  the  only  son  of  R.  P.  and  Rebecca  (Miller)  Budlong  of 
Frankfort,  was  born  May  30,  1850,  on  the  Budlong  homestead  where  he  now  lives.  His 
grandfather  was  Aaron  Budlong,  a  native  of  the  town,  also  born  on  the  old  family 
homestead,  which  was  settled  by  his  great-grandfather  Aaron  Budlong,  he  being 
one  of  the  first  settlers,  when  it  was  a  forest.  Rebecca  (Miller)  Budlong,  the  mother, 
was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Miller  of  Miller's  Mills,  Columbia.  A.  L. 
Budlong  was  married  November  3,  1880,  to  Julia  Marriner,  one  Of  three  children 
of  Edward  and  Julia  (Frost)  Marriner  of  New  York  City.  They  have  had  three  chil- 
dren :  Edward  Marriner,  Fred  Eugene  and  De  Elmo  P.  Budlong  (died  in  infancy). 

Briggs,  WiUiam,  (Jerman  Flats,  was  born  in  Warwick,  Kent  county,  R.  I.,  June  23, 
1814.  He  learned  the  cotton  manufacturing  business,  which  he  followed  in  Rhode 
Island  and  New  York  States,  for  many  years.  He  was  in  the  Remington  Armory  for 
twenty-five  years,  and  for  the  past  nine  years  has  lived  a  retired  life.  He  has  had  a 
varied  but  successful  career.  He  married  Esther  Ann  Titus  in  1839,  and  they  had 
two  sons,  George  T.  and  William  T.,  both  deceased,  and  one  daughter,'  Ellen  Bradley 
Briggs,  who  is  prominent  in  the  social  affairs  of  the  town.  Mr.  Briggs'  father  was 
William  E.,  his  grandfather  William,  and  his  great-grandfather  came  from  Bristol, 
England.     Mrs.  Briggs  died  August  27,  1883. 

Brockett,  Clinton,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Oppenheim,  November  6, 1826. 
His  family  gave  its  name  to  this  vicinity  (Brockett's  Bridge).  His  father  was  post- 
master for  twenty-four  years,  and  his  brother  for  twenty  years,  while  Mr.  Brockett 
has  served  as  deputy  postmaster  for  some  time.  He  married  Ruth  A.  Leek.  They 
have  no  children.  Mr.  Brockett  now  lives  in  Dolgeville  (formerly  Brockett's  Bridge), 
retired  from  active  business,  having  disposed  of  bis  farm.  He  has  held  local  public 
offices,  and  has  always  been  one  of  the  foremost  and  most  public-spirited  citizens  of 
the  locality  wherein  his  family  have  been  popular  and  important  members  of  the  com- 
munity since  the  Revolution. 

Bidleman,  Peter  M.,  Manheim,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Manheim,  July  10,  1839. 
He  received  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Manheim  and  Little  Falls  Acad- 
emy, and  has  always  followed  farming,  having  inherited  from  his  father  a  faim  of  1£0 


10  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

acres,  besides  which  he  now  owns  two  other  farms.  The  Bidlemans  are  of  Revolu- 
tionary antecedents,  and  have  always  been  prominent  in  local  affairs  here.  Peter  M. 
Bidleman  married  May  Broat,  and  has  had  four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter. 
The  oldest  son,  Frank  M.  Bidleman,  died  February  1,  1890,  aged  twenty-four  years, 
ten  months  and  eighteen  days. 

Briggs,  A.  M ,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Sauquoit,  Oneida  county,  December  8' 
1844.  He  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth  New  York  Volunteers,  Aug- 
ust 10,  18G2,  and  served  three  years  in  the  war.  After  the  war  he  went  into  the  hotel 
business  at  Cassville  for  five  years.  He  was  five  years  in  Whitestown,  six  years  in 
Herkimer,  two  years  in  Clayton,  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  has  been  four  years  in  the 
Mohawk  Valley  Hotel,  in  Mohawk.  In  1871  Mr.  Briggs  married  Miss  Nellie  Ambrose, 
of  Clayville,  Oneida  county,  and  he  has  two  children,  Charles  D.  and  Edith  lona. 

Baker,  Walter,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Sheffield,  England,  June  8, 1837,  and  came 
to  America  in  1847.  He  was  engaged  in  different  shops  in  Connecticut  until  1801, 
when  he  came  to  Ilion,  where  he  was  connected  with  the  armory  as  contractor  for 
twenty-five  years.  He  now  does  the  drop  forging  and  cold  pressed  work  for  the 
Wyckoff,  Seaman  &  Benedict  Typewriter  Company.  In  185C  he  married  Sarah  M. 
Spencer,  and  they  have  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Mr.  Baker  is  a 
prominent  Mason,  and  has  been  chief  of  the  Eion  fire  department. 

Brown,  E.  H.,  of  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Union  Square,  Oswego  county,  N.  Y., 
and  was  educated  there.  He  traveled  for  himself  for  some  years  and  then  started 
business  in  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  with  his  brother.  April  11,  1880,  he  inaugurated  his 
present  enterprise  in  Little  Falls,  and  has  conducted  it  most  successfully  since,  his  place 
havmg  the  reputation  of  being  the  leading  fancy  dry  goods,  notion,  and  millinery  house 
in  Little  Falls.  Mr.  Brown's  ancestors  were  natives  of  New  York  State  for  three  gen- 
erations before  his  time.  In  December,  1888,  he  married  Harriet  Davies,  of  Cleve- 
land, 0.,  and  they  have  one  son.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  the  family 
are  members  of  the  Episcopalian  church. 

Bacon,  Warren  H.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Oppenheini.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  Fairfield  Seminary,  Clinton  Liberal  Institute,  and  the  Cazenovia  Seminary,  and 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Keck,  of  Johnstown.  After  three 
years  therein,  and  upon  the  death  of  his  father,  he  left  his  studies  to  settle  up  the  estate 
of  his  family.  Mr.  Bacon  was  elected  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Oppenheim  in  1878, 
1879,  1880,  and  in  1883,  being  chairman  of  the  board  for  two  terms.  He  is  at  present 
trustee  of  the  village  of  Dolgeville,  justice  of  the  peace  of  the  town  of  Oppenheim, 
district  deputy  of  I.  0.  0.  F.,  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  identified  with  all 
social  and  benevolent  institutions.  He  owns  the  old  homestead  of  120  acres  of  dairy 
land  in  Oppenheim.  Mr.  Bacon's  ancestors  on  his  father's  side  came  from  Dudley, 
Mass.,  in  1819,  and  settled  there.  His  great-grandfather,  Jonathan  Bacon,  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Revolution.  His  grandfather  was  Jonathan  Bacon  jr.,  and  his  father  was 
George  H.  Bacon.  On  his  mother's  -side  he  is  descended  from  the  Davis  family,  who 
came  to  Massachusetts,  or  Maine,  in  1642,  of  English  parentage. 


Family  sketches.  n 

Burcli,  R.,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler,  ami  is  a  son  of  George  Burch,  who  was 
one  of  the  most  successful  men  in  this  town,  past  or  present.  His  grandfather,  Robert 
Burch,  can.e  from  Killingby,  Conn.  In  1870  Mr.  Burch  married  Sarah  Isabella,  daugh- 
ter of  Solomon  T.  Hubbard,  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Belle 
Louise.     Mr.  Burch  is  largely  interested  in  railroad  stock,  and  in  farming. 

Brice,  Martin,  Schuyler,  was  born  in  Germany,  October  18,  1842,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1849.  March  27,  1883,  he  married  Mrs.  Elmira  Baum,  one  of  the  wealthy  wo- 
men of  Schuyler.  The  family  consists  of  Horatio  R.,  for  two  years  principal  of  the 
Richville  Union  School,  St.  Lawrence  county,  Byron  H.,  and  Ida  Baum.  Another 
daughter  is  Mrs.  Chas.  A.  Cramer.  The  farm  comprises  210  acres  and  a  dairy  of  thirty- 
five  cows,  with  fine  substantial  buildings. 

Breckwoldt,  Julius,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Germany,  in  which  country  he  received 
a  good  education.  In  1872,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  came  to  New  York  city,  and  served 
his  apprenticeship  with  F.  W.  Jgunge.  About  1877  he  became  an  employee  of  Alfred 
Dolge,  and  has  since  risen  to  be  general  overseer  of  the  moulding  departments,  and 
treasurer  of  the  business.  He  supervises  about  forty  hands.  Mr.  Breckwoldt  is  a 
member  of  the  Dolgeville  Board  of  Education,  treasurer  of  the  fire  company,  presi- 
dent of  the  Dolgeville  Herald  Publishing  Company,  president  of  the  Dolgeville  Coal 
Company,  and  treasurer  of  the  Dolgeville  Building  and  Loan  Association.  He  is  also 
identified  with  all  social  and  benevolent  institutions.  Mr.  Breckwoldt  married  Miss 
Jennie  N.  Lambertson.     They  have  two  children. 

Brockett,  Z.  G.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  at  Brockett's  Bridge,  now  Dolgeville,  February 
19,  1868.  He  received  his  education  here  and  at  the  Albany  Normal  School,  and  after 
clerking  and  teaching  school  for  a  few  years,  he  established  about  three  years  since  his 
present  grocery  and  drug  business.  Mr.  Brockett's  ancestors  for  sevei-al  generations 
have  been  located  here  and  identified  with  the  welfare  of  this  vicinity.  His  grandfather 
was  postmaster  for  twenty-five  years,  and  his  father  twenty-six  years.  Mr.  Brockett 
is  identified  with  the  Masonic  lodge,  the  Odd  Fellows,  etc.,  besides  being  associated 
with  local  and  benevolent  institutions. 

Bradford,  George  H.,  Manheim,  was  born  on  the  old  farm  of  130  acres,  in  Man- 
heim,  upon  which  he  now  hves  and  owns,  it  having  descended  to  him  from  his  father. 
Mr.  Bradford  has  been  identified  considerably  with  local  progressive  affairs,  and  has 
held  the  office  of  town  clerk  for  two  years.  He  married  Miss  Kittie  Feeter,  and  has 
three  children  (two  girls  and  one  boy).  His  family  are  of  Revolutionary  antecedents 
and  are  much  respected  in  this  county.  He  is  identified  with  the  County  Grange, 
Royal  Arcanum,  etc. 

Bell,  Charles,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Columbia,  Herkimer  county.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  Cedarville  High  School  and  Whitestown  Seminary,  and. commenced 
the  study  of  law  with  Earl  &  Prescott,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  from  the  ofiBce  of 
Steele  &  Prescott  June  20,  1884.  On  January  19,  1885,  he  formed  a  copartnership 
with  J.  D.  Henderson  for  the  practice  of  law,  which  firm  still  exists,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  law  firms  in  Herkimer  county.     Mr.  Bell  is  a  member  of  the  police 


12  HISTORY  OF  HERKDIER  COUNTY. 

and  fire  commissioners,  which  oflSces  he  has  held  since  their  organization  in  1187.  He 
was  selected  chairman  of  the  Democratic  County  Committee  in  1889  which  office  he 
sti  11  retains.  He  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having  taken  his  thirty- 
second  degree,  and  is  identified  with  various  social  and  benevolent  institutions.  He 
married  Carrie,  daughter  of  J.  J.  Steele,  of  German  Flats.  Mr.  Bell's  father  is  Warner 
Bell,  his  grandfather  Nicholas  Bell,  and  his  ereat-grandfather  Philip  Bell,  the  latter 
having  been  killed  in  the  Revolutioiiary  War.  The  ancestry  of  the  family  is  Mohawk 
Dutch. 

Bradford,  Hopestill,  Newport,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  November  19,  1812,  a  son  of 
Joseph  and  Lovina  (Tyler)  Bradford,  who  were  natives  of  Massachusetts.  Joseph 
Bradford  settled  in  Fairfield  about  1809  and  moved  to  Newport  in  1815.  He  was  a 
native  of  Zoar,  Berkshire,  Mass.,  and  settled  in  this  town  in  1826.  He  followed  farm- 
ing and  dairying.  He  was  a  son  of  Elisha  and  Eunice  (Bennett)  Bradford,  his  father 
having  been  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution.  Our  subject  was  the  only  child,  and  married 
January  24,  1843,  Rebecca  M.,  daughter  cf  Royal  P.  and  Rebecca  (Green)  Luther. 
Rebecca  Green  was  bom  in  Warren  in  1804,  a  daughter  of  Dyer  and  Sallie  (Eddie) 
Green,  and  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  Her  daughter,  Rebecca,  was  born  in  Cheshire, 
Mass.,  in  1822,  May  27,  and  settled  in  this  town  in  1835.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bradford  have 
three  children  as  follows :  George  L.,  cashier  of  the  Oneida  National  Bank  of  Ttica; 
Alice  C,  bom  January  9,  1842,  died  March  4,  1S67;  Lovina  C,  bom  September  23, 
1854,  died  April  8,  1861.  Our  subject  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  assessor  and  trustee. 
George  L.  Bradford  married  Married  Mary  C.  ilorcy,  a  native  of  Fairfield  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  David  and  Elsie  (Buchanan)  Morcy,  of  Newport.  He  graduated  from  the 
Whitestowu  Seminary,  and  was  engaged  in  the  Newport  Bank  for  seven  years,  then 
with  the  Oneida  National  Bank  for  twenty-two  years.  He  has  two  children,  RebaA. 
and  Florence  L.,  the  former  born  July  6,  1869,  and  the  latter  bom  April  15,  1871. 

•  Bunce,  George  H.,  Herkimer,  was  bom  in  the  town  of  Russia  October  21,  1865. 
His  father  is  Madison  Bunce.  He  was  educatsd  in  the  schools  of  Norway  and  Pros- 
pect, and  took  a  Latin  scientific  course  in  Fairfield  Seminary,  graduating  as  valedic- 
torian of  the  class  of  '84.  After  this  he  taught  school  winters  and  worked  summers 
on  a  farm  until  1887,  when  he  began  the  study  of  law  with  E.  A.  Brown  in  Herkimer, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1891.  He  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  Surrogate's 
Court  in  January,  1890,  which  position  he  at  piesent  occupies.  He  was  married  in 
1887  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Curtis,  of  Ohio,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Bunce  is  identified  with  local,  social 
and  benevolent  institutions,  such  as  Odd  Fellows.  Kappa  GaniiLa  Phi  Club,  Hook  and 
Ladder  Company,  etc. 

Bellinger,  J.  M.,  Mohawk,  was  born  in  Mohawk  January  20,  1849.  He  received  an 
excellent  education,  and  was  connected  with  the  Remington  Armory  for  twenty-three 
yerrs.  During  this  time  he  kept  books  for  Mr.  John  Hoefler  for  ten  years.  Mr.  Bel- 
linger followed  civil  engineering  and  telegraphy,  and  was  connected  with  the  New 
York,  TJtica  and  Ogdensburg  Railroad  for  two  years ;  was  with  Berkwith  &  Quack- 
enbush  at  the  building  of  the  West  Shore  Railroad  at  Little  Falls  and  had  charge 
of  the  night  forces.     Mr.  Belhnger  then  established  his  paper  box  and  wood  case  man- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  13 

ufactory  in  Mohawk,  which  has  steatlily  increased  since  its  inception.  He  employs 
twenty-five  hands.  For  thirteen  years  past  he  he  has  been  second  lieutenant  of  the 
Thirty-first  Separate  Company  of  the  National  Guards,  and  is  the  third  ranking 
second  lieutenant  in  the  State.  Mr.  Bellinger  married  Miss  Allie  M.  Harris.  They 
have  no  family.  He  is  a  Mason  and  identified  with  local,  social  and  benevolent  insti- 
tutions. 

Bellinger,  Peter,  Manheim,  was  born  in  this  county  March  7,  182G.  He  is  descended 
from  Revolutionary  stock,  and  has  been  a  very  successful  farmer  for  many  years.  He 
has  owned  as  many  as  five  farms  at  different  times.  Mr.  Bellinger  married  Miss  Mary 
A.  Goodell,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Goodell,  and  has  three  children  living.  Mr.  Bellin- 
ger has  held  local  public  office,  and  is  much  interested  in  all  measures  tending  to  the 
progress  of  this  community.     He  is  at  present  an  extensive  real  estate  owner. 

Burns,  Edward  M.,  Herkimer,  general  manager  of  the  Adirondack  &  St.  Lawrence 
R.  R.,  is  a  native  of  Albany  and  began  Lis  business  career  as  a  cleik  in  a  country  store, 
and  for  some  years  afterwards  was  so  employed  by  a  merchant  in  Albany,  and  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  as  a  clerk  in  the  inspector-general's  ofiice  at  the  State  Capi- 
tol in  Albany.  After  some  one  hundred  regiments  of  volunteers  were  organized  he 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  97th  N.  Y.  Volunteers,  but  was  at  once  promoted  to  a  2d 
Lieutenancy  in  the  94th  N.  Y.  Volunteers,  then  serving  as  Provost  Guard  at  Alexan- 
dria, Va.,  but  very  soon  afterwards  ordered  to  the  field  where  he  served  during  the 
campaign  of  McDowell,  Banks  and  Pope  about  the  defence  of  Washington  and  in  the 
valley,  doing  some  staff  duty.  His  health  giving  out,  by  reason  of  the  severe  labor  and 
exposure,  he  was  for  a  time  a  patient  in  the  hospitals  about  Alexandria,  but  was  finally 
sent  north  with  but  little  hope  for  his  life.  At  the  request  of  his  colonel,  brigade  and 
division  commander,  the  secretary  of  war  made  a  special  order  exempting  him  from  the 
operation  of  the  order  requiring  di.sabled  officers  to  resign  and  accept  pensions.  As  his 
health  slowly  returned  his  services  were  required  by  the  government  as  deputy  provost 
marshal  for  the  14th  Dist.  N.  Y.,  comprising  the  counties  of  Albany  and  Schoharie, 
which  position  he  held  during  all  changes  of  administration  until  some  eighteen  months 
after  the  close  of  the  war,  at  which  time  owing  to  the  complete  and  perfect  condition 
of  the  records  under  his  care,  he  was  offered  the  opportunity  to  go  to  Washington  to 
take  charge  of  all  such  records  there,  but  declined,  preferring  to  enter  active  busi- 
ness, which  he  did  as  a  piano  forte  manufacturer,  succeeding  to  a  business  established  by 
his  father.  In  1867  he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Thomas  and  came  to  Middleville  N.  Y.,  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  his  brother  and  continuing  the  business  of  tanning  calf  skins  which 
had  been  carried  on  by  his  wife's  grandfather,  father  and  brother.  He  is  a  Republican 
and  a  32d  degree  Mason  (Scottish  Rite).  Mr.  Burns  was  the  projector  of  the  railroad 
which  he  now  manages.  The  road  was  built  in  1880-1  and  he  was  elected  president  and 
operated  the  road  as  a  narrow  gauge  until  the  property  was  sold  in  1890.  The  new 
owners  made  Mr.  Burns  vice-president  and  general  manager,  which  position  he  held 
until  the  road  again  changed  hands  and  came  into  the  possession  of  Dr.  W.  S.  Webb, 
who  rebuilt  the  road,  made  it  a  standard  guage  and  extended  it  to  Malone,  Mr.  Burns 
retaining  his  position  as  geneial- manager  which  he  still  holds. 


l4  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Ely,  Daniel  W.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Salisbury  April  15,  1852.  His  father  was 
Horace  R.  Bly,  a  son  of  Daniel  Ely.  The  latter  wag  a  native  of  Rhode  Island  born  in 
1782  and  an  early  settler  in  Norway,  where  he  lived  and  died  in  1823.  Hie  wife  was 
a  Miss  Bennett,  who  bore  hini  five  children.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Ely  she  married 
Mr.  Barkley,  and  had  one  son,  John,  who  was  killed  in  the  late  war.  Horace  R.  Ely 
was  born  in  Norway  August  26,  1815.  He  married  Harriet  A.  Legg  of  Mendon,  Mass., 
born  June  14,  1817,  who  bore  liim  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Bly  was  a  Re- 
publican, was  once  collector,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church 
at  Gray.  Mr.  Ely  died  February  22,  1880,  and  his  wife  resides  with  subject.  Daniel 
W.  Ely  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  In  1876  he  mar- 
ried Jennie  E.  Wilcox  of  Norway,  born  November  10,  185.3,  a  daughter  of  Parker  and 
Adeline  (Hall)  Wilcox.  Mr.  Wilcox  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  in  1816  and  he  died  in 
July,  1892,  and  his  wife  in  September,  1858.  Daniel  and  his  wife  have  had  three 
children,  Nellie  A.,  Daniel  W.,  and  Leah  W.  When  young  Mr.  Ely  worked  at  the 
tanner's  trade.  He  afterwards  became  a  farmer,  which  business  he  has  since  followed. 
For  ten  years  he  engaged  in  the  nursery  business  in  Painesville,  Ohio.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  was  supervisor  of  Norway  in  1892.  He  is  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge,  455 
F.  &  A.  M. 

Eushnell,  K.  A.,  M.  D.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  graduated  from 
the  Albany  Medical  College  in  the  class  of  '78.  He  commenced  an  active  practice  here 
in  1879.  He  is  president  of  the  Herkimer  County  Medical  Society,  consulting  physician 
of  Faxton  Hospital,  Utica,  N.  Y.,  trustee  of  the  village  of  Little  Falls  and  identified 
with  leading  social  organizations  such  as  Royal  Arcanum  Home  Circle,  etc.  He  is 
also  a  high-up  Mason  and  enjoys  a  most  lucrative  practice  in  his  profession.  Mr.  Bush- 
nell's  family  were  originally  New  Englanders.  He  married  Miss  Alice  Gray  of  Herki- 
mer. 

Bose,  John,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  but  has  been  in  this  country  twenty- 
three  years.  He  began  life  in  America  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  in  New  York.  After  two 
years  in  this  capacity  he  spent  a  year  in  a  distillery  and  then  came  to  the  Washington 
Mills,  Oneida  county.  He  spent  one  year  in  the  Utica  factory  of  Frankfort  and  then 
came  to  the  H.  D.  Elison  farm  to  work  it.  This  farm  of  500  acres  he  works  at  present 
and  owns  sixty  acres  besides.  He  has  eight  children,  six  boys  and  two  girls.  They 
are  Henry  J.,  Wm.  F.,  George  L.,  Fred  A.,  Annie  M.,  Arthur  U.  G.,  Cora  L.,  and  John 
M.  Mr.  Bose  takes  no  sides  in  politics,  but  votes  for  whom  he  believes  to  be  the 
best  man. 

Braylon,  Stephen,  Russia,  and  his  wife,  Abigail  (Eddy),  and  their  oldest  son,  Smith, 
came  from  Cheshire,  Mass.,  in  1802,  and  settled  at  Brayton's  or  Luther's  Corners, 
where  Stephen  bought  and  sold  land  and  followed  farming.  Their  children  were 
Smith  (deceased),  Stephen  (deceased),  Lucetta  (deceased),  wife  of  Ellis  Martin 
(deceased),  and  Rensselaer  (deceased).  They  were  all  residents  and  farmers  of  the 
town  of  Newport.  Smith  married  Candace,  daughter  of  Aaron  Martin,  and  their 
children  were  Louisa  (deceased),  wife  of  Jason  Ames;  Albert  W.,  Abigail,  Aaron  (de- 
ceased), John,  Stephen  (deceased),  Warren  A.  and  Emma,  who  died  when  one  year 
old. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  15 

John  Budlong  came  from  Rhode  Island  about  1780,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  to  this 
county  in  1788.  He  married  m  1793,  Zilpha  Ladd,  of  Schuyler,  Herkimer  county, 
N.  Y.,  commenced  housekeeping  in  a  log  house,  no  fortune  except  a  wife.  She  lived 
to  the  age  of  seventy-four,  he  sixty-nine  years.  They  had  sis  sons  and  two  daughters. 
Two  sons  died  unn^arried.  The  remainder  married.  All  settled  in  this  State.  The 
oldest  son,  Nathan,  remained  with  his  father  on  the  homestead.  In  1823  he  married 
Sally  Packard,  of  Wayne  county,  N.  Y.  They  had  five  children,  two  died  unmarried. 
The  daughter  Chloe  married  James  J.  Maurice,  of  Aurora,  Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.  They 
had  no  children.  She  died  October  17,  1888,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six.  John  N.,  of 
Schuyler,  a  farmer  and  cattle  dealer,  married  September  14,  1864,  to  Mary  A. 
Bridenbecker,  of  Schuyler.  They  had  one  daughter,  Maud.  He  died  in  1873,  aged 
thirty-five  years.  The  widow  and  daughter  reside  in  Utica.  Maud  married  B.  L. 
Fitch,  of  Utica,  occupation  merchant  tailor.  Ira  P.  Budlong  was  born  August  7,  182G. 
On  November  IG,  1853,  he  married  Mary  A.  Brown,  of  Fairport,  Monroe  county,  N.  Y. 
They  reside  on  the  homestead  and  own  six  other  farms,  all  devoted  to  dairying  pur- 
poses. They  have  three  children,  Clayton,  Arthur  and  Cora  Dodge,  all  married  and 
farming.     Farms  all  join  the  old  homestead. 

Bellinger,  Henry  H.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  and  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Little  Falls  and  Fairfield.  He  is  part  owner  of  a  large  farm,  originally  con- 
sisting of  292  acres,  but  has  sold  off  some  lots  on  Bellinger  street,  and  the  extension 
of  Church  street.  His  father  was  born  here  and  was  a  farmer.  He  took  part  in  the 
war  of  1812,  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  Mr.  Henry  H.  Bellinger  enlisted  in  the  162d  N. 
Y.  Volunteers,  Company  A,  and  served  under  Hancook,  Dix  and  Foster.  He  was 
subsequently  in  the  adjutant-general's  office.  His  faiher's  name  was  Fred  P.  Bellinger, 
a  prominent  man  of  his  day,  who  held  seats  in  both  the  Legislature  and  Senate. 

Babcock,  Calvin  G.,  Newport,  was  born  in  Brookfield,  Madison  county,  N.  Y., 
January  7,  1835.  His  father  was  Richard  C.  Babcock,  a  son  of  Gideon  Babcock,  who 
was  an  early  settler  of  Madison  county.  Richard  C.  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island  and 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Madison  county.  He  was  a  sea  captain,  having  crossed  the 
ocean  sixteen  times  and  visited  all  the  important  places  in  Europe,  but  spent  his  last 
days  in  Madison  county  as  a  farmer.  His  wife  was  Mary  C  Perry,  a  cousin  of  Com- 
modore Perry.  They  had  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  Calvin  G.  being  the  youngest. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Babcock  both  died  in  Madison  county.  Calvin  G.  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  in  Brookfield  and  Hamilton  Academy.  On 
the  20th  of  November,  1859,  he  married  Loderaa  Gile,  a  native  of  Oneonta,  N.  Y.,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children,  Mary  C,  George  H.  and  Calvin  G.,  jr.  In  1869  Mr. 
Babcock  with  his  family  came  to  Newport  and  settled  on  the  place  he  now  owns.  He 
is  a  cheese  maker  by  trade  and  owns  Shedbrook  factory  of  Newport,  Sterling  Creek 
factory  of  Schuyler,  North  Schuyler  factory  in  Schuyler,  and  the  Newport  factory. 
He  and  his  family  are  Baptists. 

Barse,  Irving,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls,  and  has  been  a  farmer  always. 
He  is  young  and  energetic,  and  is  making  his  way  in  the  world  successfully,  owning 
at  present  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  utilizes  for  dairying  purposes,  and  keeping 


16  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

fifteen  cows.     In   1880  he  married  Mamie  Burt,  ami  they  have  two  daughters.     Mr. 
Barse  is  a  memher  of  the  Grange  at  Little  Falls. 

Babcock,  Stephen  E.,  Little  Falls,  civil  engineer,  is  a  native  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  has 
spent  all  of  his  adult  years  in  his  profession,  being  'mown  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  as  one  of  the  greatest  hydraulic  engineers  of  the  Union.  He  has  been  in  Little 
Falls  seven  years  and  has  constructed  water-worljs  for  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  Johnstown, 
N.  Y.,  Grloversville,  Troy,  Greenwich,  Ticonderoga,  etc.,  as  well  as  for  Little  Falls  and 
other  places.  He  is  now  engineer  of  the  Little  Falls  Water  works  and  engineer  of 
the  Glens  Falls  sewer  .system,  twenty-five  miles,  now  being  constructed,  and  is  con- 
sidered an  expert  in  all  departments  of  his  profession.  He  is  also  well  known  in  social 
circles  over  a  wide  extent  of  country,  and  is  a  prominent  Mason,  a  member  of  Apollo 
Commandry,  No.  15,  Troy,  a  Knight  Templar,  a  member  of  the  American  Society  of 
Mechanical  Engineers,  Engineers'  Club,  New  York  city,  vice-president  of  the  American 
Water  Works  Association  and  Fellow  of  the  American  Geographical  Society,  as  also 
patentee  of  several  valuable  devices  for  improved  sewerage. 

Bullock,  Charles  B.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Norway,  N.  Y.,  June  13,  18.35.  His  parents 
were  Ira  and  Mary  (Hodge)  Bullock.  (See  biography  of  Augustus  Odit.)  Charles 
V.  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  early  learned  the 
blacksmith  trade,  which  he  followed  in  Norway  and  Cold  Brook  fifteen  years.  In  1857 
he  married  Mary  C.  Hall,  a  native  of  St.  Johnsville,  N.  Y.,  and  to  them  were  born 
two  daughters,  Fannie,  who  married  Samuel  Lawton,  of  Ohio,  and  has  two  daughters, 
Agnes  and  Myrl ;  they  live  at  Cold  Brook ;  and  Emma.  Emma  resides  with  her  pa- 
rents. For  the  last  twenty  years  Mr.  Bullock  has  resided  on  a  farm  in  Norway.  He 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church  of  Norway.  Mr.  Bullock  was  drafted 
in  the  late  war,  but  furnished  a  substitute.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Bullock  were  Dennis 
and  Fannie  Hall,  who  were  early  settlers  of  Gray,  coming  there  from  St.  Johnsville, 
N.  Y.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children.  Mr.  Hall  was  drum  major  in  the 
Ninety-seventh  New  York  Infantry  and  served  three  years.  Mr.  Hall  was  a  furrier 
by  trade. 

Barwell,  Henry,  Russia,  was  born  in  Market  Harborough,  Leicestershire,  England, 
March  25,  1838,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (French)  Barwell.  Mr.  Barwell  studied 
medicine  and  practiced  in  England  many  years.  He  died  in  1875.  His  younger  son, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  at  Airedale  Acad- 
emy, graduating  thence  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  At  nineteen  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  locating  in  the  \Vest.  About  18GG  he  came  to  Poland,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. He  is  a  Republican,  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge,  F.  and  A.  M.,  and  has  been 
a  Mason  since  1860.  May  1,  1872,  he  married  Emily  C.  Cruikshank,  of  Deerfield, 
Oneida  county,  born  October  28,  1852  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Pierce) 
Cruikshank,  who  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Captain  Michael  Pierce,  who  came  from 
England  to  America  in  1G46,  and  was  slain  in  battle  by  the  Indians  March  26,  1C76, 
near  Pawtucket  Falls.  Mr.  Barwell  and  wife  have  two  children,  Mary  E.  Lamed  and 
Harry  Leicester. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  17 

Benedict,  William  C,  Russia,  was  born  in  Whitesboro,  Oneida  county,  February  13, 
1850,  a  son  of  William  Benedict,  whose  father  was  a  native  of  New  Canaan,  Conn. 
He  had  seven  sons  and  two  daughters.  William  Benedict  was  born  in  1814,  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  tanner  and  followed  that  business.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Whites- 
boro about  fifty  years.  His  wife  was  Rachel  Hogan,  a  native  of  New  Scotland,  Al- 
bany county,  born  in  1818,  and  they  had  five  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mr.  Benedict 
was  a  Whig  and  afterwards  a  Republican.  He  was  trustee  of  the  village  in  which  he 
lived.  Suljjeot  of  sketch  was  reared  as  a  tanner  and  educated  in  the  common  schools. 
In  1870  he  married  Elizabeth  Wimble,  a  native  of  Whitesboro  and  daughter  of  Jesse 
and  Eliza  Wimble,  who  were  natives  of  England.  They  came  to  America  and  first 
settled  in  Vermont,  and  afterwards  in  Whitesboro.  They  had  twelve  children.  Mr. 
Benedict  and  wife  have  one  son,  Charles  6  ,  who  resides  in  Grant.  His  wife  is  Libbie 
A.,  daughter  of  John  and  Catharine  (Miller)  Jones  of  Northwood.  Mr.  Benedict,  pre- 
vious to  1875,  was  engaged  in  a  tannery  with  his  father  at  Whitesboro,  the  firm  being 
known  as  Benedict  &  Son.  In  that  year  he  went  to  StittsviUe  and  followed  his  trade 
three  years,  then  returning  to  Whitesboro,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  then 
engaged  in  tannery  five  years  for  Clark  Dodge  of  Grant,  N.  T.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  purchased  the  property,  and  has  since  carried  on  a  successful  business.  He  is 
a  Republican  and  has  been  supervisor  of  the  town. 

Boyer,  Horace  M.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  June  6,  1840.  His  great- 
grandfather was  one  of  the  original  settlers  (Mohawk  Dutch)  of  the  valley  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Joseph  Boyer,  a  son  of  this  Revolutionary 
soldier,  and  grandfather  of  Horace  M.,  participated  in  the  Indian  wars  of  1812.  Hor- 
ace M.  Boyer  was  engaged  with  his  father,  Joseph  Boyer,  jr.,  in  contracting,  and  upon 
the  death  of  the  senior  Boyer,  succeeded  to  the  business,  which  he  has  successfully 
carried  on  before  and  since  the  late  war.  At  the  out-break  of  the  war  he  enlisted  in 
the  Seventh  Independent  Battery  of  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  and  participated  in  many  of 
the  most  important  battles  and  engagements  during  that  period.  Among  these  were 
Williamsburgh,  Fair  Oaks,  Chicamauga,  Seven  Days'  Fight,  Hatcher's  Run,  Siege  of 
Petersburgh,  Fort  Darling,  Evacuation  of  Richmond,  etc.  He  served  as  orderly  ser- 
geant during  the  four  years,  and  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Mr.  Boyer 
married  Margaret  Varsen,  of  Fairfield.  They  have  no  children.  In  contracting,  Mr. 
Boyer  has  erected  the  larger  number  of  important  structures,  bridges,  etc.,  in  the 
vicinity,  among  which  we  mention  the  residences  of  Messrs.  Burrell,  Richmond, 
Houghton,  Lintner,  Bellinger,  Metropolitan  Hotel,  Congress  Block,  etc. ;  also  the 
Skinner  Opera  House  and  numerous  other  prominent  buildings.  He  built  the  stone 
■wall  opposite  the  elevator,  which  is  fifty-three  feet  high,  five  hundred  feet  long, 
twenty-three  feet  thick  at  bottom,  four  feet  at  top,  etc.  Mr.  Boyer  is  a  staunch 
Democrat,  but  don't  want  an  office. 

Burgess,  Mrs.  Sarah  A.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  the  house  where  she  now  lives,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Sanders  and  Elisabeth  (Prescott)  Dodge.  Her  father  was  born 
1803,  in  Minden,  and  came  to  Winfield  with  his  parent  at  an  early  age.  He  settled 
in  Chepachet  about  1835,  in  the   stone   house  now  occupied  by  his  daughter.      He 


18  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

married  Elisabeth  Prescott  February  29,  1839,  and  died  October  5,  1889,  at  tlie  age 
of  eighty-seven  years.  Their  children  were  Dr.  Dodge,  of  Oneida  Castle,  and  Mrs. 
Sarah  A.  Burgess.  Sanders  Dodge  was  a  brother-in-law  of  the  late  Amos  H.  Pres- 
cott, formerly  judge  of  Herkimer  county,  and  of  Daniel  M.  Prescott,  of  Oneida 
county.  Sarah  A.  Dodge  married  George  W.  Burgess,  of  Otsego  county,  N.  Y., 
October  'iG,  1858,  he  died  April  25,  1862,  aged  twenty-eight  years  and  left  one 
daughter,  Eva  A.,  who  died  October  18,  1888,  aged  twenty-nine  years,  she  left  a 
daughter,  Sophie  Smith,  who  lives  with  her  grandmother,  Mrs.  Burgess. 

Bailey,  Albert,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Wales  in  1840.  He  came  here  in  1842  with 
his  father,  George  Bailey,  who  married  Mary  Clark,  in  Yorkshire,  England.  Their 
only  son,  Albert  Bailey,  married  Adeliza  Irons  in  1865.  She  was  a  native  of  Hart- 
wick,  Otsego  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Asa  Irons  and  Abigail  Roberts.  Albert  and 
Adeliza  Bailey  have  two  children  living:  E.  Julia  May  and  George  A.  Bailey. 

Brace,  Lucius  F.,  Winfield,  is  one  of  the  assessors  of  the  town  of  Winfield,  which 
office  he  has  held  for  seventeen  years.  He  was  born  August  30,  1822,  and  has  been  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives  since  1847.  He  is  son  of  Captain  Asahel  Brace,  whose 
father  was  Deacon  Abel  Brace,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Winfield.  Lucius  F.  Brace 
married  Margaret  J.,  daughter  of  Israel  Young,  of  Columbia.  They  have  one  son, 
Frank  L.  Brace,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  West  Winfield  Star,  also  supervisor  of  the 
town  of  Winfield.  Murray  Eleazer  Brace  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives, 
the  old  homestead  of  Eleazer  C.  Brace,  his  grandfather;  and  after  him  it  was  owned 
and  occupied  by  his  son,  Parnach  P.,  after  him  by  his  son,  Murray  Eleazer  Brace,  who 
still  owns  and  occupies  the  old  homestead  of  about  100  acres.  Parnach  Brace  was  born 
on  this  farm  January  28,  1838,  and  died  here  June  2,  1885.  He  was  married  to  Lizzie 
Round  December  13,  1864,  she  was  a  daughter  of  James  K.  Round,  a  native  of  this 
town,  who  was  born  June  3,  1809,  and  died  April  16,  1849.  He  married  Barbara 
Clapsaddle,  of  Columbia,  November  12,  1835,  a  daughter  of  Dennis  Clapsaddle.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Round  had  two  children,  Lizzie  and  Murray  ;  the  latter  was  born  September 
25,  1836,  and  enlisted  October  13,  1861,  sergeant  in  Company  C,  Fifty-eighth  Illinois 
Volunteers.  He  came  home  on  a  furlough  on  account  of  disability,  and  died  four  weeks 
later,  July  29,  1861. 

Booth,  Amanda  M.,  Russia,  is  a  daughter  of  Elihu,  who  was  a  son  of  Alexander,  a 
native  of  New  Haven, Conn.,  born  December  11,  1767.  His  wife  was  Huldah  Thomp- 
son, born  April  22,1768,  by  whom  he  has  these  children  :  Elisha,  Neas,Elihu,  Harvery, 
Russell,  Walter  and  Mehitable.  In  1811  Alexander  Booth  and  all  his  sons  except 
Russell  came  to  Russia,  and  the  next  year  the  other  members  of  the  family  joined 
them.  Mr.  Booth  was  a  Democrat  and  died  July  11,  1829,  and  his  wife  June  14,  1842. 
Elihu  Booth  was  born  in  Connecticut  December  22,  179.5.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  Russia.  Here  he  married  Nancy  Tifl^any  in  1829,  a  native  of 
Cooperstown,  born  March  14,  1805.  Her  parents  were  Ebenfzer  and  Silence  Tiffany, 
who  has  five  daughters  and  three  sons.  He  died  February  4,  1852,  and  his  wife  July 
16,  1851.  Elihu  Booth  and  wife  have  four  children,  Amanda  M.,  Elihu  N.,  Castella  C. 
and  Castella  N.     Amanda  M.  is  the  only  one  living,  and  her  home  is  at  Prospect,  N.  Y. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  19 

Elihu  Booth  was  a  Democrat  and  commissioaer  of  highways,  also  constable  for  many 
■years.  He  died  May  3,  1859,  and  his  wife  September  13,  1877.  The  wife  of  Elihu  N. 
was  Margaret  Caruthers,  daughter  or  William  Caruthers.  They  had  one  child,  Mar- 
garet N.,  who  owns  and  resides  on  the  old  homestead.  Castella  C.  married  Thomas 
Smith,  of  Brooklyn,  and  had  one  son,  Thomas  E.,  who  died  aged  two  years.  Mrs. 
Smith  died  November  6,  1883,  at  Prospect.  Elihu  N.  Booth  died  January  19,  1892, 
and  his  wife  February  27,  1892,  in  Grant.  Ehhu  Booth  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  after  its  close  was  a  captain  and  general  of  militia  which  had  general  train- 
ings each  year  in  different  localities  of  the  town.  He  helped  build  the  first  church  in 
Grant,  and  took  an  mterest  in  all  movements  to  build  up  the  village  and  its  religious 
growth.  Alexander  Booth  came  to  Russia  with  his  family  and  settled  four  miles  in 
the  wilderness.where  he  built  a  saw-mill  on  Black  Creek,  cleared  a  small  plat  of  ground 
and  erected  a  frame  house  for  the  family  to  live  in.  He  commenced  clearing  off  the 
farm,  sawed  logs  at  the  mill,  built  a  bridge  over  Black  Creek  and  erected  a  number  of 
buildings,  a  post-office,  established  mail  once  a  week.  The  name  of  Black  Creek  was 
changed  to  Pottsville,  and  later  to  Booth,  after  the  first  settlers.  At  the  time  of  the 
assassination  of  Lincoln  it  was  changed  to  Grant.  After  the  death  of  Alexander,  Elihu 
bought  out  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  the  saw-mill  and  farm,  and  kept  the  first 
store,  made  potash,  and  took  a  load  to  Albany  once  in  two  weeks,  across  the  country, 
there  being  no  railroads  at  that  time.  At  his  death  his  son  Elihu  N.  bought  out  the 
other  heirs,  and  followed  his  father  in  religious  zeal  and  enterprise.  His  daughter, 
Margaret  N.,  was  the  sole  heir  to  the  estate,  which  has  passed  to  the  fourth  generation, 
and  has  been  in  the  Booth  family  possession  for  nearly  100  years.  Mehitable  Booth 
taught  the  first  school  in  the  barn,  opposite  the  house  on  the  Booth  farm.  Nine  j'ears 
ago  the  old  saw-mill  was  carried  off  by  high  water. 

Bemiss,  Oscar,  Winfield,  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  Winfield,  was  born 
in  Richfield,  Otsego  county,  May  1,  1822,  and  came  to  Winfield  in  1832,  with  his  father 
Asahel  C.  Bemiss,  who  was  born  May  9,  1780,  and  died  December  27, 1848.  He  mar- 
ried Betsey  Harding,  born  September  20,  1792,  who  died  March  27,  1884.  Oscar  F. 
Bemiss  married,  February  20,  1850,  Esther  A.  Bemiss;  born  September  26,  1822,  died 
September  23,  1892,  aged  sixty-nine  years,  eleven  months,  and  twenty-three  days. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Bemiss,  of  Edmeston,  Otsego  county.  Oscar  F.  and 
Esther  A.  Bemiss  had  five  children:  E.  Elizabeth,  Martha  O.,  Lyman  D.,  Kate  M.,  and 
Flora  C.  Bemiss.  Martha  married  Frank  M.  Westfall,  and  they  have  two  daughter.s, 
Mabel  Bell,  and  Orrilla  May. 

Brace,  Woodruff  A.,  Winfield,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  joining  the  farm 
where  he  now  lives,  April  17,  181G,  and  has  lived  on  this  same  farm  over  fifty  years, 
having  bought  it  with  his  brother  Asahel  G.  in  1839.  He  married  Julia  M.,  daughter  of 
Israel  Young,  of  Columbia,  May  31,  1843.  They  have  one  daughter,  Florence  A., 
born  June  10,  1850.  She  married  May  15,  1879,  Mr.  Arlington  Spicer,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Elsie  Eusebia  and  Bertha  Brace  Spicer.  They  all  live  as  one  family  on 
the  old  homestead.  M.  Arlington  Spicer  was  born  in  Plainfield,  Otsego  county,  Febiu- 
ary  16,  1853,  is  a  son  of  Minor  and  Mary  Ann  (McFarland;  Spicer.  Minor  was  a  son 
of  Edward  Spicer,  a  soldier  of  the   Revolution,  and  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Plain- 


20  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

field.     Mary  A.  McFarland  was  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and   Elizabeth  (Palmer)  Mc- 
Farland. 

The  B/-ace  Family,  Winfield.  It  was  in  the  year  of  1793  that  Abel  Brace,  a  man  of 
fifty-three  years  of  age,  who  had  served  as  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
been  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  of  Connecticut,  left  his  home  near  Hartford, 
Connecticut,  to  make  a  new  home  in  the  wilderness  of  Central  New  York.  By  the 
aid  of  marked  trees,  he  found  his  way  from  Herkimer  to  the  centra!  part  of  the  town 
of  Litchfield  (the  town  of  Winfield  was  not  formed  until  181G),  and  built  a  log  house 
but  a  few  rods  distant  from  the  present  residence  of  his  youngest  great-grandson,  Sew- 
ard H.  Brace.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  her  aged  mother  (Mrs.  Lydia  Wood- 
ruff), and  his  entire  family,  consisting  of  nine  sons  and  five  daughter.<!,  most  of  whom 
were  married,  and  with  their  families  made  an  important  addition  to  the  population  of 
the  new  country.  One  son,  James  Brace,  did  not  like  pioneer  life,  and  soon  returned 
to  Connecticut.  The  others  settled  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  their  father's  home. 
After  a  time,  these  early  settlers  did  not  feel  secure  in  the  possession  of  their  farms, 
and  it  seemed  wise  that  some  one  go  to  Washington  and  adjust  matters.  Abel  Brace 
was  the  man  chosen  for  the  hazardous  undertaking.  Most  of  the  journey  must  be 
made  on  foot.  His  neighbors  and  friends  met  to  bid  him  God-speed,  and  many  earnest 
prayers  were  ofiered  that  he  might  return  in  safety.  He  was  for  many  years  deacon 
of  the  Congregational  church,  and  when  he  passed  away  in  1832  he  was  carried  to  his 
last  resting-place,  a  mile  away,  by  the  hands  of  loving  friends.  As  the  years  rolled  on 
death  claimed  some  of  his  descendants,  and  others  followed  the  tide  of  emigration 
westward  until  there  were  none  left  in  the  town  of  Winfield  bearing  the  name  except 
the  family  of  Capt.  Isabel  Brace.  He  had  married  Caty  Curtis,  of  Farmington, 
Connecticut,  and  occupied  the  paternal  home.  They  raised  a  family  consisting  of 
five  daughters  and  six  sons.  The  daughters  married  and  left  their  native  town, 
as  did  the  second  son,  James  Brace.  But  for  more  than  forty  years  Captain 
Asahel  Brace  and  five  of  his  sons  lived  within  a  mile  of  each  other,  enjoying  peace 
and  plenty.  In  1867  change  came,  and  Captain  Asahel  Brace  was  gathered  to 
his  fathers.  In  1869  Asahel  Gridly  Brace  passed  away,  leaving  no  descendants. 
In  1871  Eleazer  Curtis  Brace  also  died.  He  left  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
His  only  descendant  bearing  the  name  now  living  in  Winfield  is  Murry  Eleazer 
Brace,  who  has  just  attained  his  majority,  an'l  occupies  his  father's  home.  Of 
the  three  sons  of  Captain  Andrew  Brace  now  living,  the  eldest  ii  Abel  Woodruff 
Brace,  seventy-six  years  old,  who  lives  on  the  farm  that  he  bought  more  than  fifty 
years  ago.  His  only  child  is  a  daughter,  Mrs.  M.  Arlington  Spicer,  who,  with  her 
husband  and  children,  reside  with  him.  The  next,  Lucius  F.  Brace,  has  also  attained 
to  three  score  years  and  ten.  He  lives  on  the  farm  to  which  he  removed  forty-five 
years  ago,  when  he  left  the  parental  home.  His  only  child  is  Frank  L.  Brace,  the  pres- 
ent supervisor  of  the  town,  who  has  been  for  some  years  a  successful  grower  of  small 
fruits,  and  has  recently  launched  an  editorial  bark  in  the  form  of  the  West  Winfield 
Star.  The  youngest  is  Henry  L.  Brace,  who  inherited  the  family  home,  and  did  much 
to  make  it  a  model  farm.  Ten  years  aero  he  removed  to  VYest  Winfield,  leaving  his 
place  in  the  care  of  his  only  son,  Seward  Brace     He  has  also  one  daughter,  Mrs  Adel- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  21 

bert  Leach.  In  re'igion  the  Brace  family  have  been  Congregat'ouahsts  ;  in  politics  Re  - 
publicans;  and  by  precept  and  example  total  abstainers  from  all  intoxicating  drinks; 
most  of  the  family  abstaining  also  from  the  use  of  tobacco. 

Bartlett,  Rush,  Winfield,  owns  a  dairy  faim  of  400  acres,  and  ships  milk  from  the 
fam  to  New  York.  He  and  his  brother  have  a  stock  farm  twenty  five  miles  west  of 
Topdka,  Kan.,  where  ihey  raise  horses  and  ship  them  here  for  sale.  Mr.  Bartlett  was 
born  in  Winfield  June  27,  1849,  w'^e'-e  he  has  since  resided,  with  the  exception  of 
thirteen  years  spent  in  Kansas.  He  i.s  a  son  of  Emery  Bartlett,  who  was  born  he-e 
June  24,  1818.  His  father,  Jonathan,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town,  and 
the  first  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Charles  Burgess  on  the  town  line.  He  came 
here  from  Massachusetts  when  the  town  was  a  wilderness.  Rush  Bartlett  married 
Cora,  daughter  of  Dwight  Burgess,  March  23,  1881.  They  have  three  children,  Dwight, 
Estelle  and  Carrie.  His  farm  came  to  him  through  his  father,  Emery  Bartlett,  who 
purchased  it  of  Dean  Burgess. 

Button,  Gould,  Winfield,  was    born  in  Brookfield,  Madison  county,  November  12, 

1809,  a  son  of  John  H.  and  Esther  (Bentley)  Button.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist church,  in  which  he  has  been  trustee.  He  married  Thurza,  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Lucina  (Fisk)  Adams,  and  they  have  one  son,  Henry  W.  They  lost  one,  Sergeant 
Samuel  Guile,  who  died  on  the  battle  field  May  10,  1864.  He  was  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Regiment,  Sixth  Corps,  and  died  at  the  battle 
of  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  in  Virginia.  Alonzo  Young,  boru  in  the  town  of  Win- 
field March  15,  1835,  a  son  of  Hiram  W.  and  Polly  (Hay)  Young.  He  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools.  He  left  Winfield  in  1847  and  settled  in  Clyde,  Wayne  county, 
which  has  been  his  residence  pver  since.  He  went  to  California  in  1858,  and  enlisted 
June  1,  1862,  in  the  Third  California  Regiment  of  Infantry,  Company  I,  and  seived, 
three  years.  He  enlisted  at  Jackson,  Amadore  county,  Cal.  The  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  whole  time  was  served  in  Utah.  He  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Big  Bend  of  the  Bear  River,  where  four  companies  killed  over  300  Indians. 
Tnere  were  thirty-six  killed  in  the  battle  and  140  wounded.  He  returned  from  Cali- 
fornia in  1865. 

Brown,  Charles  H.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Columbia,  Herkimer  county,  December 
21,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Brown,  who  came  to  this  county  when  a  child,  about 

1810,  with  his  father,  Phil'p  Brown,  of  Half  Moon,  N.  Y.,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
sdttlers  of  Columbia.  James  Brown  had  five  children,  Charles  H.,  Milo  H.,  Busebia, 
Euphemia  L.  and  Philip  H.  Their  farm  is  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Winfield,  a  part 
of  the  farm  being  m  Columbia,  also  a  part  in  Richfield.  Charles  H.  Brown  married 
November  11,  1857,  Barbara  A.,  daughter  of  Marks  Folts,  of  Herkimer,  who  was  a 
son  of  Peter  Folts  and  Barbara  Rasbach.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Marks  Rasbach. 
They  were  some  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Herkimer.  Charles  H.  hnd  Bar- 
bara A.  Brown  have  had  eleven  children,  three  of  whom  are  deceased  :  James  II., 
Charles  J.  and  Leon  L.  There  are  eight  li  mg,  Carrie  E.,  Laura  E..  Flora  E.,  Mary 
B.,  Fanny  B.,  Nettioi  L.,  Philip  H.,  and. Benjamin  G.  Marks,  and  Elizabeth  Folts,  have 
had  ten  children,  of  whom  three  have  died,  Mary  A.,  Isaac  and  Saloma  A.     Seven  are 


22  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTf. 

livirg,  Catharine,  Fanny,  Marcus,  Joseph  M.,  Barbara  A.,  Ehzabeth  and  Andrew.  Mr, 
Brown  is  one  of  the  assessors  of  the  town  of  Winfield,  which  position  he  has  held 
most  of  the  time  for  about  twenty  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pomona  Grange  of 
Herkimer  county. 

Brace,  Henry  L.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Winfield  January  4,  1827,  a  son  of  A.^ahel 
Brace,  who  was  born  in  Har  ford.  Conn.,  in  1779.  He  came  with  his  father.  Deacon 
Abel  Brace,  to  what  is  low  Winfield  in  1793.  The  latter  married  in  1799  Katy  Cuitis, 
by  whom  he  had  thirteen  children.  Asahel  was  made  captain  of  militia,  and  in  the 
Wat  of  1812  he  went  with  his  company  to  Sackett's  Harbor.  Abel,  grandfather  of  H. 
L.  Brace,  died  in  1831  at  the  age  of  ninety  two.  H.  L.  Brace  succeeded  his  faiher  as 
proprietor  of  the  homestead  farm  in  1847.  In  1848  he  married  Pamelia  Holmes,  and 
they  have  a  son  and  daughter,  Ellen  H.,  who  married  Adelbert  Leach,  and  has  a  son 
and  daughter;  Seward  A.  and  Lena  A.  Leach,  and  Seward  H.,  who  married  Mary  A. 
Vincent.  They  have  one  son,  Howard  M.  Abel  Brace  was  "deacon  of  the  First  Con- 
gregational church,  and  his  son  Charles  was  a  deacon  of  the  same  church,  as  is  also 
Henry  L.,  who  was  appointed  deacon  June  16,  1858,  of  the  church  at  East  Winfield, 
and  retained  that  office  after  the  removal  of  the  church  to  West  Winfield.  The  church 
was  raised  in  West  Winfield  June  2  and  3,  1876.  Henry  L.  Brace  sang  in  the  choir 
over  fifty  years,  and  has  been  a  member  of  this  church  forty- four  years.  Pamelia  A. 
Brace  has  sung  in  the  rhoir  of  this  church  since  1848. 

Carran,  Thomas  G-.,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  this  town  and  owns  a  dairy  farm  of  IGO 
acres.  He  was  collector  of  the  town  in  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Philenda 
Carran,  who  had  four  children,  of  whom  two  are  living :  Thomas  G.  and  Mary  E.  Two 
died:  Francis  M.,  who  enlisted  in  Company  B.,  121st  New  York  Volunteers.  He  was 
first  corporal  of  his  company,  he  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  May  3, 
1863,  and  died  in  the  hospital  June  5,  1863.  The  other  son  was  William  H.,  who  died 
September  16,  1874,  in  his  twenty-eighth  year.  He  was  educated  at  the  Winfield 
Academy,  read  law  with  R.  0.  Jones,  of  Utica,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  After 
that  he  taught  the  Boonville  Union  school  nearly  three  years,  and  then  went  to  New 
York  city,  in  practice  first  with  the  Gazzan  Collection  Company,  after  which  he  formed 
a  oo-partnarship  with  Mallory  &  Ritler,  which  firm  existed  until  his  death.  The 
father,  Henry  Carrau,  was  a  native  of  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  came  to  this  town  and 
settled  near  Cedar  Lake,  about  1830.  He  died  December  1,  1852,  in  California,  aged 
about  thirty  four  years,  after  being  there  only  ten  days.  The  mother,  Philender  Car- 
ran,  was  a  native  of  this  town,  having  been  born  on  the  same  farm  where  the  son  and 
daughter  now  live.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Goodier,  a  son  of  Rev.  Aaron 
Goodier. 

Crandall,  Otis  N.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Independence,  Allegany  county,  October 
27,  1825,  and  came  to  this  town  with  his  father.  Almond  Crandall,  who  was  born  July 
11,  1801,  a  son  of  Col.  Nathaniel  Crandall,  who  was  born  August  9,  1771,  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  settled  in  Winfield  before  1800.  He  died  October  31,  1838.  His  wife, 
Olive  Grey,  was  born  July  1,  1776,  and  died  November  3,  1838.  Their  son  Almond 
died  December  17,  1876.     His  wife  was  Lorinda  Cook,  born  September  6,  1803,  and 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  23 

died  August  9,  1871.  Her  father,  Otis  Cook,  was  born  October  26,  17G9,  and  died 
June  2,  185G,  aged  eiglity-six  years.  Otis  Crandall  married  Flora  F.  MoKee  October 
7,  1858.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  McKee,  of  Winfield,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren :   May  C,  Almond  and  Myron  M. 

Croak,  John  B.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Carlow  county,  Ireland,  August  13,  1838.  He 
came  to  Frankfort  in  1848  and  to  Winfield  in  1852,  where  he  worked  at  farming  until 
1856,  and  since  that  at  mason  work  until  December,  1863,  when  he  went  to  Washing- 
ton in  the  quartermaster's  department,  remaining  there  until  the  spring  of  1864.  He 
was  drafted  in  the  fall  of  IS*):)  au'l  paid  $300  commutation.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he 
returned  to  Winfield  and  worked  at  his  trade  in  that  town,  and  Rome,  Utica  and  other 
places  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  did  quite  an  extensive  business.  In  1885  he 
was  appointed  postmaster  of  West  Winfield,  which  he  held  until  June,  1889,  when  he 
returned  to  his  trade  He  married  Nancy  Rice  in  1869,  and  they  have  four  children : 
WiliamT.,  George  H.,  Maggie  and  Julia.  John  B.  Croak  is  a  son  of  Martin  and 
Margaret  (Maher)  Croak  (both  deceasedX  The  former  died  in  Dakota,  and  the  latter 
died  on  the  ocean  of  cholera,  June  23,  1848. 

Caruthers,  Henry,  Russia,  was  born  in  Rus<^ia,  N.  Y.,  November  12,  1824,  a  son  of 
William,  a  son  of  Henry,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  married  Jane  Davidson  and  had 
one  son,  Will'am.  In  1818  Mr.  Caruthere  and  family  came  to  America  and  settled  in 
Russia,  where  he  erected  a  log  house  and  there  resided  until  his  death  in  1852.  His 
wife  died  in  1838.  William  Caruthers  married  Margaret  Smith,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
by  whom  he  had  six  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  was  assessor  and  commissioner 
of  highways.  He  died  in  1875,  aged  seventy- two,  and  his  wife  in  1869,  ag^d  sixty- 
seven.  Henry  Caruthers  married  Cynthia  H.  Woodin,  by  whom  he  had  four  children ; 
Elma  S.,  deceased ;  Frank  W. ;  Retta  M.,  deceased ;  Libbie  J.  Frank  is  with  his 
parents  and  Libbie  is  Mrs.  Heidel  and  resides  in  Los  Angelos,  Cal.  Mr.  Caruthers 
owns  a  farm  of  250  acres  and  keeps  a  large  dairy.  He  is  a  Republican.  He  and  fam- 
ily are  Free  Will  Baptists.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Caruthers  was  Isaac  J.,  a  son  of  Isaac 
Wooden,  a  native  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  who  came  to  Russia  about  1813,  where  he 
died  April  13,  1841.  His  wife  was  Rebecca  Micks,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons  and 
three  daughters.  She  died  July  29,  1852.  Isaac  Wooden,  jr.,  was  born  in  Conneoti- 
c'lt  in  1795.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Russia.  His 
wife  was  Sylvia  Cory,  a  native  of  Russia,  by  whom  he  had  five  children  He  was  cap- 
tain of  militia,  and  died  September  24,  1881,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 

Chapman,  Byron  E.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  August  21,  1854.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  academy  of  this  village,  after  which  he  was  for  eight  years 
an  assistant  in  the  Little  Falls  post-oflice.  Immediately  after  severing  his  connection 
with  this  department,  he  established  in  August,  1872,  his  pressent  lucrative  news  and 
stationery  business.  Mr.  Chapman  married  Hattie  A.  De  Witt,  of  Chittenango,  and 
they  have  two  children.  Mr.  Chapman's  ancestry  is  New  England,  the  record  of  the 
family  dating  beyond  Revolutionary  times. 

Cronkhite,  Jonas,  Danube,  was  born  November  12,  1836.  He  succeeded  to  the  old 
bomeste-'d  upon  which  his  grandfather  Cornelius  settled  in  1786.     This  was  originally 


24  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

part  of  the  Lansing  patent.  Cornelius,  upon  his  death,  left  the  land  to  his  son,  John 
C.  Cronkhite,  father  of  Jonas,  to  whom  it  descended.  The  farm  contains  118  acres  of 
fine  dairy  land,  upon  which  Mr.  Cronkhite  has  erected  a  magnificent  residence.  He 
married  Ann  McKenzie,  and  they  have  one  son,  Grant  J.,  who  married  Kitty  Seeber, 
and  they  have  one  son,  Ralph.  Jonas  Cronkhite  has  served  as  inspector  of  elections, 
commissioner  of  highways,  etc. 

Cooper,  Henry  C,  Norway,  was  born  in  Cold  Brook,  Herkimer  county,  February  6, 
1828.  His  father,  Charles  Cooper,  emigrated  from  Tolland  county.  Conn.,  with  his 
father,  Sylvanus  Cooper,  and  mother,  Mary  Meacham  Cooper,  two  brother.',  Wm.  G. 
and  Anson,  and  two  sisters,  Rosannah  and  Roxana,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Rus- 
sia about  181G.  Rosannah  and  Roxana  both  died  of  consumption  in  Cold  Brook 
in  early  womanhood.  William  G.  married  Eunice  Congdon,  emigrated  to  Port 
Leyden,  Lewis  county,  raised  a  family  of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, where  he  died  aged  eighty-two.  Anson  married  Esther  Hall,  moved  to  North 
Bay,  Oneida  county.  His  children,  one  son  and  four  daughters,  still  reside  there.  He 
died  in  North  Bay  aged  seventy-seven.  Sylvanus  Cooper  died  in  Cold  Brook  in  1861, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  His  wife,  Jfary,  also  died  there,  aged  seventy-six.  Charles 
Cooper  married  Margaret  Thompson,  the  daughter  of  Hugh  and  Elizabeth  Thompson. 
Charles  Cooper  was  a  niason  and  farmer  by  occupation.  He  died  in  Cold  Brook,  July 
6,  1889.  His  wife  survives,  aged  eighty-nine  Hugh  Thompson  was  a  native  of  Ire- 
land and  emigrated  to  this  country  before  the  adoption  of  the  constitution,  was  mnrried 
at  Schenectady,  resided  for  a  few  years  at  Johnstown,  moved  from  there  to  Rj-sia  m 
1806,  where  he  died  in  1848,  aged  eighty-three.  His  wife,  Elizabeth,  survived  him 
several  years,  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-sis.  His  family  consisted  of  eight  children  : 
five  sons,  William,  John,  Jessie,  Henry  and  Archibald;  three  daughters,  Jennett,  Je- 
mima and  Margaret,  all  of  whom  are  dead  except  the  latter.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  and  select  schools  of  his  native 
town  and  Fairfield  Academy.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  commenced  teaching  school 
and  followed  that  three  years.  May  4,  1854  he  married  Jane  M.  Richards,  who  bore 
him  five  children  :  Wendell  P. ;  Adalbert  R.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen ;  Lillie, 
who  died  in  infancy  ;  Etta  M.,  and  Charles  W.  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
Early  in  life  he  was  a  Garrisonian  Abolitionist  and  when  the  Republican  party  was  or- 
ganized united  with  that  party  and  remained  with  them  until  1868.  In  1872  he  voted 
for  Horace  Greeley,  in  1876  for  Peter  Cooper,  in  1880  he  was  presidential  elector  for 
Weaver,  in  1884  and  1888  and  1892  he  voted  the  Democratic  tickets.  He  has  held 
numerous  town  offices.  He  resided  in  Russia  until  1859  when  he  went  to  Norway 
where  he  has  since  resided. 

Geo.  H.  Casler,  Warren,  was  born  June  5,  1835,  in  the  town  of  Warren,  and  is  a  son 
of  Adam  Casler,  whose  father  was  also  Adam,  a  pioneer  of  Minden,  Montgomery 
county.  Adam,  jr.,  was  born  October  '.iO,  1802,  and  after  his  marriage  came  to  War- 
ren, where  he  lived  until  a  few  years  before  his  death.  Then  he  went  to  Columbia, 
where  he  died  October  24,  1863.  His  wife  was  Barbara  Snyder,  who  was  born  Octo- 
ber 26,  1803,  and  died  April  22,  1872,  at  the  home  of  her  sor,  Gf  rif  c  H.     f]  i   1  cie 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  25 

him  ten  children:  Lucinda,  born  August  26,  1824;  Catherine,  born  June  12,  1826; 
Almira,  born  June  30,  1828;  Charity,  born  August  9,  1830;  Betey  M.,  born  June 
21,  1833  (died  at  the  age  of  two  years);  George  H.,  born  June  5,  1835;  Diana,  born 
March  25,  1836;  James  M.,  born  March  20,  1838  ;  Julia,  born  February  16,  1840  (died 
in  childhood)  ;  Mary  J.,  born  December  4,  1842  (died  at  the  age  of  eight  years').  Geo. 
H.  Casler  at  the  age  of  nine,  was  bound  out  to  Geo.  M.  Cleeland,  until  twenty-one, 
for  $150  and  schooling.  He  worked  out  by  the  month  until  married  and  then  rented 
farms  on  shares  until  1867,  when  he  bought  one  hundred  acres  where  he  now  lives. 
He  now  owns  three  hundred  acres.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has  held  the  office  of  col- 
lector for  one  year  and  poormaster  for  thirteen  years,  of  which  he  is  now  servmg. 
He  married,  November  2,  1856,  Betsey,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Leah  (Bronner)  Max- 
field,  and  has  had  three  children  :  Myron  J.,  born  November  8,  1858,  and  married 
first,  Libbie  Shaver,  who  bore  him  two  children,  Willie  and  Georgie,  and  second,  mar- 
ried Alice  Guyer,  who  bore  him  one  child,  Edna  Blanche.  Charles  E.  was  born  De- 
cember 81,  1860.  He  married  Estella  Ecker,  who  bore  him  two  children,  Ray  and 
Lee,  and  Libbie  Leah,  born  May  15,  1869. 

Christman,  W.,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  this  country  and  was  engaged  m  farming  for 
many  years.  Then  he  followed  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  mason  for  some  time,  and 
then  took  up  shoemaking  which  he  still  follows.  In  1858  he  married  Miss  Helen  E. 
Petrie.  and  they  have  seven  chddren  living,  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Two  of 
the  daughters  are  married,  one  being  the  wife  of  Tiotor  Barnes,  and  the  other  H.  L. 
McKeever.  There  have  now  been  six  generations  of  this  family  in  this  county  and 
the  name  is  a  well-known  one  in  this  part  of  the  State. 

Churchill,  Henry,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  New  Tork,  and  took  a  university  course 
at  Tale  College,  graduating  with  honors.  In  1866  he  came  to  Herkimer  from  Glov- 
ersville  and  entered  into  the  manufacture  of  paper  with  his  brother-in-law,  the  Hon. 
Warner  Miller.  He  has  since  that  date  given  the  greater  part  of  his  time  to  the  pros- 
ecution of  his  manufacturing  enterprise,  but  is  also  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Herkimer,  in  which  he  takes  a  great  interest  and  just  pride. 

Cole,  Truman,  Fairfield,  one  of  the  enterprising  young  men  of  Herkimer  county,  is  a 
native  of  Fai'-field,  and  a  son  of  Justice  A  Cole.  He  manages  213  acres  of  dairy  farm, 
and  a  herd  of  forty-five  cows.  He  was  educated  at  Fairfield  and  Fort  Plain,  and  then 
spent  two  years  in  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Mills  &  Palmer,  Little  Falls.  He 
then  took  up  farming,  which  he  has  successfully  followed.  Mr.  Cole  is  a  broad-minded 
man,  and  is  held  in  much  esteem.  He  is  at  present  one  of  the  assessors  of  Fair- 
field, and  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  and  of  the  Grange  Mercantile  Association  of 
Little  Falls. 

Clive,  Henry,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  England,  and  traces  his  ancestry  to  the 
celebrated  Lord  Clive.  He  was  born  February  11,  1844,  and  came  to  America  in  1864. 
He  has  been  in  the  Armory  for  many  years  and  is  a  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the 
United  Friends.  In  1861  Mr.  Clive  married  Emma  Wall  and  they  have  ten  chil- 
dren.    The  Olives  were  among  the  first  gunmakers  of  England, 


26  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Crumby,  George  Feuner,  Newport,  was  bora  is  Newport,  September  14,  18 — ,  a  son 
of  David  and  Julia  E.  Fanner.  David  D.  was  born  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Mircli  13,  181G, 
and  settled  in  the  town  of  Norway  when  two  years  of  age,  with  his  parents.  Here 
he  lived  until  the  age  of  thirty.  He  was  a  merchant  at  Norway  and  Newport  until 
1859,  when  he  moved  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  was  engaged  in  the  livery  bu.sine?s  lor 
eight  years.  He  then  returned  to  Newport  and  followed  farming  and  milling  un- 
til his  death,  March  31,  1889.  His  marriage  occurred  May  17,  1852.  His  two 
gins  were  George  F.,  born  September  14,  1855,  and  Charles  B.,  who  was  b"rn 
September  17,  18C6,  a  graduate  of  the  Eastman  Business  College,  and  one  of  the 
promising  young  men  of  the  day.  George  F.  attended  the  public  schools  at  New- 
port until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered  Fairfield  Seminary,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1874.  He  was  valedictorian  of  his  class.  He  then  taught  school  at 
Dansville,  N.  Y.,  for  one  year,  when  he  entered  Hamilton  College  and  graduated  in 
1879  as  valedictorian  of  his  class.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  commenced 
practicing  in  New  York  city.  After  several  months  he  returned  to  Little  Falls  and 
formed  a  co-partnership  with  R.  H.  Smith.  In  1882  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Hadley  W.  Jones,  which  lasted  until  his  death,  July  27,  1887,  aged  thirty-one 
years.  He  was  school  commissioner  in  1881,  and  that  same  year  received  the  nomi- 
nation for  assembly  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  He  was  president  of  the  village  of 
Little  Falls  at  his  death.  October  4,  1882,  he  married  Lillian  Gardrer,  and  they  had 
two  children,  Bessie  and  Mabel. 

Coe,  Henry  R.,  Middleville,  came  from  Connecticut  with  his  wife,  Lydia,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  J.  Sturgis,  about  the  year  1837.  Their  children  were  as  follows:  Helen 
Alexander,  wife  of  Herman  Alexander;  Louise,  wife  of  James  Morris;  and  Albert  S., 
all  residents  of  Middleville.  He  worked  for  Smith  &  Stow  as  foreman  in  their  chair 
factory  for  a  number  of  years,  when  he  purchased  an  interest  in  same,  which  he  con- 
tinued until  his  death.  May  2,  1875.  He  was  an  active  Democrat,  and  held  the  ofHce 
of  justice  of  the  peace.  His  wife  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy- five  years.  His 
son,  Albert  S.,  was  educated  in  the  school  at  Middleville,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  en- 
tered the  employ  of  V.  S.  Kenyon  as  clerk,  continuing  for  two  years.  He  then  bought 
a  half  interest  in  the  chair  manufactory  of  his  father,  which  he  continued  until  the  lat- 
ter's  death.  In  1887  he  commenced  the  letail  furniture  business,  also  undertaking, 
which  he  has  since  followed.  He  married,  February  25,  1875,  Ida  L.,  daughter  of 
Anson  and  Laura  Morey.  She  died  in  May,  1882,  and  he  married  second,  HattieCros- 
sett,  by  whom  he  had  five  children :  Lena  L.,  May  E.,  Bessie,  Charlie,  who  died  De- 
cember 19,  1891,  aged  two  years  and  four  months ;  and  Hazel.  Mr.  Coe  is  a  Democrat, 
having  been  justice  of  the  peace  and  justice  of  sessions,  which  latter  position  he  now 
holds.  He  was  charter  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  Council  1335,  of  which  he  has 
been  treasurer  since  its  organization 

Colhns,  Dennis,  grocer,  of  Little  Fal's,  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1848  when  quite  young,  and  his  life  affords  a  fine  example  of  the  success 
that  inevitably  results  from  the  union  of  ability  and  honorable  methods.  He  began  life 
as  a  clerk,  and  now  owns  the  fine  Collins  block  opposite  the  Metropolitan  Hotel,  and 


FAMILY.SKETCHES.  27 

the  block  in  which  Pepper's  and  Wi)Hams'  stores  are  located,  besides  bsiik  stock  and 
stock  in  the  Superior  Furnace  Company.  He  began  his  present  business  in  1867. 
In  1865  he  was  town  collector.  In  1868  he  married  Margaret  Hesrr,  and  they  have 
six  children.  Mr.  Collms  is  treasurer  of  the  Little  Falls  branch  of  ihe  Irish  National 
League  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Cloyes,  Anson  G.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Frankfort  August  3,  1844,  he  being  one  of 
eight  children  of  Silas  and  Abigail  W.  (Brown)  Cloyes.  His  grandfather  was  Luther 
Cloyes,  who  was  born  in  Framingham,  Mass.,  and  settled  here  in  early  life.  Anson  C, 
the  youngest  son,  married  in  1869,  Adelia  N.  Harvey,  by  wlioni  he  had  five  children: 
Jessie  E.  (deceased),  Gilbert  S.,  Ada  L.,  Homer  E.  and  Bessie  M.  (deceased) ;  the  mother 
died  when  they  were  young.  He  later  married  Mary  E.  Fish  of  TJtica,  by  whom  he 
ha«  one  son.  Mr.  Clo}'es  is  an  enterprising  farmer,  his  farm  buildings  being  notable 
for  their  size,  number  and  convenience,  one  barn  being  119x  45  feet.  He  has  recently 
built  a  horse  barn  60  x  40  feet  with  all  the  modern  conveniences,  an  ice  house  with  a 
capacity  of  200  tons,  a  tool  house  36  x  22  feet,  a  piggery  25  x  20  feet,  a  poultry  house, 
etc.  He  has  a  dairy  of  fifty  cows,  producing  on  the  average  300  lbs.  of  butter  per 
week.  A  fine  creamery  is  soon  to  be  built.  His  farm  consists  of  275  acres,  which  is 
beautifully  situated,  overlookmg  the  city  of  Uticaand  commanding  an  extended  view 
of  the  Mohawk  and  Sauquoit  valleys. 

Cunningham,  Daniel  F.,  Little  Falls,  one  of  the  youngest  but  most  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  of  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  has  been  in  America  since  1881,  and 
during  these  eleven  years  he  has  been  wonderfully  prosperous,  the  result  of  entei prise, 
industry  and  superior  abilities.  His  business  in  groceries,  shoes  and  meats  occupies 
three  stores  on  Ann  street,  and  is  fully  stocked.  Mr.  Cunningham  is  a  member  of  the 
Hibernian  Society,  and  is  a  prominent  Democrat,  having  been  secretary  of  the  local 
organization  here.  In  October,  1887,  he  married  Jennie  McGurt,  of  Little  Falls.  He 
is  highly  regarded  in  the  social  and  commercial  circles  of  Little  Falls. 

Chester,  John,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Aberdeen,  Scotland.  Early  in  life  he  was 
a  flour  miller,  serving  as  foreman  in  the  Buxburn  Flouring  Mills  of  Aberdeen.  He 
came  to  this  country  when  twenty-three  years  of  age  and  engaged  in  paper-making  in 
Little  Falls.  After  seven  years  he  left  this  business  to  engage  with  the  Saxony  Knit- 
ting Company,  with  whom  he  remained  twenty-one  years,  holding  the  position  of 
overseer  of  spinning.  On  June  23,  1892,  he  left  the  mill  and  bought  his  present  meat 
and  provision  business.  Mr.  Chester  is  a  Mason,  Knight  of  Honor,  etc.  He  is  now 
member  of  the  board  of  education  for  some  time,  and  has  served  the  village  as  trustee. 
He  is  also  a  stockholder  and  member  of  the  Little  Falls  Co-operative  Association.  His 
wife  was  Margaret  Byron  of  Little  Falls,  by  whom  he  has  had  twelve  children,  eight 
of  whom  are  living. 

Casler,  B.  P.,  Little  Falls,  although  a  young  man,  is  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of 
Little  Falls.  He  is  a  native  of  this  town,  and  ever  since  the  age  of  thirteen  has  been 
connected  with  the  dry  goods  business.  He  was  with  Burch  &  Co.  for  eight  years, 
and  then  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H.  Casler  six  years  ago.      Their  business  is  one 


28  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

of  the  largest  and  best  in  the  place.  Mr.  Casler  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum, 
the  Red  Men  and  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  poli- 
tics he  IS  a  Democrat.  The  Casler  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  in  Her- 
kimer county,  several  of  the  Caslers  of  a  century  ago  having  taken  a  prominent  part  in 
the  Revolution. '   Mr.  Casler  married  Anna  L.  Chester  of  this  town. 

Casler,  Philo  W.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  Polytechnic  Institution  there,  and  in  1?73  started  a  produce  business  in 
New  York  city.  After  five  years  successful  operations  in  this  line  he  came  to  Little 
Falls  and  inaugurated  his  extensive  brickyards  and  lumber  business,  in  which  he  furn- 
ished constant  employment  to  about  twenty-five  hands  and  five  teams.  Mr.  Casler 
was  elected  master  of  the  County  Grange  in  January  of  this  present  year.  He  lives  on 
a  valuable  farm  one  and  a  half  miles  south  of  the  village.  Mr.  Casler's  wife  was  Mj.«s 
Martha  Hopson,  of  Salisbury  Center,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children. 

Clive,  Stephen,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Birmingham,  Eng.,  June  20,  18-10.  He 
came  to  America  in  1863.  In  1852  be  began  to  learn  barrel  making  and  was  a  master 
mechanic  in  this  line  when  he  cante  to  this  country.  He  started  to  work  in  this  coun- 
try in  Trenton,  but  went  to  Yonkers  in  1864  to  make  carbines  for  the  government.  He 
next  went  to  work  in  New  York  in  sporting  goods ;  then  to  the  Winchester  Arms 
Company,  and  finally  came  to  the  Remington  Armory  in  June,  18G7.  He  contracts 
for  boring  and  straightening  the  gun  barrels.  Mr.  Clive  is  a  prominent  Mason.  In 
1858  he  married  Catharine  Jones  and  they  have  three  children.  Mrs.  C.  A.  Hollenbeck, 
Albert  A.  and  Alice  M.  Clive,  having  lost  two  grown  up  sons,  Gilbert  E.  in  1890  and 
Stephen  A.  m  1891.  Mr.  Clive's  father  was  Stephen  Clive  and  his  grandfather  was 
Benjamin  Chve,  one  of  four  brothers,  leading  gun  makers  of  Birmingham,  Eng.  Mr. 
Clive  was  the  first  person  of  his  name  to  settle  in  America. 

Cunningham,  Thomas,  Mohawk,  was  born  in  New  York  city  June  7,  1829,  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  Mohawk  since  1834,  then  called  Bennett's  Corners.  He  has  been 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  all  his  life  up  to  1889,  when  he  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Mohawk  by  President  Harrison.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  Utica  Com- 
mandery,  and  an  elder  in  *he  Reformed  church.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Oneida 
Historical  Society  and  the  American  Numismatic  and  Archaeological  Society  of  New 
York.  He  was  married  in  1856  to  Miss  Celestia  E.  Chase,  of  Mohawk.  They  have 
had  five  children  ;  four  are  living,  three  daughters  and  one  son  :  Mrs.  M.  J.  Wight- 
man,  Margaret  A.,  Katharine  C,  and  Andrew  D.,  the  latter  of  whom  is  a  civil  engineer. 
He  is  a  graduate  from  the  United  States  Naval  School  at  Annapohs,  Md.,  and  the 
Troy  Polytechnic.  Mr.  Cunningham  is  quite  an  antiquarian  and  has  a  valuable  collec- 
tion. 

Coffin,  E.  J.,  Little  Falls,  attorney  at  law.  was  born  in  Herkimer,  of  English  and 
Irish  parentage,  in  1847.  He  received  his  education  at  Whitestown  Academy.  After 
graduation  he  took  a  short  course  in  engineering,  and  in  this  capacity  assisted  in  the 
Morristown  extension  of  the  Utica  and  Black  River  Railroad.  After  the  completion 
of  this  road  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Hon.  A.  M.  Mills,  of  Herkimer.     He  was  ad- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  29 

mitted  to  the  bar  June  13,  1879.  He  then  entered  the  ofBce  of  Judge  Hardin,  justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  with  whom  he  remained  three  years,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  has  served  one  term  as 
corporation  attorney  of  the  village  of  Little  Falls. 

Gary,  John  L.,  German  Flats  was  born  in  1830  and  has  lived  in  Mohawk  forty 
rears.  He  was  for  many  years  a  heavy  shipper  of  grain  from  Buffalo  to  New  York. 
When  thirty-eight  years  of  age  he  married  Miss  Mary  Kirkland,  and  they  have  three 
son=,  Samuel,  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Erie  canal  for  Herkimer  county  ;  Charles 
Floyd,  mail  clerk  on  the  New  York  Central;  and  George  B.,  who  lives  in  Chicago. 
Mr.  Gary's  father,  Samuel,  was  a  native  of  Oneida  county  and  his  grandfather  also 
Samuel,  came  from  New  Hampshire. 

Cronkhite,  Co-nelius,  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  came  from  Dutchess 
county,  N,  Y.,  in  1786,  and  purchased  for  one  hundred  pounds  a  tract  of  land  from  the 
Abraham  Lansing  patent.  He  lived  here  improving  his  land  and  following  agricultural 
pursuits  until  his  death.  He  was  the  father  of  si.x  children,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters.  H*  was  succeeded  by  his  two  sons,  Henry  G.  Cronkhite  and  John  C. 
Cronkhite,  Henry  C.  Cronkhite,  the  father  of  James  H.  Cronkhite,  receiving  for  his 
share  109  acres,  to  which  he  added  18  acres.  Henry  C.  was  drafted  in  the  war  of 
1812  and  served  by  sending  a  substitute  in  Sackett's  Harkor.  James  H.  C-onkhite 
was  born  February  11,  1823,  and  succeeded  to  127  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  has  added 
75  acres  of  beautiful  dairy  land  adjacent  to  the  village  of  Minden.  He  married  Miss 
Margaret  Moyer  of  this  town  and  they  have  had  three  children,  two  of  whom  survive, 
one  son  and  one  daughter.  Mr.  Cronkhite  has  served  twenty-one  years  successively 
as  justice  of  the  peace.  At  the  present  writing  he  has  retired  from  active  agricultural 
pursuits. 

Garden,  Frank  E,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  December  5,  1866.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  education,  after  which  he  clerked  for  several  years  and  railroaded.  On 
March  15,  1889,  he  and  his  brother,  Harry  Garden,  bought  out  the  bottling  establish- 
ment of  Smith  &  Go'lins,  since  wh'ch  time  they  have  most  successfully  conducted  the 
business  under  the  firm  nam«  of  Garden  Brothers.  They  are  equal  owners  in  the  es- 
tablishment, and  are  both  energetic  and  enterprising  young  business  men.  They  em- 
ploy men  and  run  teams  and  deliver  the  bottled  goods  all  over  Herkimer  county. 

Cole,  Gilbert,  farmer  of  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  this  town  and  has  lived  here  all 
his  life.  He  owns  a  farm  of  eighty-eight  acres.  He  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Huyck 
of  Fairfield,  at  the  age  of  nmeteen,  and  has  one  son,  Mr.  Duane  Cole,  who  is 
also  married  and  has  one  child.  His  wife  was  Miss  Mary  Irving,  of  Toronto,  Ont. 
Mr.  Cole  is  sixty-seven  years  of  age,  hut  is  still  an  active  man,  both  mentally  and 
physically.     He  has  been  postmaster  for  many  years  and  is  a  prominent  Democrat. 

Comstock,  F.  F.,  M.  D.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Oneida  county  and  was  born 
May,  14,  1849.  He  studied  medicine  in  the  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College,  New 
York  city,  and  graduated  in  1873.  In  1876  he  opened  his  office  in  Ilion.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Herkimer  County  Medical  Society  and  a  Mason.     He  has  been  health 


30  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

officer  of  Ilion   and  is  a  strong  Democrat.     In  1S74  Doctor  Comstock  married  Miss 
Alice  J.  Brand  and  they  have  a  family  of  three  sons. 

Schall,  Daniel,  Starkville,  was  born  in  Danube,  April  16,  1814,  a  son  of  Wilhelmai- 
and  Eve  (Kneaskarn)  Schall.  The  grandfather  of  Daniel  came  from  Germany  prior  to 
the  Revolution,  and  settled  at  what  is  now  Mindonville,  Montgomery  county.  He  was 
killed  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  left  one  son  and  three  daughters.  Subject's 
father  was  born  in  Manheim,  June  18,  17C9,  and  died  September  29,  1S2C.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  tailor  by  trade.  His  first  wife  was  born  in  Minden,  June  18,  1775.  Her 
father  was  killed  in  the  Revolution.  She  had  fifteen  children,  thirteen  of  whom  sur- 
vived :  Leah,  Nancy,  Catharine,  John,  Peter,  William,  Jacob,  David,  Henry,  Eve, 
Daniel,  Jonas  and  Mariah.  Daniel  had  a  common  school  education,  and  has  earned  his 
own  living  since  his  father's  death.  At  fifteen  he  began  tailor's  trade.  In  1834  he. 
with  his  brother,  established  business  at  Starkville.  About  1882  he  retired  from  busi- 
ness. In  1851  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  as  a  Free  Soil  Democrat.  He  was  one  of 
the  original  Republicans  and  served  as  supervisor;  also  held  the  office  of  postmas- 
ter from  May  5  1802,  to  July  17,  1877;  during  the  war  was  one  of  the  active  workers 
in  seeing  that  his  town  furnished  her  quota  of  men  for  the  army.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried first  to  Cornelia,  daughter  of  William  and  Polly  (Davis)  Gibson.  His  wife  died 
June  11,  1883.  His  second  wife  was  Cora  W.,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Lucinda 
(Smith)  Wilson.  They  had  one  child,  Dan  W.,  born  May  31,  1887,  died  January  9, 
1889.  Mr.  Schall  is  a  Universalist  and  his  wife  a  Methodist.  She  was  bom  at  Her- 
kimer. 

Miller,  Dr.  Adam,  Jordanville,  was  born  in  Columbia,  May  21,  1819,  a  son  of  William 
J.  and  Nancy  (Hiner)  Miller.  The  grandfather,  John  A.,  was  a  son  of  Andrew,  who 
came  from  Germany  and  settled  in  Rensselaer  county,  in  colonial  days.  He  was  a 
patriot  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  was  the  first  man  buried  in  Columbia  church 
yard.  His  son,  John,  was  born  in  Rensselaer  county,  and  was  a  picneer  of  Columbia, 
where  he  lived  anddied  in  1842.  His  wife  wasDorjthy  Garner.  Their  childi  en  were: 
Andrew  John,  William  J.,  Christopher,  Jacob,  Susan,  Barringer,  Nancy,  Chamberlain 
and  Catharine.  William  J.  was  born  in  ColuTibia  in  September,  1796,  where  he  re- 
sided until  his  eightieth  year.  He  was  captain  of  militia,  and  served  as  supervisor. 
His  wife  died  in  her  eighty-eighth  year.  She  was  born  in  Columbia,  a  daughter  of 
Jac"b  and  Elizabeth  (Kenter)  Haner,  pioneers  of  Columbia.  Subject  was  one  of  ten 
children  :  Adam,  John,  who  died  aged  nineteen  ;  Jacob  W.,  Philip,  William,  Mary  E., 
Cornelia,  Caroline,  Catharine  and  Melinda.  Dr.  Miller  was  raised  on  a  farm,  received  a 
district  and  select  school  education,  and  at  nineteen  began  the  study  of  medicine  with 
Dr.  Charles  H.  Easton.  He  graduated  from  Geneva  Medical  College  in  January,  1844, 
and  located  in  Jordanville,  where  he  has  practiced  ever  since.  He  also  attended  a 
course  at  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  1854-5,  and  has  been  the  only  phy- 
sician in  thi^  town  until  1881.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Herkimer  Medical  So- 
ciety since  1844,  and  has  served  as  its  secretary,  and  also  as  school  superintendent  of 
Warren  in  1850-52.  He  i*  a  Democrat  and  was  postmaster  from  1853  to  1861,  and 
takes  an  active  interest  in  politics.     He  was  assistant  surgeon  of  the  State  militia  in 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  31 

1843,  and  in  1844  was  appointed  surgeon  by  Governor  Bo'ick,  and  was  appointed  act- 
ing assistant  surgeon  in  the  Government  Hospital,  near  Alexandria.Va.,  in  1862,  which 
he  held  until  si  kness  compelled  him  to  return  hoxe.  In  January,  1863,  he  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  surgeon  of  tie  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  New  York  Volunteers, 
and  nine  months  later  resigned  on  account  of  failing  health.  He  is  a  member  of  F.  and 
A.  M.  and  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Mary  Ann,  daughter  of  Warren  Mack,  of 
Herkimer.  His  wife  died  in  187.5.  She  was  an  active  member  of  the  M.  E  church. 
His  second  wife  was  Mary  A.  Vining. 

Smith,  Alexander,  Stark,  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Stark,  was  born  May 
22,  1823,  where  he  now  reside?,  a  .son  of  Martin  and  Elizabeth  (Nicholson)  Smith. 
The  grandfather,  Andrew,  was  a  son  of  Johanah  Smith,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany 
and  came  to  this  country  during  the  French  and  Indian  wars  as  a  soldier.  After  the 
war  he  settle''  in  Albany  county  prior  to  the  Revolution,  and  came  to  this  county  about 
1788,  where  he  built  the  first  farm  bouse  in  Staikville  (where  subject  now  resides).  He 
married  Margaret  Basinger,  by  whom  he  had  these  children:  Elizabeth,  Catharine, 
Dolly,  Ma'-iah,  Frederich,  Susan,  Christina,  Abram,  John  and  Andrew.  Johanah  Smith 
and  wife  were  Lutherans.  Andrew  Smith,  the  grandfather,  was  born  July  2,  1762,  in 
Heldeberg,  Albany  county,  and  in  1798  bought  out  the  other  heirs  and  held  the  home- 
stead, where  he  died  in  October,  1848.  His  wife  was  MagdalinaBetsinger.  She  had  a 
sister  who  was  captured  by  the  Indians  in  1781  and  carried  to  Canada,  where  she  mar- 
ried an  Indian  chief,  and  afterwards  when  asked  to  return  home  preferred  to  remain 
with  her  adopted  people.  Andrew  and  wife  had  four  children  :  Delia,  Lana,  Margaret 
and  Martin.  The  latter  was  born  March  8,  1791,  where  his  son  now  resides,  and  died 
here  September  28,  1859.  His  wife  was  born  February  2,  1798,  and  died  August  11, 
1864,  and  they  had  eight  children  :  Lucinda,  Julia  A.,  Alexander,  Almeda,  Adaline, 
Almira,  Martha  and  Rozeltha.  Alexander  received  a  district  school  education  and  owns 
the  old  homestead,  where  he  has  always  resided.  He  served  as  supervisor  three  term.s, 
besides  other  town  offices.  In  1870  he  was  elected  sheriff  on  the  RepubUcan  ticket. 
In  1844  he  voted  for  Polk;  in  1848  he  became  a  Free  Soiler,  and  in  18.56  was  a  Repub- 
lican. July  9,  1877,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Starkville,  where  he  remained  in 
the  same  position  many  years.  He  is  a  leader  in  town  affairs.  January  1,  1850,  he 
married  Martha,  daughter  of  Alexander  and. Jane  (Mount)  Hall.  He  has  beea  a  lead- 
ing Mason  since  1857  and  belongs  to  Utica  Commandery  No.  3.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  Starkville  cheese  factory. 

Burpee,  Nathaniel,  Litchfield,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Frankfort  Hill,  was  one  of 
the  sons  of  Moses  Burpee,  sr.,  of  Jaffrey,  New  Hampshire.  He  was  born  January  1, 
1766.  He  emigrated  to  this  region  about  1790,  and  worked  for  some  years  for  those 
that  wanted  help  in  clearinsr  their  land,  as  it  was  nearly  all  a  wilderness  at  that  time. 
In  1795  he  married  .Merab  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Cheshire,  Conn.,  May  2,  1770.  In 
January,  1797,  he  bought  of  Oliver  Prescott  (grandfather  of  the  late  Judge  A.  H.  Pres- 
cott,  of  Herkimer,)  102  acres  of  land  in  Whitestown,  Herkimer  county,  (now  Frank- 
fort) for  61  pounds  and  4  shillings.  Here  they  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  He 
died  August  13,  1819,  aged  fifty-three.     She  died  March  22,  1844,  aged  seventy-three. 


32  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

They  had  five  children,  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  Three  of  them  died  on  the  liome 
place.  Ephraim,  the  oldest,  died  December  11,  1831,  aged  thirty-five.  Susan,  the 
daughter,  died  Aueust,  1873,  aged  sixty-eight.  Ephraim  and  Susan  were  not  married. 
Anson  S.,  the  youngest  son,  married  Hannah  T.  Gary,  "£  Litchfield,  Herkimer  county. 
He  died  September  6,  1850,  aged  forty-two.  He  left  no  children;  they  died  in  their 
infancy.  The  homestead  was  sold  in  1874  to  D.  M.  Prescott.  Nathaniel,  jr.,  the  third 
son,  married  Abigail  R.  Wood,  of  Litchfield  of  this  county.  May  17, 1825.  He  bought 
the  Calhoun  place  near  the  old  homestead.  He  had  three  children  born  here,  two 
daughters  and  one  son.  The  daughters  died  in  their  childhood.  The  son,  Newton  N., 
was  born  November  30, 1828.  Nathaniel,  jr.,  died' July  7,  1835,  aged  thirty-three. 
Newton  N.  married  his  step  sister,  Mary  Wadsworth,  of  New  Hartford,  Oneida  county. 
They  lived  a  few  years  on  the  old  hoTestead  with  their  aunt,  where  they  had  two 
children  born,  a  daughter  Ella  and  son  Frank.  Then  they  went  to  DeKalb.  HI.,  on  a 
farm.  Newton  enlisted  in  the  army  in  the  late  war,  served  with  distinction,  was  dis- 
charged honorably,  returned  home  and  died  a  few  years  after.  Newton 'p  mother  mar- 
ried tor  her  second  husband  John  Wadsworth,  of  Litchfield,  this  county,  and  is  still  liv- 
ing in  Chicago,  111.,  in  her  eighty-eighth  year.  Newton's  children  are  both  married, 
and  they  and  their  mother  Use  in  Chicago.  Titus  Burpee,  the  second  son  of  Nathaniel 
Burpee,  sr.,  was  born  in  Frankfort,  October  10,  1799.  He  married  Olivia  Johnson,  of 
Southington,  Conn.,  October  14,  1822.  She  was  born  in  Souihington,  July  7,  1801 
She  was  granddaughter  of  Isaac  Ingraham.  Titus  bought  a  farm  near  Frankfort  vil- 
lage, where  their  children  were  born,  Harriet  A.  and  George  W.  After  a  few  years  he 
sold  his  farm  and  bought  the  Asa  Priest  farm  in  Litchfield,  Herkimer  county,  in  1832, 
which  contains  about  100  acres,  and  is  a  grain,  dairy  and  fruit  farm.  Here  they  lived 
until  their  deaths,  his  February  20,  1873,  in  his  seventy-fotirth  year;  hers  March  G, 
1884,  in  her  eighty-third  year.  Harriet  A.,  their  daughter,  W'as  born  July  9,  1824.  She 
married  Isaac  Drought,  of  Camden,  Oneida  county,  November,  1848.  They  have  five 
children  :  Mervin  B.,  M.  Olivia,  Harriet  E.,  Susan  M.  and  Herbert.  They  are  all  living, 
and  all  married  and  have  children,  except  Herbert.  George  W.  (Titus's  son)  was  born 
May  16,  1827.  He  married  .\lmira  McClure.  of  Franklinville,  Cattaraugus  county, 
February  25,  1852,  who  left  two  children,  Emma  A.  and  George  H.  She  died  Febru- 
ary 27,  1862,  aged  thirty-two.  He  married  for  his  second  wife  Harriet  Woodbridge. 
of  Trenton,  Oneida  county,  March  18,  1863.  She  left  one  son,  Edwin  T.,  who  died 
January  8,  1889,  in  his  twenty  first  year.  She  died  March  27,  1873,  in  her  forty-fifth 
year.  Mr.  Burpee  married  for  his  third  wife  S.  Elizabeth  Savage,  of  Sauquoit,  Oneida 
county.  May  13,  1886  (she  is  a  direct  descendant  of  Miles  Standish),  has  no  children. 
Emma  A.,.  Mr.  Burpee's  daughter,  was  born  October  14,  1854.  She  married  A*.  C. 
Paddock,  of  this  town.  Tliey  have  two  children,  Eflie  A.,  born  October  24,  1876;  Ar- 
thur S.,  born  October  10,  1879.  They  live  on  a  farm  near  Sauquoit,  Oneida  county. 
George  H.  was  born  February  24,  1857.  He  married  Florence  Rawlings,  of  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.  They  live  in  Jersey  City,  N.  J.  .Mr.  Burpee  and  his  wife  still  live  on  his 
farm  in  Litchfield. 

Bridenbeckcr  Brothers,  Frankfort.     Bridenbecker,  Judson,  one  of   the  four  children 
of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Sherwood)  Bridenbecker,  was  born  on  the  family  home- 


FAMILY   SKETCHES.  33 

steaJ  (where  the  brothers  now  reside)  November  7,  1867.  Sherwood  the  brother,  was 
born  December  12,  1869.  Alexander  Bridenbecker,  the  father,  was  also  born  on  the 
farm,  at  which  place  he  died  January  3,  1885.  William  Bridenbeoker,  the  grandfather 
was  born  in  Fort  Herkimer  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  Elizabeth  Sherwood,  the 
mother,  was  born  atMorristown,  N.  J.,  she  being  a  daughter  of  Rev.  B.  A.  Sherwood 
and  Mary.  Mrs.  Sherwood  is  now  living  at  Utica,  aged  ninety,  Mr.  Sherwood  having 
died  January  12,  1893.  The  great-grandfather  was  Rev.  Abbott  Sherwood,  of  New 
Jersey.  The  other  members  of  this  family  now  living  are  Hattie  (Bridenbeoker)  Reid, 
wife  of  James  T.  Reid,  of  Toronto,  Canada;  Willis  A.  Bridenbeoker,  of  Mascotte,  Flor- 
ida, and  Adelma  J.,  second  wife  of  Alexander  Bridenbecker,  now  living  at  Chicago. 
The  brothers  are  both  married,  Judson  having  married  Minnie  S.,  daughter  of  the  late 
John  Bellinger,  of  Little  Falls;  and  Sherwood,  Emraa  E.  Mason,  of  Hyndsville,  Scho- 
harie county.  The  Bridenbecker  Brothers'  farm  of  175  acres  is  a  fine  dairy,  stock  and 
fruit  farm.  They  have  a  dairy  of  twenty- five  cows  (of  which  most  are  Holstein),  own 
nine  horses,  notable  among  which  is  the  young  and  handsome  stallion  Mortimer  Gold- 
dust.  This  horse  is  by  the  celebrated  trotter  "  Sprague  Golddust"  (2:15J)  and  is  the 
exact  image  of  his  sire.  They  have  twelve  acres  of  strawberries  producing  from  25,"00 
to  50,000  quarts  per  annum.  They  are  to  be  classed  among  the  enterprising  young 
men  of  the  county. 

Caswell,  George,  German  Flats,  was  born  at  Schuyler  Lake,  Otsego  county,  and 
lived  at  Cedarville  thirty-three  years.  He  was  first  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  there. 
He  came  to  Ilion  three  years  ago  and  lately  opened  the  Caswell  Hou.se.  Mr.  Caswell 
is  a  Mason  and  has  been  for  twenty-seven  years.  His  father  was  Levi  N.  Caswell  and 
his  grandfather  was  Levi  Caswell,  who  came  to  Otsego  county  from  Connecticut.  In 
1864  Mr.  Caswell  married  Cora  A.  Williams  and  they  have  two  children,  Grace  L.  and 
LeeN. 

Curry,  Thomas  H.,  Little  Falls,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Curry  &  Conboy,  was 
born  in  Oneida  County,  but  his  parents  moved  to  Manheim  when  he  was  but  five 
months  old.  After  receiving  a  thorough  education  he  taught  school  for  some  time  and  then 
entered  business.  The  present  partnership  was  formed  September  8,  1888,  and  the  busi- 
ness has  been  large  and  prosperous,  owing  to  the  honorable  methods  and  personal 
popularity  of  the  partners.  Mr.  Curry  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  politics  and 
has  been  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Manheim  for  four  consecutive  terms.  He  was  first 
elected  in  the  spring  of  1888.  His  ancestors  on  l^is  mother's  side  were  among  the 
original  Mohawk  Dutch,  and  his  father's  parents  came  from  Ireland  in  1836.  Mr. 
Curry  is  a  Republican  in  politics ;  a  member  of  Engine  Company  Number  five ;  of  the 
Elks,  the  Iron  Hall,  etc. 

Conkling,  James,  German  Flats,  born  in  Troy,  New  York,  May  22,  1854.  When 
three  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Litchfield,  Herkimer  county,  graduated  from 
Whitestown  Seminary  in  1875,  studied  law  with  Francis  Kernan  from  1877  to  1880, 
when  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  After  his  admission  he  removed  to  Ilion.  He  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  afi"airs  of  his  town  and  village  for  some  years  and  is  one  of 
the  leadmg  Democrats  of  the   county.     February  11,  1885  he  married  Miss  Eva  J. 


34  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Beckwith.  daughter  of  Hon.  E.  D.  Beckwith,  now  ot  Little  Falls.  President  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Illion  in  1889,  also  elected  supervisor  in  1890,  1891,  and  re-elected  in  1892  by 
the  largest  majority  ejer  given  to  a  supervisor  in  the  town  of  German  Flats.  He  was 
the  candidate  of  his  party  for  member  of  Assembly  in  1891,  but  was  defeated.  Has  a 
lucrative  law  practice  and  is  the  attorney  for  the  Ilion  Building  and   Loan  Association. 

Clayton,  Samuel,  Frankfort,  was  torn  in  Lancashire,  England,  June  22,  1848.  He 
was  one  of  eight  children  of  John  A.  and  Betty  (Gee)  Clayton.  The  family  first  located 
in  Ilion,  and  Mr.  Clayton  lived  in  Herkimer  county  about  twenty-seven  years.  He 
came  to  Frankfort  in  1884  and  built  the  large  and  commodious  building  which  he  uses 
as  a  hardware  and  agricultural  implement  store,  deahng  also  in  stoves,  etc.  He  was 
first  married  to  Susie  M.  SuthfT,  who  died  in  1877,  leaving  one  son.  Alfred  Samuel  Clay- 
ton. October  5,  1881,  he  manied  Georgiene  M.  Warner,  a  daughter  of  Captain  F.  C. 
aQd  Hannah  H.  (Bruce)  Warner,  of  Baltimore,  Md.  They  have  one  son,  Franklin 
Robert  Clayton.  Captain  F.  C.  Warner  was  an  oflBcer  in  the  navy  and  captain  of  the 
ship  Osceola. 

Coak,  M.  B.,  Little  Falls,  dea'er  in  agricultural  implements,  etc.,  .Mary  street,  Little 
Falls,  is  a  native  of  Manheim.  His  father  is  a  farmer,  and  he  spent  his  early  years  on 
the  farm,  just  outside  the  corporation  limits  of  Little  Falls,  having  been  all  his  life  in- 
terested in  farming.  He  first  branched  out  into  the  mercantile  field  as  a  dealer  in  hay 
carrier  business.  From  this  he  developed  into  a  full  agricultural  implement  business  in 
1881.  He  began  in  a  moderate  way,  and  has  met  with  great  success,  and  does  a  large 
trade.  He  carries  a  very  full  and  complete  line  of  all  kinds  of  farm  implements.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  Home  Circle. 
Mr.  Cook's  great-grandfather  came  from  Wallingtord,  Conn.,  about  1800,  and  the 
family  have  resided  in  this  county  ever  since.  M.  B.  Cook  also  owns  a  creamery  and 
farm  in  Madison  County,  and  operates  one  farm  in  the  town  of  Manheim.  His  wife 
was  Kate  Waters,  daughter  of  S.  J.  Waters,  and  they  have  one  daughter  three  years  of 
age. 

Cristman,  James  A.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ohio,  November  8,  1863.  He 
is  a  farmer  and  carpenter  and  builder,  and  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools, 
January  1,  1891,  he  married  Annie  Bickford.  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Elizabeth  Bick- 
fjrd,  of  Russia.  Mr.  Cristman  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been  h'ghway  commissioner. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  North  Star  Grange  Number  686,  of  Ohio.  James  A.  is  a  son  of 
Augustus  Cristman,  a  son  of  John  Cristman.  Tha  latter  was  a  native  of  Paine's  Hollow, 
born  in  1800  and  died  in  1808.  His  wife  was  Catharine  Crouse  of  Paine's  Hollow,  by 
whom  he  has  thirteen  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  youth.  His  wife  died  in  1848, 
and  he  married  Lavina  (Lampher)  Bennett.  Au^'ustus  Cristman  was  a  farmer  and 
lumberman.  In  1854  he  married  Malissa  Henry,  daughter  of  Thomas  Henry.  They  had 
four  children:  Sarah  L.,  Alexander,  James  A.,  and  Marshall  II.  His  wife  died  Ma  ch 
22,  1890. 

Coleman,  F.  W.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  London,  March  7,  1850,  and  came  to 
America  in  1869.  He  has  always  been  in  the  carriage  trade  in  this  country.  The  firm 
of  Garlick  &  Coleman  was  formed  in  1873,  and  in  1877  was  succeeded  by  F.  Coleman 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  35 

&  Company.  In  1889  the  Coleman  Carriage  Company  was  formed  with  Mr.  Coleman 

as  manager.  He  is  an  active  business  man  and  a  member  of  the  Ma.sonic  order  and  the 

A.  0.  U.  W.  In  1881  he  married  Miss  Susan  Oram  and  they  hive  a  family  of  eight 
children. 

Clapsad  .'le,  Frank,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Columbia  January  17,  1858,  and  ran 
a  carriage  business  for  some  years.  He  came  to  Mohawk  in  1885  and  purchased  the 
horses  for  running  the  various  lines  of  street  railways  there.  In  1886  he  married  Miss 
Maude  Brown  and  they  have  one  infant  son.  His  grandfather  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  in  Columbia. 

Davis,  Henry  H.,  Litchfield,  is  the  proprietor  of  the  North  Litchfield  cheese  factory, 
and  uses  the  milk  from  about  400  cows.  He  started  making  cheese  March  28,  1892, 
and  will  close  January  1.  The  estimate  of  cheese  for  1892  will  be  about  140,000 
f  ounds,  which  has  sold  for  from  8J  cents  to  10^  cents.  He  is  also  a  farmer,  and  was 
bo  n  in  Edmeston,  Otsego  couEty  November  5,  1834.  He  bought  this  factory  and 
farm  in  1890,  it  having  been  built  by  Joseph  Kast,  about  188.5.  Mr.  Eunyan  purchased 
the  land  and  built  the  first  factory  here  about  1862.  Mr.  Davis  made  chei  s e  in  Ken- 
tucky in  1870  and  in  1871  made  cheese  for  S.  P.  Goodier,  then  the  owner  of  this  prop- 
erty. He  married  Eliza  G.  Lindsay,  and  they  have  one  son,  George  H.,  who  is  now 
making  cheese  at  Warwick,  Orange  county.  He  married  Lisetta  Otterbin,  and  tley 
have  one  son,  Harry. 

Downing,  Zeno  I.,  D.D  S.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Westmoreland,  Oneida  county, 
October  14,  1837,  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  Rome  Academy;  commenced 
the  study  of  dental  surgery  with  Dr.  David  W.  Perkins,  of  Rome,  and  S.  F.  Tremain. 
He  commenced  the  practice  of  dentistry  in  Rome  in  1860  and  in  West  Winfield  in 
1865,  where  he  has  remained  since.  Has  been  town  clerk  for  the  last  twelve  years. 
He  has  been  secretary  of  Winfield  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  about  fifteen  years.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  No.  99,  of  which  he  has  been  recorder  for  about  five 
years.  He  is  past  master  workman  of  that  'odge,  past  master  of  F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  581, 
and  is  a  member  of  Winfield  Council  No.  1,033,  R.  A.,  of  which  he  was  secretary  for 
tiiree  years.  He  married  Sarah  E.,  daughter  of  Dr.  E.  F.  Beals,  June  29,  1868,  and 
they  have  one  daughter,  Carrie  L.  G.,  and  have  lost  one  son,  Warren  Zeno,  who  died 
June  9,  1882,  aged  nineteen  years. 

Dutton,  Ward,  Winfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  October  14, 
1859,  a  son  of  Puffer  Dutton,  a  native  of  this  State,  who  settled  on  this  farm  about 
1830.  He  married  Susan,  daughter  of  Nathan  Layton,  of  Richfield,  and  they  have  five 
children.  Ward,  Charles,  Flora  E.,  Sarah  and  Helen  Dutton,  Ward  and  Sarah  being  the 
only  survivors.  Ward  Dutton  married  in  1883  Eugenia  Vrooman  of  Richfield 
Springs.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  S.  Vrooman,  and  they  have  had  four 
children,  Bessie,  who  died  August  24,  l8S6 ;  Ethel,  died  January  29,  1887  ;  Christabell 
and  Henry  Ward. 

Dewey,  Dennis  A.,  Winfield,  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Lucretia  Dewey,  was  born  in 
Plainfield,  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  June  7,  1841,  and  came  to  this  town  in  1877.     He 


36  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

married  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  Arling,  February  24,  1870.  She  died 
April  12,  18S8,  and  he  married  second  AHce  Gorton,  of  this  town,  December  17,  1890, 
and  they  have  one  son,  Alexander.  Mr.  Dewey  is  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of 
Winfield.  He  enlisted  August  22,  1862,  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
first  New  York  Volunteers,  and  served  about  three  years.  Tie  was  in  all  the  engage- 
ments of  h's  regiment  up  to  May  G,  1864,  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  when  he 
was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner.  His  limb  was  smp-itated  by  the  Confederates,  and 
he  was  imprisoned  most  of  the  time  at  Lynchburg,  Va.,  and  Libby  Prison  at  Richmond 
for  about  five  months.  His  father  was  born  in  Plainfield,  Otsego  coun'y,  and  settled  in 
this  town  in  1865.  He  held  the  office  of  assessor  of  this  town,  and  was  supervisor  for 
three  years  in  succession  in  1888,  '89  and  '90.  He  is  a  member  of  S.  G.  Button  Post, 
No.  364,  G.  A.  R. 

Derapsey,  James,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Salisbury,  Herkimer  county, 
October  1,  1857.  He  was  one  of  nine  children  of  Richard  and  Mary  Dempsey. 
When  nine  years  of  age  he  went  to  live  '"n  the  town  of  Schuyle"-,  engaging  in  the 
business  of  buying  and  selling  cattle  and  hay.  He  owns  a  farm  of  125  acres  in  the 
town  of  Newport  and  one  of  100  acres  in  Frankfort,  He  was  married  February  24, 
1892,  to  Mary  Davin,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Ella  Davin,  of  Little  Falls.  They  re- 
side in  Frankfort  village,  where  he  owns  fine  property.  He  has  a  dairy  of  forty  cows 
and  is  one  of  the  enterprising  citizens  of  Frankfort. 

Douglas,  Dr.  E.  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Saxonville.  Mass.,  February  25,  1867. 
He  received  hi?  preliminary  education  in  the  Little  Falls  Academy,  and  wasgradu  ted 
from  Dartm<-uth  Medical  College  in  1889.  He  has  since  practiced  medic'ne  in  Little 
Falls.  Dr.  Douglas  is  of  Scotch  extraction.  His  father,  Andrew  Douglas  originally 
came  from  Scotland,  and  has  been  for  many  years  identified  with  the  knit  goods  indus- 
tries in  Little  Falls  and  Ilion  Dr.  Douglas  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum,  Elks,  Red  Men,  Odd  Fellows,  and  other  leading  social  orpanizations.  He  is 
at  present  coroner  of  Herkimer  county. 

De  Coster,  Harry  A.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine.  His  family  is 
well  and  favorably  known  in  the  history  of  that  State.  Harry  A.  De  Coster  received 
his  education  at  Tuft's  College,  Massachusetts,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1885.  He 
entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  Sheldon  in  1886  and  was  admitted  to  tlie  bar  in  1888, 
immediately  thereafter  commencing  the  active  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1892  Mr. 
De  Coster  received  the  appointment  of  corporation  attorney  for  the  village  of  Little 
Falls.     He  married  Miss  Minnie  Shepard  of  this  county. 

Devendorf,  Irving  R.,  Herkimer,  district  attorney  for  Herkimer  county,  is  a  native  of 
the  town  of  Danube,  Herkimer  county,  and  after  a  preliminary  education  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  the  Hon.  George  W.  Smith,  of  Heikimer,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  October,  1880,  and  began  practice  in  1881,  forming  a  partnership 
with  A.  J,  Smith  under  the  name  of  Devendorf  &  Sini'h.  Mr.  Devendorf  was  elected 
district  attorney  in  1888,  and  was  re  elected  in  1891.  He  is  proving  eiuineuily  suc- 
cessful  in  his  ofilce,  and   as   an  indication  of  his  fitness  and  ability,  it  might  be  men- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  3^ 

tioned  that  almost  every  indictment  during  bis  term  lias  resulted  in  a  conviction.  Mr. 
Devendorf's  ancestors  have  lived  in  this  part  since  the  early  settlement  of  the  State, 
and  his  great- grandfathers  on  both  sides  took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Day,  Erasmus  W.,  Schuyler,  is  one  of  the  notable  men  of  Herkimer  county.  He  was 
born  October  19,  1815,  and  has  been  an  active  man  all  his  life.  He  has  always  been  a 
prominent  farmer,  and  has  been  engaged  also  in  mercantile  lines.  In  public  life  he 
has  been  prominent  in  Schuyler.  From  1840  to  184G  he  was  deputy  sherifif,  was  super- 
visor of  the  town  for  several  years,  and  was  representative  to  Albany  in  1869.  In  1838 
he  married  Mary  Ann  Root,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Root,  who  was  celebrated  in  the 
War  of  1812.  They  have  three  children,  Warren  E.,  Sheldon  R.  and  Mrs.  J.  D. 
Leland,  of  Washington,  D.  C.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Day  was  commissary  in  the 
Revolutionary  War,  and  his  father,  Dr.  Warren  Day,  was  surgeon  in  the  War  of  1812. 
His  son.  Dr.  Warren  E.  Day,  was  a  surgeon  in  the  late  war,  and  for  several  years  after 
the  close  of  the  war  he  continued  in  the  errploy  of  the  government. 

Dolge,  Henry  A.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Germany  on  the  19th  day  of  March,  184.0. 
He  was  educated  in  the  Gymnasium  college  there,  and  in  1865  engaged  in  the  com- 
mission business.  Shortly  afterwards  he  rem  ved  to  South  America,  where  he  became 
identified  witli  mercantile  transactions,  and  in  1867  he  operated  a  fugar  plantation  in 
the  West  Indies.  The  climate  not  agreeing  with  his  health,  he  came  to  New  York 
city  about  1870  and  engaged  for  twelve  years  in  the  real  estate  and  the  insurance 
brokerage  business,  which  he  relinquished  to  become  identified  with  the  extensive 
manufacturing  industry  of  Alfred  Dolge  as  resident  manager  at  Dolgeville.  He  is  also 
postmaster  at  the  latter  town.  He  married  Miss  E.  W.  Gunther,  and  they  have  one 
daughter  living. 

Dedicke,  Edward,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  February  22,  1854. 
When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  came  to  America  and  secured  a  position  as  porter  in 
Alfred  Dolge's  New  York  store.  Mr.  Dolge,  recognizing  his  worth,  brought  him  to 
Dolgeville  when  he  moved  his  felt  mills  to  this  place.  Edward  Dedicke  rapidly  acquired 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  this  industry  in  all  its  departments,  and  has  occupied  the 
position  of  foreman  in  each.  About  two  years  ago  he  was  appointed  superintendent 
of  the  felt  mills.  Mr.  Dedicke  married  Miss  Barbara  Stehr,  and  has  three  children,  two 
boys,  Henry  and  Carl,  and  a  daughter,  Anna.  He  is  Regent  of  the  Royal  Arcanum, 
vice-president  of  the  School  Society  and  of  the  Building  and  Loan  Association,  secretary 
of  the  Mutual  Aid  Association,  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.,  president  of  Volunteer 
Fire  Company,  etc. 

Doty,  E.  L.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Onondaga,  April  8,  1850,  and  came  to  his 
present  farm  in  1863.  His  father  was  Abner  Doty  who  died  in  1890.  The  family 
came  from  Connecticut  about  the  beginning  of  this  century  and  are  descendants  of  Ed- 
ward Doty  \iiho  came  to  this  country  in  the  Mayflower.  In  1875  Mr.  Doty  married 
Grace  L.  Howard,  and  they  have  one  son  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Doty  is  a  Prohibi- 
tionist, and  a  member  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  He  grows  a  large  quantity  of  strawberries, 
averaging  over  50,000  quarts  annually. 


38  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Doolittlp,  E.  H.,  German  Flats,  wa»  born  in  Rradford,  N.  H.,  September  11,  1832. 
He  came  to  Herkimer  county  in  1864,  for  twelve  years  was  employed  in  the  Reming- 
ton Armory.  In  1878  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  and  held  the  office  thirteen 
years.  He  has  carried  on  a  large  busine.ss  in  real  estate  and  insurance  for  several  years. 
In  1857  he  married  Mifs  P.  V.  V.  Groeslieek  of  Chittenango,  N.  Y.,  and  they  have 
three  sons,  W.  G.,  Edward  H.  and  Prank  Hooker.  Mr.  Doolittle  is  a  master  Mason 
and  has  been  justice  of  the  sessions  two  years. 

Dieffenbacher,  Jacob,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  the  duchy  of  Baden,  Germany,  March 
18,  1845,  he  being  one  of  eleven  children  of  Engelhardt  and  Catherine  Dieffenbacher. 
His  father,  ruined  by  revolution  at  home,  emigrated  to  this  country  with  his  family  in 
1856,  being  assisted  by  William  Gates,  into  whose  employ  the  family  entered.  During 
the  Rebellion  Mr.  Dieffenbacher  was  employed  in  armories  in  the  manufacture  of  army 
pistols  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  provision  business  at 
canal  lock  45  in  Frankfort,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He  married,  December, 
1885,  Pauline  Bauer,  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Pauline  (Bolza)  Bauer,  both  nalivts 
of  Saxony,  who  emigrated  and  settled  in  Utica.  They  have  two  children,  Sarah  M. 
and  Theresa  E. 

Dunckel,  Peter  J.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  at  Frey's  Bush,  Montgomery  county,  May 
27,  1828.  George  Dunckel,  his  great-grandfather,  came  from  Germany  and  settled  in 
Montgomery  county  early  in  the  17th  century.  George  G.  Dunckel,  son  of  George 
Dunckel,  and  grandfather  of  Peter  J.,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Sharron.  John  Dunckel,  jr.,  son  of  George  G.  and  father  of  Peter  J.,  was 
born  and  always  lived  at  Frey's  Bu.sli,  Montgomery  county,  where  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming  and  blacksmithing,  and  where  he  died  at  eighty-five  years  of  age. 
Peter  J.  Dunckel  has  followed  grist-milling  for  a  number  of  years.  He  owns  a  farm  of 
180  acres,  besides  other  valuable  property.  His  wife  was  Miss  Lucy  Woolever,  a 
daughter  of  Nicholas  Woolever.     They  have  three  children  living. 

Dudley,  William  Henry,  M.  D.,  Newport,  was  born  at  Madison,  New  Haven  county. 
Conn  ,  January  1,  1855,  a  son  of  Lucian  W.  anl  Mary  E.  (Page)  Dudley.  Lucian  W. 
was  a  son  of  David,  and  he  of  Roswell,  who  was  a  .son  of  David,  a  lieuterant  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  The  latter  was  a  son  of  Deacon  David,  who  was  a  son  of  Eben- 
ezer,  and  he  a  son  of  John  who  came  to  Guilford,  Conn.,  from  England,  in  1G73,  and 
the  same  year  married  Martha  French,  of  Guilford,  Conn.  The  subject  was  one  of  two 
children  (the  brother  being  George  W.),  and  settled  in  Newport  in  November,  1888. 
In  h's  youth  he  attended  the  common  school,  and  a  preparatory  select  school  of  the 
grade  of  an  academy.  At  eighteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  father 
at  Norwich,  Conn.,  as  drug  clerk,  remaining  five  years,  when  he  entered  the  office  of 
Dr.  W.  S.  C.  Perkins  of  that  city  to  study  medicine.  In  1879  he  entered  the  College 
of  Physicians  and  S'lrgeons,  of  New  York,  which  is  now  the  medical  department  of 
Columbia,  and  remained  there  one  year.  Then  spent  two  years  at  the  University  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  where  he  graduated  March  9,  1882.  He  then  returned  to  Nor- 
wich, Conn.,  and  practiced  medicine  for  three  years,  when  he  removed  to  Butte  City, 
Mont.,  where  he  remained  two  years.     At  that  time  he  received  the  appointment  of 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  39 

surgeon  to  the  Elkhoru  Mining  Company,  of  Jefferson  County,  Mont.,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years  more.  December  25,  1886,  he  married  Lilhan  T.  Fillmore,  daughter 
of  Ralph  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Fitch)  Fillmore.  Ralph  H.  F^Jlmore  being  a  cousin  of  ex- 
President  Fillmore.  The  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Dudley,  Comfort  D.  Fillmore,  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  war  of  1812.  His  wife,  Annice,  drew  a  pension  until  her  death,  at  ninety- 
one  years.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dudley  l^ave  had  two  children :  Earl  W..  who  died  May  27, 
1887,  aged  four  months,  and  Ray  W.,  born  April  14,  1889.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  and  his  wife  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  Dr.  Dudley  and  his  father 
are  both  Republicans.  The  doctor  is  vice-president  of  ihe  Herkimer  County  Medical 
Society;  also  on  the  consulting  stafi  of  the  Faxton  Hospital  of  Utica,  N.  T.  He  is 
health  officer  of  Newport,  and  also  belongs  to  the  fire  company.  He  is  a  member  of 
St.  James  Lodge,  F.  &.  A.  M.,  No.  23,  of  Norwich,  Conn.;  Iroquois  Chapter,  R.  A.  M., 
of  Ilion,  No.  23G  ;  of  Little  Falls  Commandery,  K.  T.  No.  26,  and  Ziyara  Temple, 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  Also  belongs  to  I.  O.  R.  M,,  being  sachem  of  the  Tribe. 
Dr.  Dudley  while  in  Montana  traveled  through  the  National  Park  as  surgeon  to  the 
Butte  City  Liederkranz  Society,  and  wrote  and  published  a  book  on  its  wonders. 

Dexter,  Henry  W.,  Newport,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  Herkimer  county,  July  16,  1823, 
a  son  of  William  B.  and  Sarah  (Jewett)  Dexter,  who  settled  in  Fairfield  about  1819. 
His  mother  was  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  his  father  of  Providence.  The  latter  was 
a  volunteer  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican.  He  was  very 
active  in  politics,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Liberal  church.  He  had  four  daughters 
and  one  son :  Phoebe  A.  (deceased),  Mary  J.  (Parkhurst),  Henry  W.,  Loiiisa  A.  (Deer- 
ing),  Elizabeth  A.  (Grigwold),  and  Henry  W.  The  latter  married  January  18,  1844, 
Mary  E.  Parkhurst,  a  native  of  Fairfield,  and  a  daughter  of  Lyman  and  Susan  (Enos) 
Parkhurst.  They  have  two  children,  Addie  S.,  wife  of  Capt.  Thomas  E.  Merritt  of 
the  One  Hundred  Fifty-First  Regiment  Infantry,  and  at  present  auditor  of  the  Adiron- 
dack &  St.  Lawrence  railroad.  He  has  al.so  a  son.  Dr.  Lyman  C.  Dexter,  a  physician 
and  druggist  of  Newport.  He  married  Gertrude  Harris,  daughter  of  Archibald  Harris. 
Henry  W.  Dexter  started  in  business  as  a  farmer  in  the  town  of  Newport,  1847,  and 
continued  until  186.5,  then  speculated  in  livestock  and  produce  until  1880.  He  was  on 
the  committee  of  the  right-of-way  of  tlie  H.  N.  &  P.  R.  R.,  and  was  also  a  director 
unt'l  1890.  Mr.  Dexter  is  a  32d  degree  Mason,  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge  No.  455, 
Iroquois  Chapter,  and  attends  the  Universalist  church.  He  is  also  a  director  in  the 
Newport  National  Bank. 

Davis,  R.  Irving,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls  and  was  born  on  the  home- 
stead farm,  near  this  village  in  1863.  The  family  is  an  old  and  honored  one  in  this 
State,  his  ancestors  having  resided  here  since  the  year  1767.  His  great-grandfathers 
participated  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Davis  entered  Hamilton  College  and 
took  a  highly  creditable  course  in  that  institution  to  the  middle  of  his  sophomore 
year,  when  other  duties  compelled  him  to  forego  the  completion  of  his  studie.'. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Theta  Delta  Chi  society  of  that  college,  also  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum,  the  American  Legion  of  Honor,  the  Red  Men  and  the  Orange,  and  has 
filled  chairs  in  all  of  the  societies.  Mr.  Davis  is  now  actively  engaged  in  the  real 
estate    and   insurance    business,  and  in  the  latter  line    represents   companies  whose 


40  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

capital  aggregates  over  $3,000,000,  including  both  fire,  life  and  accident  insurance 
companies.  Mr.  Davis  is  socially  popular  and  stands  high  in  the  estimation  of  Ihe 
business  men  and  the  public  generally  of  the  county.  He  possesses  superior  busi- 
ness abilities  and  has  had  educational  advantages  far  exceeding  those  of  business 
men  generally,  and  all  these  combine  to  guarantee  him  a  bright  future,  which  he 
will  undoubtedly  attain. 

Douglass,  Dr.  A.  J.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Lewis  county  in  lft37  and  graduated 
from  the  Long  Island  College  Hospital  in  1872.  He  has  practiced  medicine  in 
Ilion  since  1875.  He  has  also  been  prominently  connected  with  the  school  board,  and 
has  invented  a  blackboard  crayon  rack  that  is  attracting  much  attention  among  edu- 
cators. In  1892  Dr.  Douglas  was  elected  president  of  the  village  of  Ilion.  In  1872 
he  married  Mary  D.  Chittenden.     They  have  one  son,  Adelbert  C. 

Dexter,  Lyman  C,  Newport,  was  '  orn  February  21,  1854.  His  early  education  was 
obtained  in  the  public  schools  at  Newport.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  entered 
Fairfield  Seminary.  He  graduated  from  Hunperford's  Collegiate  Institute  at  Adams, 
N.  Y.,  in  1872,  and  was  employed  in  1874  and  1875  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  as  financial  agent 
for  Alfred  Putnam  in  the  drv  goods  business.  He  then  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  A. 
J.  BrowD,  of  Newport.  He  graduated  from  the  University  of  Michigan  in  June,  1879, 
and  then  took  a  post- graduate  course  in  Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York  city,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  March,  1880,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  New- 
port the  following  summer.  He  started  the  first  exclusive  drug  store  in  Newport, 
which  he  cow  conducts.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  West  Brothers'  knitting  mill,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Improvement,  Agricultural  and  Herkimer  County  Medical  Societies. 
He  is  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  455,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  heVas  been  junior  and  senior 
wardens;  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  R.  M.,  the  Phalitorian  Literary  Society  of  Hunger- 
ford  Institute  and  of  the  Nonsaskin  Literary  Society.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  has 
been  tovi'n  clerk  four  consecutive  years,  health  officer  two  years,  and  is  at  present  town 
physician  of  Newport,  fie  married  June  27,  1884,  Gertrude  B.,  daughter  of  Archibald 
and  Annie  (Coffin)  Harris.  They  have  three  children.  Henry  Merritt,  Burr  Tiffany  and 
Anna  May. 

Douglass,  Dr.  Allison  0-,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.  He  received 
an  academic  education  in  Rome  and  Whitesboro.  He  graduate^  from  the  Long  Island 
Medical  College  in  1876.  He  began  practice  immediately  thereafter  in  Gray,  Herkimer 
county,  from  which  locality  he  removed  to  Little  Falls  in  1888  Dr.  Douglass  has  a 
brother  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Ilion,  N.  Y.,  and  another  in  Lowville, 
Lewis  county,  N.  Y.  He  is  of  Scotch  descent.  Dr.  Douglass  enjoys  an  extensive  and 
lucrative  practice  here. 

Deimel,  Menning  A.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer  and  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Lansingburg  and  Albany.  After  leaving  school  he  entered  the  office  of 
Deimel  &  Snell  as  book-keeper.  After  fix  years'  service  therein  he  formed  a  copart- 
nership with  Mr.  Snell  in  the  Herkimer  Manufacturing  Company,  of  which  he  is  the 
practical  manager.     This  establishment  manufactures  spring  beds,  etc.,  and  gives  em- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  41 

ployment  to  about  forty  hand«.  Mr.  M.  A.  Deimel  is  a  son  of  H.  A.  Deimel,  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Deimel  &  Snell.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Fire  Department, 
Elks,  Odd  Fellows,  Red  Men,  etc.,  and  connected  with  leading  .social  and  political  or- 
ganizat  ons  here. 

Da'e,  William  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  L  ttle  Falls.  He  leceived  his  education 
in  the  village  schools  and  engaged  with  his  father  in  contractirg.  About  fifteen  years 
ago  he  and  his  brother,  George  B.  Dale,  formed  a  partnership,  which  has  since  existed. 
During  this  entire  period  no  account  has  been  kept  between  the  brothers,  each  having 
implicit  confidence  in  the  other.  Mr.  W.  H.  Dale  is  one  of  the  village  trustees,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  church,  and  identified  with  social  and  benevolent  circles.  This 
house  has  contracted  for  and  completed  much  important  work  here  and  in  this  vicinity, 
and  worthily  sustains  a  very  high  reputation.  The  Dale  family  originally  came  from 
County  Antom,  Ireland. 

Dievendorf,  Jacob,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  1814,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  inhab- 
itants of  the  county.  His  life  has  been  spent  mostly  in  farming,  and  he  ha?  been  very 
successful  in  every  way.  He  is  now  president  of  the  Mohawk  National  Bank,  and 
formerly  had  various  large  interests  that  he  has  now  centralized.  His  father  was  David 
Dievendorf  and  his  grandfather  Jacob,  who  came  to  this  part  100  years  ago.  Hig 
nephew,  R.  M.  Dievendorf,  is  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Mohawk. 

Ellis,  Lorenzo,  Russia,  was  born  in  Wctmoreland,  Oneida  county,  January  6,  1836, 
a  son  of  Daniel  Ellis,  born  in  Slab  City,  Madison  county,  in  1802.  He  married  Sallie 
Coy,  a  native  of  Madison  county,  by  whom  he  had  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  Orrin, 
Alanson,  Orlando,  LeRoy,  Lorenzo  and  Louisa.  He  went  to  Oneida  county  and  fol- 
lowed farming,  and  later  in  life  became  a  boatman  on  the  Erie  Canal.  He  died  in 
Oneida  county  in  1858  and  his  wife  in  1874.  Lorenzo  Ellis  married  November  12, 
1858,  Jane,  daughter  of  Ozias  and  Emily  (Jenkins)  Wilcox,  natives  of  Oneida  county. 
To  Mr.  Ellis  and  wife  seven  children  have  been  born  :  Frank  W.,  Mary  M.,  Walter  and 
Eugene  C,  living,  and  Charles,  Lewis  and  Ahce,  deceased.  Mr.  Ellis  was  a  boatman 
on  the  Erie  Canal  from  1847  to  1863.  He  then  went  to  Newport,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  one  year  and  in  the  express  and  stage  business  eighteen  years.  In 
1887  he  went  to  Poland  and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  In  1889  he  purchased 
property  now  known  as  the  Ellis  House,  of  which  his  son  Frank  is  proprietor.  Mr. 
Ellis  also  has  a  good  livery.     He  is  a  Republican. 

Eckler,  Hendrick,  Warren,  with  his  family  came  from  Holland  and  settled  in  Warren 
about  1765.  He  had  a  son  Captain  Henry,  who  was  born  in  Holland,  who  received 
his  father's  homestead  of  100  acres.  He  had  four  sons :  Christian,  John,  Daniel  and 
Henry.  John  Eckler  was  born  in  the  homestead  and  spent  his  life  there.  His  wife 
was  Sophia  Van  Home,  who  bore  him  five  children:  John,  Thomas,  Henry,  Christina, 
Mary  A.,  the  latter  the  only  one  living.  John  Eckler  was  born  on  the  homestead  in 
September,  1810,  and  died  September  9, 1876.  He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Hannah 
Van  Denberg,  who  bore  him  three  children :  Clarinda,  Orange  and  Van  Denberg  (de- 
ceased.)    His  second  wife  was  Hannah,  daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Eva  Cronkhite,  who 


42  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

bore  him  four  children  :  Foster  (deceased),  Mariette  (deceased),  Lester  C.  and  Rose. 
His  second  wife  died  in  1872.  Lester  C.  Ecker  was  born  March  1,  1847,  in  Springfield, 
where  Hendrick  Eckler  first  settled.  He  added  sixty  acres  to  the  original  farni  and 
lived  there  until  March  1,  1886,  when  he  bought  the  hotel  in  Warren  and  has  since 
conducted  it.  He  received  an  academic  education,  is  a  Mason  and  a  Republican,  and 
has  been  postmaster  under  Harrison.  He  married,  December  14,  1870,  Julia,  daughter 
of  David  and  Christina  (Harder)  Johnson,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ralph  J. 

Emery,  John,  Russia,  was  born  in  Ohio,  November  23,  1824,  a  son  of  Rowland 
Emery,  born  in  Charlestown  in  1786.  He  came  to  Ohio  at  an  early  day,  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers,  where  he  spent  most  of  his  life.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Jones,  by 
whom  he  had  two  sons  and  six  daughteis.  His  brother,  Matthew,  was  in  the  War  of 
1812.  Rowland  Emery  died  in  Ohio  in  1849,  and  his  wife  died  in  1842.  In  1846  John 
Emery  married  Mary  A.  Curtis,  born  in  Schoharie  county  February  25,  1828.  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  and  Amie  Curtis,  who  about  1838  came  from  Duanesburg,  Schoharie 
county,  and  settled  in  Ohio,  where  they  reared  four  sons  and  seven  daughters.  Mr. 
Emery  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  was  captain  in  the  militia  under  Governor  Bouck. 
He  was  highly  honored  in  his  native  town,  being  excise  commissioner  for  four  years, 
a  member  of  the  auditing  board  for  four  years,  supervisor  1866-67,  justice  of  the  peace 
from  18G6  to  1870,  and  was  one  of  the  menibers  who  incorporated  the  M.  E.  Church  in 
Ohio.  He  held  all  the  offices  in  that  church  in  time,  and  was  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school  for  fifteen  years.  He  moved  from  the  town  of  Ohio  to  the  village  of 
Poland,  January  1,  1889,  where  he  now  lives.  His  grandfather,  Robert  Emery,  was 
born  in  New  York  and  early  in  life  settled  in  Montgomery  county.  He  died  in  Strat- 
ford, aged  ninety-three. 

Earl,  Robert,  2d,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer  December  22,  1867.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  Herkimer  schools,  St.  John's  Military  Academy,  Manlius,  N.  Y., 
and  Union  College,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.  After  the  completion  of  his  studies  he  entered 
the  office  of  D.  H.  Burrell  &  Company  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  and  later  the  ofBce  of  the 
Saxony  Knitting  Company  of  the  same  place.  May  1,  1892,  he  was  elected  assistant 
ca.shier  of  the  "'  Old  "  Herkimer  Bank,  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  which  position  he  now  holds. 
Mr.  Earl  is  a  trustee  of  the  village  of  Herkimer,  and  has  the  distinction  of  being  the 
youngest  member  ever  elected  to  that  board.  He  is  a  Mason  and  a  member 
of  several  social  organizations.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  eminent  Samuel  Earl  and  a 
nephew  of  Chief  Judge  Robert  Earl  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  of  the  State  of  New 
York. 

Ely,  Samuel,  Warren,  was  born  where  he  now  lives,  near  the  south  line  of  Warren, 
November  29,  1807,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Fannie  (Cooley)  Ely.  His  grandfather 
was  Simeon  Ely,  of  English  descent,  and  born  near  West  Springfield,  Mass.  In  1805 
he  settled  on  the  farm  where  the  subject  now  lives,  and  died  there  in  1815,  aged  eighty- 
five.  The  subject's  father  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1774,  and  came  with  his 
parents  to  the  present  homestead  in  1805.  He  died  in  1851  in  his  seventy-seventh 
year,  and  his  wife  died  about  1862  in  her  ninetieth  year.  They  had  five  children.  Our 
subject  has  always  lived  on  the  homestead,  has  never  been  sued  and  has  never  sued, 


FAMILY.  SKETCHES.  43 

has  not  tasted  liquor  in  fifty-three  years,  and  lias  been  a  member  of  I  be  M.  E,  Chun  h 
fifty-four  years.  He  married  in  1831,  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  George  and  Betsy  (Cooke) 
Snyder,  and  they  have  had  seven  children :  Lorana,  wife  of  James  Pollard,  dead,  left 
one  son  ;  Ann,  wife  of  IraDunckel ;  Helen,  wife  of  Rosell  Warren  ;  Wesley,  Elizabeth, 
died  unmarried  ;  Fannie  A.,  and  Darwin,  who  served  three  years  in  the  121st  N.  Y. 
Volunteers.     Mrs.  Ely  died  in  1880  in  her  seventy-second  year. 

Edsall.  Dr.  Irving  S,,  was  born  October  1.5,  1858,  a  son  of  William  and  Jane  (Swar- 
tout)  Edsall,  residents  of  Delaware  county,  N.  Y.  He  attended  the  Roxbury  public 
school  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered  the  Albany  Normal  School,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1879,  He  taught  school  for  a  time,  then  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine,  entering  the  Albany  Medical  College  in  the  fall  of  1882.  He  graduated 
in  March,  1885,  and  settled  in  Middleville  the  same  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Her- 
kimer County  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  was  vice-president  in  1890  and  president  in 
1891.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge  F.  &  A.  M.  No.  455  ;  of  Nehasena 
Tribe  I.  0.  R.  M.  of  Newport,  of  which  he  is  a  charter  member;  and  also^ belongs  to 
the  Middleville  Council  Royal  Arcanum  No.  1335,  in  which  order  he  served  as  medical 
examiner.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  was  appointed  county  physician  in  1888. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  Middleville  and  was  one  of  its  original 
trustees  when  it  was  incorporated,  in  1890.  In  1892  he  was  elected  its  president.  Dr. 
Edsall  is  a  member  of  M.  E.  Church,  of  which  he  is  Sunday-school  superintendent. 
September  11,  1885,  he  married  Ella  Sikes,  adopted  daughter  of  Harvey  Sikes  of 
Greene  county,  N.  Y.     They  have  one  child,  William,  born  in  1890. 

Edes,  James,  Manheim,  was  born  in  England  in  the  year  1835.  In  1854  he  came  to 
this  country  and  commenced  to  work  on  a  farm,  and  after  an  industrious  period  he  was 
enabled  to  purchase  his  present  fine  property  of  190  acres  of  dairy  land  upon  which  he 
keeps  fifty-five  head  of  horned  cattle,  four  horses,  besides  other  stock.  His  wife  was 
Miss  Charlotte  Boyce,  an  English  lady,  who  died  in  April,  1890.  Mr.  Edes  has  had  six 
children,  two  boys  and  four  girls.  Mr,  Edes  is  a  thorough  representative  and  prosper- 
ous farmer. 

Evans,  Jam^s  H.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Granville,  Washington  county,  N  Y., 
November  14,  1839.  He  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  Cohoes,  and  at 
an  early  age  entered  the  employ  o;  the  Ogden  Mills  there,  later  on  assuming  charge  of 
the  spinning  rooms,  and  in  18G9,  became  identified  with  the  knitting  industry  in  Cohoes. 
He  jame  to  Herkimer  n  1877,  and  entered  the  employ  of  Morris  Mark,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  the  formition  of  the  Gem  Enittiug  Company,  four  years  ago,  of  which 
he  became  the  leading  partner  and  practical  head.  The  other  members  of  the  concern 
are  H.  A.  Deimel,  0.  R.  Snell,  and  M.  A.  Deimel.  Employment  is  furnished  to  150 
hands,  and  Swiss  Ribbed  Underwear  in  cotlen,  wool  and  silk  is  produced,  three 
hun  Ired  dozen  being  turned  out  per  day.  The  factory  is  a  large  three-story  brick 
building  with  basement  and  contains  all  modern  improvements  and  machinery.  The 
products  are  disposed  of  through  their  New  York  office  at  48  Leonard  street.  Mr. 
Evans  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason. 


44  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtJNTV. 

Eaton,  Volney,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Eatonsbush,  this  county,  and  is  the  son  of 
a  fanner.  He  is  a  direct  descendant  of  Francis  Eaton,  who  came  over  in  the  May- 
flower. His  father  took  part  m  the  war  of  1812,  and  served  at  Sackett's  H^.rbor.  Gen- 
eral Eaton,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  was  also  an  ancestor  of  Mr.  Volney  Eaton.  Mr. 
Eaton  has  been  in  the  saw-mill  business  for  some  years.  Latterly  he  has  retired  from 
active  business.  He  has  twice  been  high  sheriff,  once  of  Herkimer  County,  once  of 
Ionia,  Michigan.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  was  one  of  the  first  organizers  of 
the  Republican  party  in  this  part. 

Enos,  William  P.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ohio,  March  30,  1830.  He 
received  a  common  school  education  and  after  learning  the  machinest  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  for  thirty  years,  traveUng  to  many  cities  and  States  in  the  prosecution  of 
this  industry.  He  afterwards  purchased  his  farm  on  the  Steuben  road  of  140  acres  of 
dairy  land,  upon  which  he  has  since  lived.  He  keeps  twenty-five  or  thirty  head  of 
stock  and  cuts  from  sixty  to  seventy  tons  of  hay.  He  married  Miss  L.  Sherman  and 
has  a  son  and  a  daughter.  The  family  is  of  New  England  descent.  He  was  in  the 
ordnance  department  of  government  service  as  inspector  during  the  war. 

Fish,  Irving  K.,  Litchfield,  was  supervisor  of  Litchfield,  in  1888,  1889,  and  1890.  He 
was  born  here  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  July  26,  1847,  son  of  Alonzo  L.  Fish, 
who  by  his  pen  and  practical  instructions,  was  one  of  the  first  to  advance  dairy  in- 
terests in  Herkimer  county,  and  establish  export  trade  in  dairy  products.  Was 
supervisor  of  Litchfield  in  18G0,  1861,  and  1862,  and  the  originator  of  many  useful  en- 
terprises; a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  came  herewith  his  father  Samuel  Fish,  the 
original  owner  of  this  farm  which  has  been  in  the  family  ever  since.  Samuel  was  a 
son  of  Nathaniel  Fish.  Irving  K.  Fish,  married  E.  Jennie  Beals,  and  they  have  one 
daughter,  Cornelia  J.  Mrs.  E.  J.  Fish  is  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Oliver  Beals,  who  was  a 
son  of  David  Beals,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  town. 

Fish,  Wallace  Isaac,  Litchfield,  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Litchfield.  He 
married  Emma  M.  Underwood,  December  24,  1856,  and  they  have  two  children  living, 
S.  Lynn,  who  married  Gertie  E.  Rider,  and  Fred  P.,  who  married  Jennie  M.  Davis, 
and  is  overseer  of  the  poor.  Isaac  W.  Fish  is  a  son  of  Elias  W.,  who  was  supervisor  of 
this  town  for  many  years,  he  was  a  son  of  Samuel  who  came  here  with  his  father 
Nathaniel,  one  of  the  first  settlers  here.  Isaac  W.  Fish's  mother  was  Alma  P.,  daughter 
of  Isaac  Parker,  a  brother  of  the  Rev.  Archibald  Parker,  both  of  them  being  among  the 
first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Litchfield.  George  Parker  was  the  father  of  the  Parker 
brothers,  who  were  the  first  settlers  here.  George  Parker  died  June  26,  1820,  aged  89 
years,  his  wife  Sarah  died  July  23,  1836,  aged  94.  Isaac  Parker  died  January  23, 
1840,  aged  67,  his  wife  Mercy,  died  October  29,  1856,  aged  86.  Blias  W.  Fish  died 
June  26,  1869,  aged  66,  and  his  wife  Alma  P.,  died  February  2,  1883,  aged  seventy- 
seven.  The_deod  of  this  farm,  dated  Decembers,  1794,  from  Archibald  Parker,  to 
Isaac  Parker,  is  now  in  the  poSfeession  of  Isaac  W.  Fish,  and  was  recorded  July  29, 
1818,  signed  Walter  Fish,  clerk. 

Fisher,  Henry,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1825.  His  parents  were  John  and 
Barbara  Fisher,  who  had  five  sons  and  two  daughters.     In  1847  Mr.  Fisher  and  family 


FAmLY  SKETCHES.  45 

came  to  America  and  settled  in  Ohio  township,  where  he  purchased  sixty  acres  of  lami 
in  the  wilderness.  On  this  he  built  a  log  house,  in  which  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  He  was  a  Democrat,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  Lutherans.  He  died  in  1853 
and  his  wife  in  1872.  Henry  Fisher  was  twenty-two  years  old  when  he  came  to  this 
country  with  his  parents.  He  married  Christina  Fisher,  a  native  of  Germany,  by 
whom  he  had  live  children,  Nicholas,  Charles,  Rachael,  Amelia,  and  Emily,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  Mr.  Fisher  owns  269  acres  of  land,  and  keeps  a  large  dairy.  He  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  He  is  one  of  the 
stockholders  in  the  Poland  union  store. 

Folts,  Mrs.  D.,  Herkimer,  is  one  of  the  remarkable  women  of  the  age,  and  lives  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  Herkimer.  Her  son,  W.  P.  Folts,  works  the  farm  and  manages 
outside  alTairs,  and  she  does  a  great  deal  of  magnetic  healing.  She  has  been  practicing 
twenty-two  years  and  has  established  a  wide  and  substantial  reputation.  They  have 
one  hundred  acres  of  land  used  for  dairying  and  grain.  Mrs.  Folts'  father  was  a  doctor. 
From  the  GrloversviUe  Intelligencer:  "One  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Herkimer  village 
lives  an  old  lady  called  Mrs.  Folts.  This  person  has  obatined  a  wonderful  reputation 
for  the  healing  of  diseases.  It  is  now  twenty-two  years  since  she  began  to  attract  by 
her  great  healing  powers,  and  to-day  her  house  is  a  modern  Mecca  for  the  sick,  many 
of  whom  travel  hundreds  of  miles  to  consult  her.  Her  patients  consist  mainly  of 
chronic  cases,  though  the  diseased  and  crippled  of  all  kinds  seek  her  aid.  Many  won- 
derful cures  are  said  to  have  been  performed  by  this  remarkable  woman,  and  her  pat- 
rons have  unlimited  confidence  in  her  powers.  Two  busses  are  kept  running  from 
Herkimer  to  her  house,  and  every  Central  train  stopping  in  Herkimer  brings  her  new 
patients.  Sometimes  i8  many  as  twenty  will  come  on  one  train  to  see  the  old  lady. 
Mrs.  Folts  is  about  si.Kty-flve  years  of  age.  Her  father  was  also  gifted  in  the  healing 
art.  She  lets  the  cures  she  does  do  all  her  advertising.  In  Herkimer,  where  she  is 
well  known  she  is  regarded  as  very  skillful  and  the  patronage  she  is  receiving  from  all 
the  world  is  truly  wonderful."  From  the  Rome  6'emiraeL'  "We  read  of  miracles  in 
the  healing  art,  but  one  has  lately  come  under  our  own  observation.  One  of  our  near- 
est neighbors,  Mr.  Hanley,  has  a  little  son  thirteen  years  old,  who  has  been  afflicted 
some  two  years  with  hip  disease.  Our  most  eminent  physicians  could  do  him  but  little 
good.  An  open  sore  on  his  limb  discharged  continually  and  the  pain  was  almost  un- 
bearable. Two  weeks  ago  he  was  taken  to  see  Mrs.  Folts,  at  Herkimer,  who  treated 
the  case  by  rubbing  with  the  hands  and  by  medicine  and  since  that  hour  he  has  suffered 
no  pain,  the  wound  has  healed,  and  there  are  fair  hopes  of  a  permanent  cure." 

Forrest,  David  J.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia  March  31,  1851.  His  father  was  Will- 
iam Forrest,  a  son  of  John  and  Martha  Forrest.  (See  sketch  of  J  W.Forrest.)  William 
Forrest  was  born  August  5,  1805,  in  Russia.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
aud  reared  on  a  farm.  He  was  a  great  reader  and  a  well  informed  man.  His  wife 
was  Abigail,  daughter  of  David  and  Effiah  Hunter.  They  had  three  sons  and  four 
daughters.  Mr.  Forrest  followed  clerking  for  some  time  in  Utica,  but  afterwards  be- 
came a  farmer.  He  was  a  Democrat  and  was  assessor  and  highway  commissioner.  He 
was  a  captain  of  a  rifle  company  in  the  State  militia.     David  J.  Forrest  was  reared  on 


4G  HTSTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  farm  he  now  owns,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schof^ls.  In  1879  he  uiar- 
rie''  LilMas  McArthur,  a  native  of  Russia,  and  daughter  of  Donald  McArUiur.  They 
have  four  children  :  Raymond  H,,  Fred  E.,  Edna  J.,  and  George  A.  Mr.  Forrest  is 
a  farmer  and  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  Russia  Grange,  No.  G30.  He  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  regular  Baptist  Church  of  Russia. 

Frederiksen,  J.  D.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Denmark.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  leading  schools  of  Denmark  and  graduated  from  the  Royal  Agricultural  Col- 
lege of  Copenhagen.  After  his  graduation  lie  was  director  in  a  beet  sugar  manu- 
factory for  some  time.  He  then  became  interested  in  Professor  Hansen's  dairy  invcn- 
tion.s,  which  he  first  introduced  in  this  country.  Tley  consist  of  Hansen's  reiuiet 
extract,  Hansen's  butter  color,  Hansen's  cheese  color,  etc.,  etc.  Mr.  Frederiksen  in- 
duced ProCe-SSor  Hansen  to  establish  a  large  manufactory  here  in  Little  Falls,  to  supply 
the  American  demand,  of  which  he  is  manager.  Mr.  Frederiksen  is  a  thorough  bu.<i- 
ness  man  and  has  achieved  remarkable  success. 

Flansburg,  Cornelius,  Ohio,  was  born  July  16,  1834,  son  of  Bartholomew  and  Angel- 
ine  Flansburg,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  In  1867  he  married 
Elizabetli  Curnmings,  born  October  4,  1848,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Margaret  Cuni- 
mingsot  Ohio.  Mr.  Cumniings  died  July  "25,  1885.  His  wife  is  still  living  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two  years.  Subject  and  wife  have  two  children,  Olive  A.  and  Jess'e  B. 
At  twelve  years  of  age  Mr.  Flansburg  began  working  on  a  farm  by  tlie  month.  In 
1858  he  went  to  California  for  seven  years,  following  lumbering  and  mining.  He  then 
returned  to  Ohio,  and  has  since  been  a  farmer.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has  been 
assessor  six  years.     He  with  his  family  attends  the  M.  E.  church. 

Freygang,  Gustav  A.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Prussia,  February  24,  1859.  Mr. 
Freygang  received  his  education  in  that  co"ntry,  where  he  also  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade,  and  afterwards  in  1879  was  foreman  of  a  large  shoe  manufactory  in  Petersburg, 
Russia,  until  1883,  when  he  came  to  America,  and  on  January  18,  1884,  engaged  with 
Alfred  Dolge.  He  is  now  foreman  over  the  shoe  business  for  Mr.  Dolge,  and  has  charge 
of  about  seventy-five  hand.s.  Mr.  Freygang  married  Miss  Roza  Franz.  They  have  no 
issue. 

Fellows,  Charles  L.,  Newport,  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Louisa  H.  (Bowen)  Fellows, 
was  born  April  8,  1867,  and  had  one  sister,  Ruth  V.  George  W.,  the  father,  was  a 
son  of  Joel  and  Angeline,  who  had  five  children.  The  subject  was  married  to  Emma 
L.,  daughter  of  Albert  A.  and  Harriet  L.  Bullard.  He  is  a  Republican  and  is  town, 
also  village,  clerk.  He  commenced  as  a  drug  clerk  for  Dexter  &  Holcomb  when  six- 
teen years  old,  and  after  three  years  entered  the  employ  of  D.  Wells,  in  the  mean- 
time studying  law  with  C.  A.  Moon.  He  entered  the  Albany  law  school  in  1889.  from 
which  he  graduated  June  18,  1890.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  General  Term  of 
the  Supreme  Court  April  28,  1892.  After  graduating  he  entered  the  office  of  C.  A. 
Moon,  of  Newport,  and  on  the  death  of  the  latter  assumed  charge  of  the  business  and 
office.  The  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Newport  Lodge  F.  and  A.  M.,  No.  465,  in  which 
he  serves  as  senior  warden. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  47 

Ford,  A.  W.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Middleville,  and  has  always  followed  farming. 
He  was  born  September  7,  1826,  and  in  1863  married  Irene  Isham.  They  have  tour 
children,  one  son,  David,  and  three  daughters,  Addie  Belle,  Mary  and  Irene.  Mr.  Ford 
owns  three  hundred  acres  of  fine  dairy  farm  in  Fairfield,  where  his  grandfather  settled 
His  father,  David  Ford,  was  born  in  this  town  in  1782  and  served  at  Sackett's  Harbor 
in  the  war  of  1812  as  captain. 

Finster,  George,  Schuyler,  was  born  October  6,  1817,  and  in  18.51  he  married  Eme- 
line  M.  Sweet.  They  have  two  sons,  R.  V.  and  Delos.  The  former  resides  at  home  on 
the  farm.  Delos  married  Emily  Husted,  and  they  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter.  The  father  of  Georse  was  Jacob,  and  his  father  was  John  Finster,  who 
participated  in  tlie  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  fought  at  the  battle  of  Oriskany. 

Fenner,  Resell,  Newport,  was  born  at  Cold  Brook  January  1,3,  1825,  a  son  of  Jere- 
miah and  Phosa  (Rich)  Fenner,  His  father  came  from  Rhode  Island  to  Newport 
when  two  years  old.  in  1794,  He  was  a  son  of  George,  whose  children  were:  Jere- 
miah, Harding,  Gorton,  Seth,  George,  Lydia,  Sallie,  and  Elsie.  Resell  Fenner  had  one 
sister,  Maria  Louisa  (deceased).  He  married  on  October  15,  1863,  Mary  Ann,  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Bristol.  He  entered  the  lumbering  business  at  Forestport  in  1850  and 
after  seven  years  engaged  in  the  livery  business  at  St.  Paul,  Minn,,  for  seven  years. 
In  1849  he  went  to  California,  remaining  but  fourteen  months  (in  mining  interests). 
He  was  also  in  the  cigar  business  at  Utica  for  seven  years.  He  died  October  2,  1892. 
His  family  are  attendants  of  the  Baptist  church,  Mr.  Fenner's  father  was  one  of  the 
original  owners  of  the  water-power  of  Newport. 

Faville,  Henry,  Dolgeville,  is  a  grandson  of  John  Faville,  who  settled  here  in  1795. 
He  was  born  December  5,  1830,  and  after  receiving  an  academic  education  followed 
the  occupation  of  farming  for  many  years.  He  married  Miss  Sarah  L.  Slauson,  and 
they  have  two  children,  a  sjn  and  a  daughter.  William  H.  Faville,  his  son,  is  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business  in  the  Favill<^  block,  Dolgeville.  The  ancestors  of  this  family 
participated  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  also  the  war  of  1812.  Members  of  the  fam- 
ily also  held  commissions  in  the  late  war.  Henry  Faville  has  long  been  identified  with 
the  progress  of  Dolgeville.  He  owns  large  real  estat<^  interests  in  and  adjacent  to 
this  village,  comprising  the  Faville  block,  seventy- five  to  eighty  acres  of  building  lots, 
etc.  He  has  held  important  public  offices  most  acceptably  to  residents  and  property 
owners.  , 

Fay,  Rimmen  C,  German  Flats,  superintendent  of  the  Remington  Armory,  born  in 
Ludlow,  Mass.,  Aug.  6,  1848.  After  having  received  a  liberal  preliminary  education  he 
was  employed  for  several  years  by  the  Colt's  Patent  Fire-Arms  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany of  Hartf  rd.  Conn.,  as  machinist,  contractor  and  ilraughtsman.  During  this 
time  he  made  complete  sets  of  working  drawings  of  the  celebrated  Gatling  Machine 
Gun  under  the  direction  of  the  inventor,  Dr,  Richard  J,  Gatling,  He  left  Colt's 
Armory  to  enter  the  emp'oy  of  the  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company  at  Pawtucket, 
R,  I.,  as  contractor  upon  the  well-known  Rabbeth  spindle,  and  remained  there  about 
seven  years,   when  Mr.   Rabbeth  sold  his   interest   in  the  spindle   to  the    Hopedale 


48  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Machine  Company  of  Hopedale,  Mass.  Mr.  Fay  was  then  engaged  by  the  Hopedale 
Machine  Company  to  design  the  tools  and  fixtures  required  to  manufacture  the  spindles 
there.  After  this  was  accomplished  he  was  engaged  for  about  two  years  manufactur- 
ing the  spindles  by  contract,  after  which  he  was  engaged  as  supeiintendent  of  the 
Hopedale  Machine  Company's  entire  works.  After  having  served  in  this  capacity  for 
about  four  years  he  resigned  the  position  on  account  of  ill  health.  He  next  entered 
the  emoloy  of  the  Pratt  &  Whitney  Company  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  as  designer  and 
draughtsman  of  special  machinery  and  also  as  traveling  salesman.  He  remained  with 
this  company  until  he  was  engaged  July  1,  1888,  by  the  Remington  Arms  Company  as 
superintendent.  Mr.  Fay  has  taken  out  about  twenty  patents.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers,  the  leading  mechanical  engineering  society 
in  the  United  States.  In  1870  Mr.  F»y  married  Miss  A.  Izette  Doane,  of  Brookfield, 
Mass.,  and  they  have  a  family  of  seven  children.  ^  Mr.  Fay's  father  was  Lucius  N.  Faj', 
of  Brookfield,  Mass.,  and  Mrs.  Fay's  father  was  Cheney  Doane,  of  'he  same  place,  who 
was  a  cousin  of  Bi.shop  William  Croswell  Doane,  of  Albany.  Her  grandfather  was  a 
drum -major  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  her  uncle,  Nathan  Doane,  was  a  drum- 
major  in  the  war  of  1812,  both  father  and  son  using  the  same  drum,  the  live  oak  shell 
of  which  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post  of  Worcester,  Mass.  Her 
grandfather  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  John  Adams. 

Farrell,  Thomas  P.,  Frankfort,  was  born  December  14,  1843.  He  went  into  the 
grocery  business  in  Frankfort,  and  lias  continued  it  to  the  present  time,  a  period  of 
t\yenty  years,  he  being  one  of  the  stirring  merchants  of  the  town.  April  27,  1876,  he 
married  Mary  Josephine  Carry,  of  Utica,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Mary  Julia 
F»rrell.  In  1886  he  purchased  the  fine  George  Gates  mansion  for  a  residence.  Mr. 
Farrell  is  a  member  of  the  Boartl  of  Education,  of  the  Board  of  Water  Works,  and  is 
one  of  the  largest  taxpayers  in  the  town. 

Ford,  James  W.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  and  was  born  June  3,  1836.  He 
has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life,  and  owns  two  fine  dairy  farms  of  128  and  164  acres, 
upon  which  he  has  a  herd  of  seventy  milch  cows.  Mr.  Ford's  grandfather  came  here 
from  Green  River,  Conn.,  about  107  years  ago.  Mr.  Ford  married  Miss  Sarah  A.  Ives 
in  1861,  and  they  have  a  family  of  one  son  and  three  daughters,  William,  Mrs.  Truman 
Cole,  Fannie  S.  and  Mabel  II.  Mr.  Ford  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  recognized 
as  a  leading  man  in  every  way  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

Fisher,  John  C,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Germany  iebruaiy  23,  1840,  and  was  reared  on 
a  farm.  In  1869  he  came  to  America  and  first  settled  in  Indiana.  After  residing  there 
ten  years  he  came  to  Herkimer  county,  where  he  has  since  1  ved.  He  married  in  Ger- 
many Ona  Farber,  a  sister  of  Christopher  Farber,  of  Ohio  town.^hip.  To  Mr.  Fisher 
and  wife  were  born  seven  children  :  John,  Henry,  Lewis,  Willie,  Sophia,  Mary  and 
LiUie.  Mr.  Fisher  has  229  acres  of  land  in  Ohio  township  and  keeps  a  dairy.  He  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics. 

Ginbey,  James  S.,  Wiiifield,  was  born  in  Winfield  August  27,  1850,  a  son  of  James 
Ginbey,  who  settled  in  this  town  in  March,  1848,  from  London,  England.  His  wife 
was  Mary  Ann  Thomas,  of  Welsh  birth.     They  are  both  living  in  Winfield.     James  S. 


FAMILY   SKETCHES.  49 

Ginbey  married  Almina  Seckner,  of  Columbia.  February  12,  IgTO.  James  S.  Ginbey 
has  a  farm  of  112  acres,  on  which  he  settled  in  1876.  He  bought  the  farm  from  Sanders 
Dodge  in  1882,  and  still  owns  it,  having  added  many  buildings  and  made  it  very  com- 
plete. He  has  cleared  a  part  of  the  farm  from  the  woods  and  improved  the  re- 
mainder. 

Goodier,  Alonzo  J.,  Litohfjeld,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  November 
12,  1843.  He  owns  a  grain  and  dairy  farm  of  100  acres.  He  married  Carrie  Tomp- 
kins, of  Bridgewater,  Oneida  county.  They  have  two  sons,  Floyd  T.  and  Warren  A. 
Alonzo  Goodier  is  a  son  of  Aaron  Goodier,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Aaron  Goodier,  a  native 
of  England,  who  came  to  this  country  with  his  brother  Henry  about  1794  and  settled  at 
Goodier's  Corners.  He  built  the  stone  house  now  owned  by  Marsden  Goodier.  J. 
Alonzo  Goodier  has  held  the  office  of  school  commissioner  for  two  terms  of  six  years. 

Graves,  George,  M.  D.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion at  the  Fairfield  Academy  and  Clinton  Institute,  graduating  from  the  former  in 
1867  and  from  the  Medical  department  of  the  University  of  Buffalo,  class  of  '70.  He 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Ilion.  After  remaining  there  for  two 
years  he  removed  to  Herkimer,  where  he  has  since  located,  enjoying  a  leading  patron- 
age from  his  townsmen.  Dr.  Graves  has  been  treasurer  of  the  Herkimer  County 
Medical  Society.  He  was  at  one  time  an  assistant  surgeon  in  the  National  Guard, 
State  of  New  York,  and  United  States  examining  surgeon  for  many  years,  and  is 
now  surgeon  of  the  Adirondack  &  St.  Lawrence  Railway  Co.  Dr.  Graves  is  identified 
with  several  fraternal  and  benevolent  institutions,  such  as  the  Masons,  A.  0.  U.  W 
Fire  department,  etc.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Sheriff  Wetherwax,  by  whom  he  haa 
two  sons  and  a  daughter. 

Garlock,  William  H.,  Russia,  was  born  November  23,  1821,  and  is  a  son  of  Philip, 
who  was  a  son  of  George  P.  Garlock,  a  native  of  Canajoharie,  where  he  lived  as  a 
farmer,  his  death  occurring  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  He  had  nine  sons  and  four 
daughters.  Philip  Garlock  was  born  in  Canajoharie,  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
received  a  common  school  education.  He  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Adam  Gar- 
lock, and  they  had  six  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mr.  Garlock  served  in  the  war  of  1812. 
He  died  in  December,  1865,  aged  seventy-two  years  and  his  wife  died  in  April,  1844, 
aged^fty-six  years.  Subject  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  received  a  common  school 
education,  and  married  Elizabeth  Woodin,  a  native  of  Russia.  Her  parents  were  Isaac 
and  Sylvia  Woodin,  whom  we  have  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  In  1834 
William  H.  came  with  his  parents  and  settled  in  Russia,  where  he  has  since  resided 
and  followed  farming.  He  has  been  a  Republican  since  1855,  and  has  been  justice  of 
the  peace  thirteen  years.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church. 
They  have  two  sons,  George  and  Corey,  both  residents  of  Grant,  George  being  post- 
master at  that  place  and  Corey  being  assistant.  Corey  has  been  deputy  sheriff  four 
years,  and  George  justice  of  the  peace  eight  years.  For  the  past  two  years  George 
has  been  agent  for  the  Deering  Company  in  Chicago.  The  Garlock  family  is  of  German 
descent,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1708,  settling  in  Schoharie  county.  Adam  Gar- 
lock on  the  maternal  side  was  in   the   battle  of  Oriskary  utdtr  General   Nicholas 


30  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Herkimer,  and  subject's  great-grandfather  on  his  father's  side  was  Peter  Garlock,  who 
was  over  100  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Adam  Garlock  saved  one  of  his 
neighbors  from  the  scalping  knife  in  the  early  days. 

Goes,  Martm,  Warren,  was  born  in  Root,  Mongomery  County,  February  20,  1833, 
and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Lydia  (Hale)  Goes.  His  grandfather,  Derrick,  came  from 
Holland  and  settled  at  Kinderhook.  The  subject's  father  was  born  at  Kinderhook, 
February  22,  1798,  and  after  his  marriage  came  to  Root  and  in  1833  to  Springfield,  where 
he  bought  forty  acres  on  which  he  lived  until  his  death,  January  22,  1858.  His  wife 
died  in  Schoharie,  aged  seventy-six.  They  had  five  children  :  Elizabeth,  Rebecca. 
Augusta,  Martin  and  Lydia.  Martin  Goes  taught  school  seven  years,  and  in  1858 
bought  100  acres  in  Richfield.  In  1864  he  located  where  he  now  lives  on  230,  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  330  acre.«  of  land,  devoted  to  hops?  and  dairying.  He  is  one  of  the 
founders  and  a  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Richfield  Spring.o,  and  was  one 
of  the  original  movers  and  a  trustee  of  Richfield  Springs  Seminary.  He  is  a  Mason. 
He  has  been  twice  married:  First,  February  4,  1858,  to  Martha,  daughter  of  Alonzo 
and  Catherine  (Springer)  Bigelow,  and  had  one  son.  Springer.     Mrs.  Goes  died  June 

30,  1870,  and  he  married  Cornelia,  daughter  of  James  and  Adeline  (Bowker)  Ferguson, 
who  has  borne  him  one  child,  Howard.     They  are  both  Presbyterians. 

Grosvenor  Family,  Herkimer,  of  which  the  representatives  now  are  Mr.  Charles 
Gray  Grosvenor  and  Mr.  Thomas  Walter  Grosvenor,  is  one  of  the  oldest  families  in 
the  United  States  and  one  of  the  most  prominent  from  an  historical  standpoint  in 
Herkimer  county.  They  trace  their  descent  from  ancestors  who  came  over  to  Eng- 
land with  William  the  Conqueror  and  their  more  recent  ancestors  came  to  America  in 
1653.  In  this  country  their  ancestors  on  both  sides  were  prominent  in  the  Revolution. 
Their  grandfather's  name  was  Gray.  (See  Simm's  History  for  full  account  of  an- 
cestors). Col.  Thomas  Grosvenor,  of  Sheridan's  army,  was  their  uncle.  Charles  Gray 
Grosvenor  is  a  civil  engineer  by  profession.  In  1884  Thomas  W.  Grosvenor  established 
a  clothing  and  gent's  furnishing  business  in  Herkimer,  and  was  joined  in  1885  by  his 
brother,  Charles  G.  The  latter  gentleman  was  president  of  the  village  in  1888,  and 
the  water  works  were  constructed  during  his  term  of  office.  Both  are  Democrats  in 
politics  and  members  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution.  Both  are  members  of  the  Man- 
hattan Athletic  Club  of  New  York. 

Ger.stenlauer,  Gottlieb,  Norway,  Herkimer  county,  was  born  in  Germany,  October 

31,  1839.  His  parents  were  Michael  and  Dorothea  Gerstenlauer.  who  had  three  sons 
and  three  daughters.  Mr.  GiTStenlauer  died  in  Germany,  May  9,  1S62,  and  his  wife 
December  21,  1860.  Gottlieb  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Germany.  In  1867  he  came 
to  America  and  worked  twelve  years  for  Hinckley  &  Ballou  of  Hinckley.  In  1867  he 
married  Sarah  Brand  of  Morehouseville,  Hamilton  County,  born  April  5.  1851,  a 
daughter  of  Frederick  and  Mary  Brand,  and  they  have  three  children,  Dorothea,  Clara 
and  Grace.  In  1880  Mr.  Gerstenlauer  settled  on  a  farm  in  Norway,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  is  independent  in  politics.  He  and  liis  family  are  members  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Church. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  51 

Getman,  Sanford,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Columbia,  Herkimer  county,  born  May  13, 
1826.  He  owns  a  grass  farm  of  106  acres.  His  grandfather  came  from  Fulton  county, 
near  Fort  Plain.  His  father  was  John  G.  Getman.  In  1852  he  married  Lucy  J.  Bur- 
rell.  and  they  have  had  five  children,  four  of  whom  survive  :  Lewis  G.,  William  D. 
Horatio  Seymour  and  Jesse  S.  Their  oldest  son,  Jay  B.,  is  dead.  Mr.  Getman  has 
been  a  member  of  both  the  Masonic  and  I.  0.  O.  F.  orders,  and  in  politics  is  a  Prohibi- 
tionist.    Also  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church  and  class  leader  for  twenty  years. 

Gray,  Alfred,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Avoca,  Steuben  county,  August  31,  1854. 
His  father  was  Henry  Gray,  a  banker  and  merchant.  Alfred  Gray  came  to  llion  in 
1880  and  began  business  in  the  Merry  block.  He  sold  out  two  years  ago  and  in  Sep- 
tember, 1892,  opened  his  present  grocery  business.  In  1876  he  married  Miss  Alice 
Finch,  of  Syracuse,  and  they  have  one  child.  Mr.  Gray's  family  has  been  in  this  part 
of  the  country  for  five  generations.  His  mother  was  aMarkell,  a  prominent  family  of  S^ 
Johnsville. 

Graham,  J.,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Deerfield,  Oneida  county,  and  was  born  May  7, 
1826.  His  father  was  James  Graham,  jr.,  a  native  of  Westchester  county.  He  was 
born  May  7,  1789.  His  father  was  James  Graham,  also  a  native  of  Westchester  county, 
and  his  grandfather  was  John  Graham,  of  that  county,  who  participated  in  the  War  of 
the  Revolution  and  was  connected  with  marine  afi'airs.  In  1849  Mr.  Graham  married 
Mary  Gordon.  He  has  been  assessor  of  Schuyler  for  fifteen  years,  and  is  a  staunch 
Republican. 

Glidden,  Dr.  Charles  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Orleans  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1856, 
received  his  education  at  the  Brockport  State  Normal  school,  graduating -from  that  in- 
stitution in  1875.  He  was  principal  of  the  Union  school  at  Caledonia,  N.  Y.,  one  year 
and  of  the  academy  at  Avon  Springs,  N.  Y.,  two  years.  He  became  a  student  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  E.  M.  Moore,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  in  1878,  graduated  from  the  Medical 
department  of  Columbia  College  in  New  York  city  in  1881,  and  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  here  in  the  same  year.  He  is  present  city  physician  and  has  served 
several  times  as  city  health  officer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, a  fellow  of  the  New  York  State  Medical  Association  and  a  member  of  the  Herki- 
mer County  Medical  Society.  He  married  Miss  Margaret  C.  Milne,  of  Orleans  county, 
N.  Y.,  in  November,  1881.     Dr.  Glidden  conducts  an  extensive  practice  here. 

Getman,  Clark,  M.  D.,  Salisbury  Corners,  was  born  in  Columbia,  Herkimer  county, 
October  14,  1854.  His  ancestors  were  of  Revolutionary  stock.  He  received  an  aca- 
demic education  in  the  institutions  of  Winfield  and  Cazenovia,  and  graduated  from  the 
Medical  department  of  the  University  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  1883.  He  immediately 
thereafter  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Dolgeville,  where  he  remained 
for  eight  years,  enjoying  a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  during  which  time  he  erected  a 
fine  block  on  Main  street,  and  other  buildings,  which  he  still  owns.  Dr.  Getman  then 
removed  to  Salisbury  Center,  where  he  is  now  practicing.  He  married  Miss  Cole,  of 
Richfield,  and  they  have  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter.  Dr.  Getman  is  identified 
with  the  Masons,  Odd  Fellows,  etc 


52  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Gettley,  John,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Germany  and  came  to  America  in  1854. 
He  was  a  painter  by  trade,  but  went  into  the  plumbing  business  two  years  ago,  in  the 
firm  of  Metsger  &  Gettley.  Mr.  Gettley  is  a  master  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum  and  is  a  Republican.  In  1861  he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Metsger  and  they 
have  one  daughter,  Racbael  B. 

Getman,  Mahlon,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Columbia,  June  6,  1835,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  1867,  when  he  embarked  in  the  cheese  business  and  is  to-day 
one  of  the  largest  dealers  and  manufacturers  in  the  county.  He  owns  four  factories 
and  manages  two  others.  The  annual  export  of  his  own  four  factories  averages  about 
400,000  pounds.  Mr.  Getman  married  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  Eraslus  Holmes,  in  1858, 
and  they  have  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Truman  Snell,  of  Manheim.  Mr.  Getman  has  been 
president  of  the  village  of  Mohawk,  and  also  held  official  positions  in  Columbia. 

Garner,  George  C,  Danube,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Danube,  December  25,  1851. 
His  grandfather,  John  Garner,  settled  in  Jefferson  county,  N.  Y.  His  father,  Peter 
Garner,  had  a  family  of  four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  George  C.  Garner 
married  Helen  M.  Waltmouth  ;  they  have  no  children.  Mr.  Garner  owns  300  acres  of 
land  devoted  to  dairy  purposes  and  about  forty  head  of  stock.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Grange  and  has  served  as  excise  commissioner  of  Danube. 

Greene,  Alonzo  Herkimer,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Danube  and  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  Little  Falls  Academy.  In  1862  he  was  appointed  deputy 
county  clerk,  which  position  he  held  three  years.  In  1866  he  engaged  in  the  general 
insurance  business,  and  the  same  year  was  elected  to  the  office  of  police  justice,  the  du- 
ties of  which  office  he  faithfully  performed  until  1874.  In  1882  Mr.  Greene  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  under  President  Arthur,  and  held  this  position  four  years.  He  has 
held  various  other  positions  of  responsibility.  As  a  member  of  the  board  of  education, 
his  perseverance  and  determination  to  place  the  schools  upon  the  high  plane  they  now 
occupy,  had  much  to  do  with  the  erection  of  the  magnificent  school  buildings  that  Lit- 
tle P'alls  people  are  proud  of.  After  a  service  of  fifteen  years,  he  retired  from  the  board 
in  1892.  His  experience  as  a  civil  engineer  has  had  very  much  to  do  with  the  progress 
of  Little  Falls.  He  married  Mary  P.,  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Kelson  J.  Beach.  Mr. 
Greene  is  of  Holland  descent  on  his  father's  side,  whose  ancestors  originally  settled  in 
Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.  His  mother  was  a  grand-niece  of  General  Nicholas  Herkimer 
of  Revolutionary  fame. 

Holland,  George  E.,  Litchfield,  is  a  merchant,  farmer  and  lime  manufacturer,  and 
has  also  held  the  office  of  postmaster  since  1875.  He  was  overseer  of  the  poor,  and 
was  drafted  during  the  late  war,  but  paid  $300  for  a  substitute.  He  was  born  in  Ban- 
gor, Me.,  October  18,  1835,  and  came  to  Frankfort  with  his  father,  Dr.  Richard  Holland, 
who  built  the  Graefenberg  water  cure,  which  was  named  after  the  first  water  cure  in 
Germany,  and  successfully  conducted  by  him  from  1847  until  about  1864.  He  married 
February  1,  1860,  Anna  E.,  daughter  of  Elisha  Wetmore,  jr.,  whose  father  came  from 
Connecticut  and  settled  early  in  Paris,  Oneida  county,  having  bought  five  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  the  woods.     He  came  from  Connecticut  with  a  sleigh  and  yoke  of  cat- 


t*AMILY  SKETCHES.  53 

tie.  George  E.  aoJ  Anna  E.  Holland  have  three  cliildren :  F.  Adele,  Jennie  I.,  and 
Daniel.  Dr.  Richard  Holland  wa'  born  Dec.  28,  1806,  and  is  well  and  smart.  He  now 
lives  at  Watertown. 

Haokley,  Arthur  C,  Winfield,  carries  on  the  manufacture  of  cheese  boxes,  and  ma- 
terial for  the  same,  also  has  a  lumber  yard  and  saw-mill.  He  was  born  in  Plain- 
field,  Otsego  county,  February  6,  1850,  and  settled  in  West  Winfield  in  1872.  He 
commenced  business  here  at  that  time,  and  was  married  in  1891.  He  is  a  son  of 
Dr.  A.  Hubbard  Haokley,  a  resident  of  Plainfield,  whose  first  wife  was  Emeline, 
daughter  of  Levi  Carpenter,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Bridgewater,  and  a  native 
of  Connecticut.  Dr.  Hackley,  has  two  children :  Arthur  C,  and  Alice  M.  The 
latter  is  studying  medicine  in  the  Woman's  Medical  College  at  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Arthur  C.  married,  in  1891,  Jessie  M.  Casler,  a  daughter  by  adoption  of  A.  B.  Hag- 
gerty,  of  West  Winfield.  Mr.  Haokley  is  the  present  master  of  Winfield  Lodge,  No. 
581,  F.  and  A.  M.,  of  West  Winfield,  which  position  he  has  held  for  seven  years,  but  not 
continuously.  He  has  been  president  of  the  board  of  education  for  three  years  and  a. 
member  for  seven  years. 

Hiteman  brothers,  Henry  and  John  Hiteman,  Winfield,  are  natives  of  Germany. 
Henry  came  to  this  country  m  1863,  and  John  came  in  1870.  They  landed  in  New 
York  in  debt  for  their  passage.  Henry  was  fifteen  years  of  age  and  John  about  sixteen 
years.  Both  worked  at  farming  for  a  few  years.  Hen rj' began  the  tannery  business 
in  1869,  and  John  in  1874,  and  then  commenced  the  tanning  business  for  themselves 
in  1884,  and  are  still  in  business  in  West  Winfield.  They  are  sons  of  Conrad  and 
Elizabeth  Hiteman.  Henry  Hiteman  married  Louisa  Mehner,  of  Ohio,  and  they  have 
two  children  :  William  B.,  and  Gertrude  M.  John  Hiteman  married  Mary  Huber  who 
died  in  1884,  aged  27  years.  He  afterward  married  Mary  Gula,  by  whom  he  has  had 
two  children  :  George  J.,  and  Edna  P.     Both  families  are  residents  of  West  Winfield. 

Harris,  William,  Litchfield,  son  of  Martin,  is  a  farmer  and  manages  the  Wilkinson 
estate,  which  farm  has  been  occupied  by  that  family  since  1870.  It  was  first  settled 
by  Selah  Holcomb  in  1791,  and  Ira  Wilkinson  settled  on  the  next  farm  north  of  this. 
William  Harris  was  born  April  10,  1847,  and  married  Catherine  Doyle,  born  April  14, 
1849.  They  have  eight  children  :  Martin  J.,  William  B.,  Francis  A.,  Edward  B.,  Mary 
T.,  Maurice  D.,  Mathew  B.  and  Harry  W. 

Harrison,  Thomas  E.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  February  25,  1836,  a  son  of 
Stephen  Harrison,  who  came  from  England  and  settled  first  in  New  HartforJ,  and 
then  in  Litchfield  about  1833.  He  married  Mary  Watson,  and  they  had  eight  children, 
five  hving  :  John  W.,  Thomas  E.,  William  H.,  Rosa  R.  and  Elizabeth  The  thres  de- 
ceased are  Margaret,  Mary  Jane  and  Eliza  A.  Thomas  E.  Harrison  married.  May  24, 
1885,  Olive  E.  Alexander  of  Litchfield,  and  they  have  three  children:  Mary  Eliza, 
Herbert  Alexander  and  Leonard  E.  Mary  Eliza  was  educated  first  at  the  West  Win- 
field Academy,  then  at  the  State  Normal  School  at  Albany,  where  she  graduated  in 
the  class  of  1888.  She  is  now  a  teacher  in  Selden,  Long  Island.  Herbert  Alexander 
was  educated  at  the  West  Winfield  Academy,  and  graduated  there;  then  taught  school 


54  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

two  years.  lie  read  medicine  with  the  late  Dr.  E.  S.  B.  Spencer  of  West  Winfield, 
and  entered  the  New  York  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  of  New  York  City  in  Octo- 
ber, 1891,  and  is  still  attending  that  college,  from  which  he  will  graduate  in  1894. 
Leonard  E.  Harrison  is  now  attending  the  West  Winfield  Union  School  and  Academy. 
Mrs.  Olive  E.  Harrison  is  a  daughter  of  Jo.seph  and  Eliza  Alexander  of  Litchfield 
they  had  two  children:  Esther  Jane,  and  Olive  E.  Alexander.  Thomas  E.  Harrison 
ha")  been  justice  of  the  peace  for  four  years,  and  was  re-elected  last  spring. 

Holcomb,  Edward  B.,  Litchfield,  farmer  and  dealer  in  agricultural  implements,  was 

supervisor  for  1891  and  1892.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Holcomb,  who  was  given  this 
farm  by  his  grandfather.  It  is  a  part  of  the  old  original  farm  first  settled  by  Selah  Hol- 
comb, in  1791.  William  Holcomb  was  a  son  of  Alburn,  who  was  a  son  of  Selah,  who 
had  two  children  :  Alburn  and  Sally  Crosby.  Alburn  had  four  children  :  Mrs.  Pamelia 
Wright,  William,  Albert  and  Irving.  William  had  two  children  :  William  L.  and  Ed- 
ward B.,  who  married  Mary  E.  Crist,  and  they  have  two  children  :  Ernest  Selah,  and 
Edith  May.     Mrs.  Mary  B.  Holcomb  was  a  daughter  of  H.  H.  Crist,  of  Winfield. 

Histed,  W.  Duane,  Litchfield,  is  a  farmer,  cheese  manufacturer  and  merchant.  The 
first  cheese  factory  was  built  here  by  William  Rider  about  1867,  and  ownt d  by  him 
until  1885,  when  he  sold  it  to  Duane  Histed.  He  was  born  in  West  Exeter,  April  22, 
1853,  and  settled  at  this  place  in  1881.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Histed  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Histed  married  Cora  A.  Cole,  and  has  three  children  :  Nellie  Estelle, 
James  Edwin  and  Robert  Earl.  Mrs.  Hi.sied  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  Cole  of  West 
Winfield,  a  native  of  this  county. 

Hines,  Riley  B.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Newport,  August  4,  1867.  He  is  a  son  of 
Benjamin  and  Harriet  (Holliday)  Hines.  (See  sketch  of  Charles  F.  Hines).  The  sub- 
ject was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  now  follows  the 
occupation  of  farming.  March  27,  1889,  he  married  Anna  M.  Haver  of  Newport,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  born  in  1868,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Johanna  A.  Haver.  The  subject 
and  wife  have  one  child.  Bertha  M.  Mr.  Hines  owns  three  hundred  acres  of  land  and 
keeps  a  large  dairy  2i  miles  east  of  Cold  Brook,  on  the  State  road  to  Norway,  in  the 
town  of  Russia.     He  is  a  Republican  and  he  and  wife  attend  the  M.  E.  Church. 

Hughes,  E.  H.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Western,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  September  20, 
1839.  His  father  was  John  Hughes,  a  native  of  Wales,  who  when  a  young  man  came 
to  Oneida  county.  By  his  first  wife  Mr.  Hughes  had  one  daughter  and  two  sons.  His 
second  wife  was  Jane  Roberts,  a  native  of  Wales,  by  whom  he  had  one  son  and  three 
daughters.  Mr.  Hughes  was  a  physician  and  had  an  extensive  practice.  Subject  of 
sketch  was  reared  on  a  a  farm  and  after  the  death  of  his  father  which  occurred  when 
subject  was  six  years  old,  he  went  to  live  with  his  uncle,  William  G.  Roberts,  and  there 
resided  until  twenty  years  of  age.  He  then  farmed  in  Oneida  until  1869,  when  he 
came  to  Russia,  where  he  has  since  resided  on  the  Hinckley  farm.  February,  1863, 
lie  married  Jane  Hughes,  a  native  of  Remsen,  Oneida  county,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Laura  Hughes.  To  E.  H.  Hughes  and  wife  have  been  born  two  children :  Laura 
J.  and  Gardner,  deceased.     Air.  Hughes  is  a  Republican. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  55 

Hart,  James,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Johnstown,  Fulton  county,  November  7  1824. 
He  completed  his  education  at  Fairfield  Academy  and  taught  school  in  the  towns  of 
Salisbury  and  Little  Fails.  In  1851  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of 
Loomis  &  Griswold,  and  in  1854  he  was  admitted.  He  was  deputy  collector  of  inter- 
nal revenue  under  J.  R.  Stebbins,  tlnited  States  collector.  He  held  several  minor 
offices.  He  was  a  trusted  and  worthy  citizen,  and  he  died  suddenly  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1888,  at  his  residence,  leaving  his  son,  James  B.  Hart  and  Edward  S.  Hart  and 
Nellie  Hart  him  surviving. 

Hopkinson,  William,  Warren,  was  born  February  22,  1817,  in  Kerby.  Leistershire, 
England.  He  came  with  hi  parents  to  the  United  State,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  be- 
gan working  for  Judge  Cleland,  in  whose  employ  he  continued  for  six  years,  his  father 
receiving  his  wages.  At  twenty-one  he  bought  107  acres  in  Warr»n,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1860,  when,  his  family  becoming  large,  he  sold  out  and  moved  on  to  a 
farm  of  230  acres  in  Columbia,  incurring  a  debt  of  $10,000,  which  he  paid  up  in  five 
year^.  He  married  October  14,  1840,  Catherine,  daughter  of  George  and  Catherine 
(Hoyer)  Tule.  They  have  had  eight  children :  Catharine,  George,  James,  William, 
Mary,  Rosa,  Clinton  and  Charles.  His  wife  died  in  1887,  when  he  married  Mary, 
widow  of  Clark  Sweet.  Mr.  Hopkinon  has  given  to  each  of  his  living  children  $3,500 
and  has  plenty  left  to  live  upon.  He  is  a  connection  of  Samuel  Hopkinson,  a  signer  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Hemstreet,  John,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia  March  13,  1828.  His  father  was  Rich- 
ard I.,  son  of  John  D.  Hemstreet,  a  native  of  Montgomery  county,  who  served  in  the 
war  of  1812.  John  D.  Hemstreet  came  early  to  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  farming, 
and  for  many  years  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  He  had  four  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Both,  he  and  his  wife  were  Methodists.  Richard  I.  Hemstreet  was  born 
in  Montgomery  county  in  1805.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  that 
county,  then  came  to  Ohio,  where  he  taught  school  for  several  years.  He  married 
Sarah,  daughter  of  James  Caldwell,  a  native  of  Saratoga  and  an  early  settler  of  Ohio. 
To  Mr.  Hemstreet  and  wife  were  born  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  four  of  whom 
are  living.  In  1840  he  graduated  from  the  medical  course  of  Fairfield  Seminary,  and 
for  a  short  time  practiced  medicine  in  Ohio,  then  went  to  Cold  Brook,  where  he  re- 
sided five  years.  He  next  went  to  Poland  and  practiced  his  profession  until  his  death 
in  1865.  He  was  an  active  Republican,  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  County 
Medical  Society,  and  also  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.  of  Poland.  Mrs.  Richard  I. 
Hemstreet  died  in  1876.  Subject  of  sketch  (John  Hemstreet)  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  reared  on  the  old  homestead,  near  where  he  now  resides.  He  as- 
sisted in  his  father's  business  until  the  death  of  the  latter.  He  made  a  two  years'  trip 
to  California  during  the  gold  excitement.  Mr.  Hemstreet  is  a  real  estate  owner  in 
Herkimer  county,  and  during  the  last  fifteen  years  has  dealt  largely  in  stocks.  He  is  a 
Democrat,  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge  No.  455,  F.  &  A.  M.,  a  stockholder  and  di- 
rector of  the  National  Bank  of  Poland  and  one  of  its  original  members.  He  is  liberal 
in  his  religious  views. 


56  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

Horn,  Adolph  G.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Leipsic,  Germany,  March  27,  1S62,  He 
received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  there,  and  came  to  tliis  country  early  in  the 
year  1880.  He  was  engaged  in  following  the  printing  business,  which  he  learned  prior 
to  coming  to  America.  He  worked  at  his  trade  in  this  year,  and  eventually  entered 
the  employ  of  Alfred  Dolge  in  1880.  Mr.  Horn  is  now  foreman  of  the  shoe-cutting 
department,  and  is  a  skilled  and  valuable  man  in  this  department.  He  is  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Turn  Verein  of  Dolgeville,  a  member  of  the  school  society,  an  Odd 
Fellow  and  a  member  of  the  Mutual  Aid  Society.  He  married  Miss  Lizzie  Heber. 
They  have  three  children,  a  boy  and  two  girls.  Mr.  Horn  possesses  some  valuable  real 
estate  in  Dolgeville. 

Hopson,  Edwin  R.,  Dolgeville.  Alvarius  Hopson  came  from  Wallingford,  Conn.,  to 
Salisbury  in  the  spring  of  1793.  He  purchased  land,  built  a  saw-mill  and  followed  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  his  farm  southeast  of  Salisbury 
Center  in  the  year  1825.  He  was  the  father  of  six  sons  and  five  daughters,  all  nottd 
for  their  large  symmetrical  stature,  physical  strength,  activity  and  determination.  E. 
R.  Hopson,  a  great-grandson  of  Alvarius  Hopson,  wss  bom  in  Salisbury  August  31, 
182o.  His  grandfather's  name  was  David,  and  he  was  one  of  the  six  sons  of  Alvarius, 
who  came  with  their  father  from  Connecticut.  His  father,  James  Hopson  second,  was 
born  in  Salisbury  January  G,  1800.  He  was  an  influential  farmer  and  filled  many  im- 
portant public  positions,  and  died  in  1860.  E.  R.  Hopson  was  married  October  24.  1844, 
to  Deborah  Thompson,  of  Saratoga  county,  who  died  January  11,  1856,  leaving  two 
.sons,  viz.  :  Elton  J.,  *^orn  June  30,  1851,  and  George  D.,  born  December  30,  1855.  On 
February  18,  1857,  Mr.  Hopson  was  married  to  Jane  Lamberson,  of  Salisbury,  by  whom 
he  has  one  daughter,  Lizzie,  who  married  Jesse  F.  Weatherwax,  of  Little  Falls.  E.  R. 
Hopson  is  an  extensive  owner  of  dairy  land,  and  is  largely  interested  in  the  Cold  Creek 
cheese  factory,  located  near  Dolgeville.  His  two  sons  are  located  on  his  faim.%  and  he 
has  personally  managed  the  factory  for  the  last  thirty  years.  He  has  filled  the  position 
of  trustee  of  Dolgeville  since  the  organization  of  the  town,  where  he  now  resides,  and 
is  treasurer  and  manager  of  the  Dolgeville  Coal  Company. 

Howell,  W.  B.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer.  He  received  a  good  education  in 
the  schools  of  the  village,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  with  his  father  in  the  furniture 
and  undertaking  business,  finally  succeeding  him  in  1866.  and  has  since  carried  on  an 
extensive  concern  with  marked  success.  He  has  served  the  village  as  trustee,  presi- 
dent, supervisor,  etc.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Electric  Light  and  Water  Commissions. 
Mr.  Howell  is  also  identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having  been  master  and  past 
district  deputy.  He  is  also  identified  with  local,  social  and  benevolent  institutions.  He 
married  Miss  Mary  S.  Green,  a  daughter  of  Zenas  Green  and  a  descendant  of  General 
Herkimer.     They  have  no  family. 

Harter,  Smith  C,  of  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  that  town,  and  with  the  exception  of 
six  years  has  lived  there  all  his  life.  Those  years  were  from  eleven  to  seventeen  years 
of  age.  He  then  took  up  contracting  for  the  Remington  Arms  Company  from  1863  to 
1874.  In  1877  he  entered  into  partnership  with  C.  W.  Palmer  in  their  present  enter- 
prise, which  has  continued  ever  since,  and  their  premises  are  double  the  capacity  with 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  57 

which  they  started.  Mr.  Barter  is  a  superior  and  enterprising  business  man  and  is  well 
known  throughout  the  county.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge  and  of 
the  Veiled  Prophets.  In  politics  he  is  Democratic  and  active,  but  will  not  take  office 
owing  to  the  demand  of  his  business  upon  his  time.  His  people  have  been  in  America 
for  generations.     He  married  Miss  Cornelia  Palmer,  also  of  an  eld  American  family. 

Hall,  H.  Clay,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  after  many  years  of  sea 
service  entered  the  law  office  of  Cummings,  Alexander  &  Green,  of  New  York  city, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1859.  In  1860  Mr.  Hall  accepted  an  important  office 
in  the  United  States  navy,  which  he  filled  until  October,  1861,  when  he  resigned  to  en- 
list in  the  1st  New  York  Mounted  Rifles,  as  private,  from  which  he  was  mustered  out 
in  1865  as  first  sergeant.  Mr.  Hall  has  a  record  in  the  war  department  for  distinguished 
success.  He  also  served  in  the  United  States  army  during  the  Mexican  war  and  has 
during  his  earlier  years  had  considerable  experience  on  the  sea,  having  filled  every 
position,  from  cabin  boy  to  captain.  He  has  penetrated  through  Behring  Straits  as  far 
north  as  73  deg.  35  m.  Mr.  Hall  was  elected  in  1885  commander  of  the  G.  A.  R.  for  New 
York  State.  He  has  practiced  law  in  this  county  ever  since  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
no  lawyer  at  the  bar  stands  higher  than  he  in  the  estimateof  the  judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  this  district.  He  married  Sophia  Brown,  of  Franklin,  and  they  have  three 
children  living. 

Holden,  J.  P.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer  and  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  this  village.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist,  at  which  he  worked  for 
about  seven  years,  since  which  time  up  to  the  present  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  hotel 
business.  He  has  conducted  hotels  in  Colorado,  Pennsylvania,  etc.  During  the  Cen- 
tennial at  Philadelphia  (1876)  he  conducted  two  hostelries.  Mr.  Holden  now  owns  an 
elegant  confectionery  and  restaurant  in  Herkimer,  which  he  inaugurated  in  1885.  He 
also  does  a  wholesale  commission  business  in  fruits  and  produce.  He  married  Harriet 
J.  Cleiens,  of  Frankfort.  Mr.  Holden  la  identified  with  the  local  fire  company,  Red 
Men,  Business  Men's  Association,  an  order  of  United  Friends  and  is  first  sergeant  of 
the  21st  Separate  Company  Volunteers.  He  will  also  conduct  a  hotel  at  130  West  Van 
Buren  street,  Chicago,  during  the  World's  Fair. 

Herrick,  William  A.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  August  8,  1845. 
After  receiving  a  common  school  education  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  for  twenty- five  years.  About  two  years  ago  he  purchased  the  dry-dock 
property  here,  and  besides  repairing  canal  boats,  builds  row  boats,  and  in  fact  all 
desTiptions  of  boats.  He  gives  employment  to  several  skilled  ship  carpenters  and 
supervises  the  work  himself.  He  married  Eliza  Aldrich,  and  they  have  one  adopted 
daughter.  Mr.  Herrick's  yards  are  located  at  Lock  37  on  the  Erie  Canal.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  etc. 

Huyck,  J.  Horatio,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  and  has  been  engaged  in  the 
coal  business  for  over  thirty  years.  His  office  and  yards  are  eligibly  located  on  the 
line  of  the  Central  railroad,  where  especial  shipping  facilities  are  enjoyed.  Mr.  Huyck 
has  served  as  trustee  of  the  village  for  three  terms.  He  was  president  of  the  village  in 
1882-84,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  village  hoard.    He  was  supervisor  of  the  town  in 


68  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTlT. 

1885.     Mr.  Huyck  is  a  Mason  and  identified   with  local  social  and  benevolent  associa- 
tions.    He  married  Miss  C.  Pryne,  of  Herkimer,  and  has  a  family  of  three  children. 

Haslehurst,  Alexander  W.,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Oneida  county.  He  has  lived  in 
Herkimer  county  most  of  his  life,  and  has  been  engaged  in  banking  twenty-seven  years, 
beginning  as  a  clerk,  and  being  promoted  through  all  positions  until,  in  1884,  he  was 
appointed  cashier  of  the  First  National  bank  of  Herkimer,  this  bank  being  organized  at 
that  time.  Prior  to  this  he  was  teller  in  the  National  Mohawk  Valley  bank.  Mr. 
Haslehurst  is  an  experienced  and  successful  financier  and  occupies  a  high  position  in 
all  social  and  financial  circles. 

Hemstreet,  J.  V.,  D  D.  S.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  New  York  Mills  and  began  the 
study  of  dentistry  in  1877.  In  1880  he  opened  his  office  here  and  has  built  up  a  large 
and  influential  practice  among  the  best  classes  of  the  community.  He  manufactures  a 
celebrated  preparation  known  as  Hemstreet's  Dental  Cream.  Dr.  Hemstreet  is  a  Ma- 
son, belonging  to  the  commandery,  and  also  to  the  Royal  Arcanum.  In  politics  he  is 
a  liberal  Republican. 

Jackson,  William  W.,  Herkimer,  and  Ira  E.  Jackson  bought  out  the  interest  of  their 
father,  Mr.  Washington  W.  Jackson,  in  the  old  homestead  and  farm  of  262  acres.  They 
keep  forty-two  head  of  stock  and  cut  about  200  tons  of  hay  and  are  most  succe-ssful 
farmers.  W.  W.  Jackson  is  trustee  of  District  No.  6,  and  pathmaster,  also  a  member 
of  the  Grange.  Both  gentlemen  are  staunch  Republicans.  The  family  is  one  of  the 
mo.st  prominent  in  this  section  and  are  of  Revolutionary  antecedents.  Their  grand- 
father, Asa  Jackson,  served  throughout  that  war.  Their  father,  Mr.  W.  W.  Jackson, 
makes  their  place  his  home. 

Jackson,  W.  E.,  Fairfield,  is  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  younger  farmers  of  prom- 
inence in  Fairfield.  He  is  a  son  of  Varnura  Jackson,  still  living,  who  was  born  in  182.3. 
They  have  2.50  acres  of  dairy  land,  and  sixty-seven  cows.  Both  are  Democrats,  and 
Willard  E.  is  a  member  of  the  Grange.  His  grandfather,  Elipah  J.  Jackson,  was  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  in  this  part  of  the  county,  and  the  family  is  an  old  one. 

Johnson,  Joseph  A.,  was  born  at  Fort  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  September  27,  1836,  and 
was  connected  with  the  firm  of  E.  Remington  &,  Son's  for  thirty-four  years,  and  with 
the  exception  of  the  first  few  years  was  a  contractor.  Since  the  collapse  of  that  firm 
he  has  been  engaged  in  the  general  insurance  business  and  represents  nineteen  of  the 
best  companies  in  the  world.  Mr.  Johnson  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  Masons  in 
the  State,  having  held  nearly  all  the  offices  in  the  various  Masonic  bodies,  and  is  past 
grand  commander  of  Knights  Templar  in  the  State  of  New  York.  He  married,  in 
1858,  Catharine  M.  Wildey,  and  has  one  son,  Bdmond  A.  Johnson,  who  is  associated 
with  him  in  business,  and  one  daughter,  who  is  the  wife  of  M.  Jesse  Brayton,  ex- 
county  clerk  of  Oneida  county. 

Ives,  J.  H.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Salisbury  and  early  in  life  embarked  m  active 
business  operations  among  the  capitalists  of  this  part  of  New  York  State.  He  deals 
extensively  in  lumber  and  cheese,  owning  ten  farms  and  having  a  large  interest  in 
many  cheese  factories  in  Herkimer  and  has  in  many  ways  prominently  identified  him- 
seld  with  the  best  interests  of  the  county.  Mr.  Ives  is  a  director  of  the  Little  Falls 
National  bank  and  was  high  sheriflf  of  the  county  in  1876. 


t'AMILY  SKETCHES.  59 

Ingham,  C.  S.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Schuyler  in  1848.  He  taught  school  three 
terms,  and  lived  on  a  farm  until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Ilion.  He 
is  a  Republican,  and  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum.  In  1878  he  married  Miss  Arietta 
Davis.  Mr.  Ingham's  father  was  Charles  B.  Ingham,  and  his  grandfather,  Joseph 
Ingham,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Schuyler.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  grocers  of 
Ilion. 

Johnson,  Samuel,  Frankfort,  one  of  the  fourteen  children  of  Richard  and  Sophia 
(Stannard)  Johnson,  was  born  October  22,  1828,  in  England.  His  parents  emigrated 
to  this  country  and  settled  in  Utioa  when  he  was  two  years  of  age.  He  then  moved  to 
Litchfield  in  1850,  and  in  1875  came  to  Frankfort,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  was 
married  January  15,  1854,  to  Lovi  H.  Matteson,  of  Litchfield,  one  of  ten  children  of 
Laban  and  Susan  Matteson.  They  had  three  children,  Wallace  Myron,  Alba  and  Ida 
(twins),  all  of  whom  are  dead.  Mr.  Johnson  runs  a  dairy  farm,  having  at  this  time 
eleven  cows.  Mr.  Johnson  died  November  2.3,  1892,  aged  sixty-four  years,  one  month 
and  one  day. 

Joslin,  Merritt  F.,  Frankfort,  the  only  son  of  Sanford  and  Savally  (West)  Joslin,  of 
Frankfort,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  July  22,  1842.  Sanford,  the  father,  was  the  son  of 
David  Joslin  (who  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812)  and  Ruth  (Mattison)  Joslin.  The 
great-grandfather,  John  Joslin,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  and  came  to  Frankfort  in 
early  life  (settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Merritt  F.),  where  he  lived  and  died  at 
the  age  of  over  eighty  years.  His  wife  was  Hannah  Justin.  Savally  (West)  Joslin, 
the  mother,  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Olive  (Cady)  West,  he  having  been  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  Her  grandfather  and  grandmother  were  William  and  Nancy 
(Williams)  West,  the  third  generation  from  Roger  Williams.  Her  great-grandfather 
was  William  West,  at  one  time  Governor  of  Rhode  Island.  Merritt  F.  was  married 
September  12,  1866,  to  Hattie  C.  Norton,  one  of  three  children  of  Wilber  L.  and  Hen- 
rietta (Wilcox)  Norton.     They  have  two  children,  Minnie  A.  and  Earl  S.  Joslin. 

Jackson,  Henry  Eugene,  Middleville,  was  born  near  Middleville  village,  upon  his 
father's  farm.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  this  vicinity  and  at  Fairfield 
Academy.  At  nineteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  employ  of  W.  W.  Mosher,  as  clerk, 
and  in  1880  he  bought  an  interest  in  Mr.  Mosher's  business,  which  he  managed  under 
the  firm  name  of  W.  W.  Mosher  &  Company  until  1892,  when  he,  in  conjunction  with 
his  brother,  Mr.  Deville  G.  Jackson,  bought  out  the  interest  of  Mr.  Mosher  in  his  gen- 
eral mercantile  firm,  which  Messrs.  H.  E.  &  D.  G.  Jackson  have  since  conducted  with 
marked  success.  Mr.  H.  E.  Jackson  married  Miss  Emma  Mosher,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  W. 
W.  Mosher.  He  has  two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl.  Mr.  Jackson  is  a  Mason,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  identified  with  local  social  and  benevolent  institutions. 
His  brother,  Mr.  D.  G.  Jackson,  is  also  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  married 
Miss  Hattie  E.  Mosher,  also  a  daughter  of  W.  W.  Mosher,  and  has  one  child,  a  girl. 
The  firm  own  their  homestead  farm  of  250  acres  in  this  vicinity. 

Johnson,  Jesse  W.,  Schuyler,  was  born  in  Windham  county,  Conn.,  April  25,  1806. 
He  began  to  work  in  a  factory  at  the  age  of  six  years,  and  his  life  has  been  an  active 
one  ever  since.     He  came    with  his  father's  family  to  Schuyler  in   1814.      In   1841 


eo  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

he  married  Caroline  M.  Shepard,  of  Rome,  N.  Y.  They  had  two  daughters,  Eliza- 
beth W.,  and  Charlotte  M.  (who  died  in  1868).  Elizabeth  W.  married  Lemuel  E. 
Gilbert,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  May  20,  1874,  but  since  the  death  of  her  husband,  in 
1886,  has,  with  her  two  children,  Jesse  Carolyn  and  Stanley,  resided  with  her  father. 
Mr.  Johnson  voted  for  the  first  Harrison,  and  has  voted  the  Republican  ticket  ever 
since. 

Jarvis,  David  P.,  Russia,  the  younger  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Jarvis,  was  born  in 
Canavashire,  Wales,  May  22,  1836 ;  came  to  this  country  in  1841  ;  1843  came  to 
George  Pitman's,  in  Russia,  where  he  lived  until  after  Mr.  Pitman's  death,  which  oc- 
curred July  4,  1853.  Commenced  clerking  in  Prospect;  February,  1854,  came  to 
Poland  as  clerk  in  union  store,  where  he  remained  until  November,  1861,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Company  B,  Ninth  New  York  Cavalry.  In  1862,  while  on  the  Peninsula  in 
Virginia,  was  taken  sick  with  typhoid  fever  and  was  removed  to  Patterson  Park  Hos- 
pital, Baltimore.  As  soon  as  he  recovered  sufficiently  he  took  charge  of  a  sick  ward, 
where  he  served  eight  months.  He  was  then  given  the  position  of  mail  agent  for  the 
hospital,  and  as  such  served  until  the  expiration  of  his  enlistment,  November  22,  1864. 
July,  1865,  he  returned  to  his  place  in  the  Poland  Union.  In  1870  he  became  agent 
for  the  store,  which  position  he  still  holds.  Mr.  Jarvis  is  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge, 
No.  455,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  Poland  Lodge,  No.  185,  A.  0.  U.  W.  In  politics  is  a 
Republican.  October,  1866,  he  married  Lucia  M.,  daughter  of  John  and  Thankful 
Gorton,  who  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Poland,  having  come  here  from  Massa- 
chusetts in  1820.  They  had  one  son  and  five  daughters.  Mr.  Gorton  was  a  manufac- 
turer of  axes  and  scythes;  died  May,  1863  ;  and  Mrs.  Gorton  in  April,  1882. 

Higbie,  William,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Oppenheira,  March  24,  1822.  His  grand- 
father, George,  lived  with  his  parents  on  Long  Island  when  the  British  Army  occupied 
New  York,  and  at  the  time  of  their  evacuation  in  1783,  they  took  him  prisoner  to 
Nova  Scotia.  After  peace  was  declared,  George  returned  to  Long  Island,  and  finding 
his  family  scattered,  came  to  Montgomery  county,  where  he  married  Margaret  McCredy, 
then  removed  to  Oppenheim,  then  an  unbroken  wilderness,  filled  with  bears  and  wolves. 
Robert,  father  of  William  Higbie,  was  the  oldest  son  of  George  Higbie.  Robert  mar- 
ried Catharine  Powell,  at  Oppenheim,  in  1816.  December  4,  1814,  he  went  out  with 
the  militia  from  a  place  called  East  Creek,  where  the  company  rendezvoused,  and  went 
to  Sackett's  Harbor  to  defend  this  portion  of  the  State  from  the  British,  through  Can- 
ada. He  stayed  there  until  he  received  his  honorable  discharge,  then  returned  to 
Oppenheim  and  settled  down  to  keeping  hotel  and  farming.  William  was  the  oldest 
son  of  four  children.  He  worked  upon  the  farm,  and  was  educated  at  the  common 
schools  in  Oppenheim  and  at  Fairfield  Academy.  March  9,  1844,  he  entered  the  law 
office  of  Lake  &  Capron.  October  19,  1847,  after  undergoing  a  severe  examination,  he 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  York  State.  January  8,  1846, 
he  married  Harriet,  only  daughter  of  Dr.  Peter  Yost,  of  Oppenheim.  In  the  fall  of  1847 
he  entered  into  partnership  with  Henry  Link,  which  continued  for  a  year,  when  he 
opened  an  office  for  himself,  devoting  his  time  to  his  profession  and  speculating  in  real 
estate  in  Illinois,  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  Michigan,  and  to  some  extent  in   Wisconsin. 


FAMILY   SKETCHES.  61 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higbie  have  two  daughter,';,  only  "one  of  whom  survives,  TTaltie  H.,  wife  of 
Dr.  H.  M.  Eddy  of  Geneva,  where  Mr.  Higbie  removed  in  186G  for  tlie  purpose  of  edu- 
cating his  daughter,  Mrs.  Eddy.  In  188G  he  returned  to  Little  Falls,  where  he  is  still 
practicing  his  profession  and  carrying  on  his  real  estate  business. 

Ingham,  William  A  ,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  this  place  and  is  the  only  son  of 
William  Schuyler  Ingham,  the  well  known  manufacturer  and  railroad  contractor.  He 
owns  a  large  flour  and  grist-mill  on  Mill  street  having  dimensions  of  112  x  96  feet  and 
does  a  large  business.  He  has  been  connected  with  his  father  in  business  all  his  life 
and  is  essentially  a  business  man,  directing  all  his  energies  and  devoting  all  his  time  to 
ihe  affairs  of  his  father  and  himself.  He  is  posse.ssed  of  much  ability  and  stands  high 
in  commercial  circles. 

Kinne,  Jeremiah,  2d,  Litchfield,  is  a  farmer  and  cheese  manufacturer.  He  budt  the 
first  cheese  factory  here,  in  1863,  which  burned  down  in  1887.  and  was  rebuilt  in  1888. 
He  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  December  6,  1821,  a  son  of  Jeremiah,  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  who  settled  here  in  1803,  and  died  February  27,  1861,  aged 
ninety-one  years.  His  wife  was  Chloe  Wilco.x,  born  September  27.  1783,  and  died 
June  25,  18.57.  Of  their  children  four  survive:  Samuel  H.,  Martha  G.  D.,  Mary  J., 
and  Jeremiah  2d.  The  latter  married  Mary  G.  Kenyon,  and  has  four  children  living : 
Jennie  M.,  Ella  Lucinda,  Eva  Lavinda,  and  Mary  I.,  all  at  the  old  homestead  except 
Jennie  M.,  who  married  Daniel  J.  Whelan,  and  resides  at  Ilion.  Mrs.  Mary  G.  Kinne 
died  April  1,  1888,  aged  sixty-four  years.  She  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  and  a 
daughter  of  S.  W.  Kenyon. 

Keller,  Alexander,  Manheim,  was  born  in  Manheim,  March  9,  1820.  He  has  followed 
farming  all  of  his  life,  now  owning  sixty  acres  in  Manheim  near  Manheim  Centre. 
He  married  Miss  Mary  Marsh  of  this  town,  and  has  had  seven  children,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  One  of  his  sons,  Geo.  W.  Keller,  assists  him  at  home.  The  other  mem- 
bers of  his  family  are  Peter,  Ann,  Elisha,  Libbie,  Jacob  and  Ella.  George  W.  is  the 
youngest  of  the  children.  Mr.  Keller  formerly  had  a  much  larger  farm,  but  disposed  of 
a  portion  a  short  time  ago. 

Kay,  William  E.,  Herkimer,  farmer,  is  a  native  of  Frankfort,  but  has  been  in  Herki- 
mer for  twenty-six  years.  He  is  well  educated  and  has  a  fine  literary  mind,  contribut- 
ing valuable  articles  to  leading  agricultural  journals.  He  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the 
chapter  of  Ilion,  and  the  Commandery  in  Little  Falls.  He  was  regent  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum  for  three  years,  and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Herkimer  Grange,  of  which 
he  has  been  master  for  three  years,  and  is  overseer  of  the  Pomona  Grange  and  a  di- 
rector of  the  Patron's  Fire  Association  of  Herkimer,  also  a  director  and  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  a  man  of  prominence  and 
influence  in  this  part  of  the  county.  Has  been  secretary  and  treasurer  of  Herkim  er 
County  Agricultural  Society  and  commissioner  of  highways  of  Herkimer. 

Kilts,  Willard,  Fairfield,  son  of  Peter  and  Caroline  Kilts,  was  born  August  18,  1863,' 
on  the  homestead  farm  in  the  town  of  Fairfield.  The  Kilts  family  settled  early  in  this 
town,  William,  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  (his  sketch,  assistirgin  clcsring  up 


62  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

t'le  farm  now  known  as  Kilts  Hill,  wliicli  his  father  purchased  in  1788  at  ten  shiUings 
per  acre.  WilHara  served  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  son,  Conradt,  who  inherited  the 
property,  assisted  in  the  construction  of  the  old  stone  bridge  on  Ann  street  at  Little 
Falls,  which  is  now  being  replaced  by  an  iron  one.  Conradt  and  his  son  Peter,  made 
additions  to  the  property  from  time  to  time  by  the  purcha.se  of  adjoining  lands.  Con- 
radt died  about  1879  in  his  eighty-fourth  year.  Peter  died  August  16,  1885,  aged 
sixty-three,  leaving  his  wife,  Caroline,  whose  father  was  the  late  Abram  Keller,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters  surviving.  Of  his  son.s,  Herman,  the  eldest,  was  accidentally 
drowned  in  the  Erie  Canal  near  Little  Falls  in  1891  ;  Seymour  is  a  farmer  at  Cortland. 
N.  Y. ;  Willard  has  always  lived  at  home,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  while 
engaged  in  teaching  school  and  keeping  a  grocery  store  in  Utica.  He  married,  Febru- 
ary 10,  1892,  Cora  Bellinger.  His  sisters  are  Marietta,  wife  of  H.  A.  Crofoot  of  Nor- 
way, and  Carrie,  unmarried,  living  at  home. 

Kingston,  William,  Little  Falls,  paper  manufacturer  of  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of 
Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  and  subsequently  went  to  Canada  with  his  parents,  but  returned  in 
later  years  to  the  United  States  and  embarked  in  the  manufacturing  lire.  He  came  to 
Little  Falls  in  1872  and  began  the  manufacture  of  shoe  lasts.  In  1879  he  began  to 
manufacture  paper  for  building  purposes,  in  which  he  has  met  with  fair  success.  His 
mill  is  thoroughly  equipped  with  all  the  latest  and  most  improved  machinery.  He 
manufactures  his  paper  from  rags,  putting  it  through  all  the  processes  on  his  premises. 
He  disposes  of  his  products  in  New*  York.  Mr.  Kingston  in  one  of  the  pioneer  manu- 
facturers of  Little  Falls,  and  his  name  is  highly  respected  in  this  part  of  the  State. 

Koetteritz,  John  B.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  September  14,  1853. 
He  was  educated  in  the  military  schools  of  that  country,  and  served  as  an  ensign  in 
Franco-Prussian  War  of  1870-71.  In  1872  he  became  second  lieutenant  and  was 
stationed  for  seven  years  at  Alsace-Lorraine,  the  provinces  taken  from  France.  In 
1879  he  came  to  America  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  State  and  private  service  as 
civil  engineer  and  surveyor.  Mr.  Koetteritz  married  Carrie  Brockett,  and  they  have 
two  children  :  Lena,  aged  ten  years,  and  Burt  aged  six.  Lieutenant  Koetteritz  is  one 
of  the  best  informed  and  scientific  civil  engineers  m  the  State,  and  has  made  the  .study 
of  the  Adriondack  region  a  specialty.  His  large  map  of  the  Adirondacks  is  used  by 
all  the  State  departments  as  authority. 

Knapp,  George,  Schuyler,  born  January  15,  1848.  He  owns  a  thirty-two  acre  farm 
and  rents  other  land.  He  does  a  general  farming  business,  and  raises  considerable 
fruit.  His  father  was  Horace  H.  Knapp.  Mr.  Knapp  has  been  commissioner  of  high- 
ways and  town  clerk.  In  1870  he  married  Maria  Bradbury,  and  they  have  seven 
children. 

Kellar,  W.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield,  and  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  His 
father,  Abram  Kellar,  was  also  a  resident  of  the  town.  Mr.  Kellar  owns  450  acres  of 
land,  and  a  herd  of  105  milch  cows.  He  married  in  1876  a  daughter  of  David  E.  Ran- 
som, and  has  five  children.  In  politics  he  is  a  liberal  Democrat,  and  is  identified  with 
the  grange  at  Little  Falls. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  fed 

Eerr,  Neil,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Oswego  city  August  19,  1847,  and  can  e  lo 
Ilion  October  7,  18G8.  He  was  a  contractor  in  the  armory  for  about  a  year,  and  Las 
been  with  the  type-writer  since  its  inception.  In  this  establishment  he  does  all  the 
assembling  and  employs  about  sixty  men.  In  1875  Mr.  Kerr  married  Maggie  Creigh- 
ton  Bain,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Laura  Creighton  Kerr,  aged  twelve  years.  Mr. 
Kerr's  father,  Angus  Ken-,  was  a  Scotchman,  and  his  wife's  people  also  were  Scotch. 

Kittams,  James  H.,  dentist,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Ilion  and  is  a  young  man 
of  high  social  standing.  He  studied  for  his  profession  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
at  Philadelphia,  and  graduated  D.  D.  S.  May  G,  1892.  He  then  opened  his  office  here  and 
enjoys  a  large  practice.  His  father,  G.  H.  Kittams,  is  an  Englishman  and  came  (o 
America  in  1855. 

Kingsbury,  Edwaid  H.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls.  He  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  this  village,  and  at  an  early  age  entered  a  mercantile  house 
here,  with  which  he  remained  four  years.  After  this  he  was  in  the  employ  of  E.  B. 
Waite  &  Company,  paper  manufacturers,  five  years  as  book  keeper.  He  then  entered 
the  employ  of  P.  W.  Castler  &  Company  as  head  book-keeper,  with  whom  he  has  been 
four  years.  Mr.  Kingsbury  is  a  descendant  on  his  mother's  side  from  General  Herki- 
mer. He  married  Frances  Orendorf,  and  they  have  no  children.  He  is  at  present  one 
of  the  town  assessors.  He  has  also  most  acceptably  filled  the  office  of  town  clerk  for 
two  terms.     He  is  a  staunch  Democrat  of  Jeffersonian  principles. 

Klock,  Peter,  Schuyler,  was  born  March  14,  1833,  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives. 
His  father  also  was  a  native  of  this  place,  and  his  grandfather  came  from  Germany 
in  177(1  His  grandmother  was  one  of  the  old  Mohawk  Dutch.  January  19.  1860, 
Mr.  Klock  married  Louesa  M.  Jackson,  and  they  have  one  son,  Edgar  Jackson  Klock,  a 
distinguished  student.  He  was  educated  at  Fairfield  and  Middleville,  and  belongs  to 
the  Philorhetorean  Literary  Society  of  the  Fairfield  Academy. 

Kerivan,  John  T.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1844.  He  came  to  this  country 
with  his  mother  when  five  years  of  age.  When  eight  years  of  age  he  went  to  work 
for  the  William  Gates  Match  Works,  but  later  went  boating  on  the  Erie  Canal,  return- 
ing in  1865  to  the  William  Gates  Match  Works  where  he  has  since  remained,  rising  to 
the  position  of  superintendent  of  the  Diamond  Match  Company,  which  position  he  now 
occupies  (the  Diamond  Match  Company  being  successors  to  William  Gates'  SonsJ.  On 
February  2,  1865,  he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  GaSney  of  Frankfort;  they  have  foul 
children  living:  John,  Mary,  James  and  Frederick.  Mr.  Kerivan  was  elected  supervisoi 
of  the  town  in  February,  1892. 

Kyser,  Jacob,  Ingham's  Mills,  was  born  in  Salisbury  July  29,  1823.  He  is  of  Dutch 
descent,  his  great-grandfather  having  settled  in  this  State  early  in  the  seventeenth 
century.  His  grandfather,  after  owning  land  in  Salisbury  and  another  township, 
finally  settled  in  Manheim,  and  upon  his  death  deeded  his  farm  to  his  grandson,  Jacob 
Kyser.  Upon  the  death  of  Cornelius  Kyser,  father  of  Jacob,  his  estate  of  200  acres 
was  purchased  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  This,  together  with  other  lands  bought 
by  him,  makes  a  total  of  540  acres  of  fine  land  in  his  possession.     He  married  Eliza, 


64  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

daughter  of  Adam  Bellinger,  and  lias  had  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living, 
three  sons,  A.  (J.  Kyser,  C.  L.  Kyser  and  S.  B.  Kyser,  and  four  daughters.  The  latter 
are  married  and  reside  in  this  county.  Mr.  Kyser  has  always  taken  an  active  interest 
in  local  affairs  and  has  held  the  office  of  assessor  six  years. 

Kay,  Cyrus,  M.  D.,  Herkimer,  was  bom  in  the  town  of  Frankfort  January  10,  18.'i7. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Frankfort  and  Herkimer,  and  grad- 
uated from  the  Medical  department  of  Columbia  College  in  1880,  immediately  there- 
after commencing  (he  practice  of  his  profession  in  Herkimer.  Dr.  Kay  has  been  solic- 
ited many  times  to  accept  public  office.  He  now  holds  the  office  of  police  and  fire 
commissioner,  and  hag  been  the  Republican  candidate  for  president  of  the  village  and 
trustee  of  the  village.  He  is  trustee  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  a  member  of  the  Herkimer 
County  Medical  Society,  Royal  Arcanum,  Masonic  Fraternity,  Royal  Arch  Masons, 
charter  member  of  Fort  Dayton  Hose  Company,  etc.,  and  is  identified  with  local  social 
and  political  organizations.     Dr.  Kay  married  Miss  Clara  Hilts  and  has  no  family. 

Kingston,  Edward  S.,  Little  Falls,  shoe  last  manufacturer  of  Little  Falls.  The  in- 
dustrial life  of  Little  Falls  contains  no  more  important  representative  than  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  not  only  because  of  his  success  and  inventive  genius,  but  also  because 
he  may  be  fairly  said  to  be  one  of  the  pioneer  manufacturers  of  the  place,  nearly 
every  other  existing  industry  here  having  started  since  he  began  operations  twenty 
years  ago.  Edward  S.  Kingston  is  a  native  of  Vernon,  Oneida  county,  N.  T.  His 
parents  moved  to  Canada  and  he  remained  there  eleven  years.  Since  returning  to  this 
country  he  has  been  engaged  variously.  First  he  learned  the  printing  trade,  spending 
two  years  in  this  line.  He  then  resided  in  Albany  until  1S72,  when  he  came  to  Little 
Falls,  and  he  and  his  brother  were  engaged  in  business  until  1883,  v\-hen  he  went  to 
Utica  and  formed  a  partnership  with  George  A.  Reynolds  in  the  manufacture  of  his 
patent  metallic  lasts,  and  he  sold  the  patent  to  Mr.  Reynolds  for  $12,000,  and  retiring 
from  the  business  resumed  the_manufacture  of  wood  lasts.  In  1884  he  started  manu- 
facturing in  Utica.  In  188.5  he  came  back  to  Little  Falls  and  started  his  present  enter- 
prise, which  has  proved  a  most  gratifying  success.  His  factory  is  thoroughly  equipped 
with  the  best  modern  machinery,  and  he  disposes  of  his  lasts  direct  to  the  consumers. 
In  politics  Mr.  Kingston  is  a  Republir  id  is  an  attendant  of  the  Methodist  church. 
In  1879  he  married  Miss  Cora  Penner,  daughter  of  Alfred  Penner,  and  their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  one  son,  Alfred,  who  is  now  in  his  twelfth  year.  Socially  he  is  held 
in  higli  esteem,  and  is  an  important  factor  in  the  industrial  life  of  Little  Falls. 

Larned,  Frederick  Gr..  Russia,  was  born  in  Poland  November  25,  1860.  His  father 
was  Henry  B.,  son  of  William  II.,  son  of  Benjamin,  whose  father  was  Benjamin,  son 
of  Samuel,  son  of  William,  son  of  Isaac,  whose  father  was  Isaac,  a  son  of  William 
Larned,  who  emigrated  from  England  in  1G82  and  settled  in  Massachusetts.  Benjamin 
Larned,  the  great-grandfather,  was  born  near  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  there  grew  to 
manhood.  He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  James  Willoughby,  and  had  six  sons  and 
two  daughters.  In  1820  he  came  to  Poland,  where  he  died  March  19,  1839,  and  his 
wife  February  28,  1848.  William  H.  Larned  was  born  near  Springfield,  Mass.,  April 
3,  1805,  and  died  August  28  1882,  and  his  wife  November  22,  1884.     Henry  B.  Larned 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  65 

was  born  in  Poland  April  17,  1829,  and  attended  Fairfield  Seminary,  where  he  took  a 
special  course  in  surveying.  January  29,  18oG,  he  he  married  Laura  A.  Sprague,  a  na- 
tive of  Springfield,  Mass.,  a  daughter  of  Elijah  Sprague  and  Charlotte  Young,  a  lady 
of  French  descent.  They  had  one  son  and  five  daughters.  Mr.  Sprague  was  an  early 
settler  of  Batavia.  His  wife  died  in  Steuben  in  1872,  and  he  now  rf  sides  with  his 
children.  He  died  February  4,  1890,  while  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Larned,  of  Poland. 
Frederick  G.  Larned  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Poland,  a-d  afterwards 
took  a  scientific  and  commercial  course  in  Fairfield  Seminary,  graduating  in  1879.  He 
afterwards  took  a  course  in  Eastman's  Business  College,  from  which  he  graduated 
March  14,  1881.  Mr.  Larned  is  a  real  estate  owner  in  Herkimer  county,  Dakota,  Ne- 
braska and  Denver,  Col.  He  is  secretary  of  Poland  Grange,  No.  607.  He  is  vice  pres- 
ident and  eastern  manager  of  the  Empire  Loan  Trust  Company  of  Haigle,  Neb.  Feb. 
11,  1891,  he  married  Mary  E.  Barwell,  a  native  of  Poland,  born  March  19,  1873,  a 
daughter  of  Henry  Barwell,  of  Poland,  Mr.  Larned  and  wife  have  one  child,  Law- 
rence F.  Larned,  born  June  22,  1892. 

Little,  Andrew,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  came  to  America  in  1869, 
settling  in  Cooperstown.  In  1876  he  came  to  Little  Falls  and  worked  at  his  trade  of 
carpentering  for  some  time.  In  1882  he  began  business  in  the  planing-mill  now  occu- 
pied by  him,  which  mill  has  the  dimensions  of  100.x  100  feet,  and  in  which  he  does  a 
large  and  successful  business.  He  also  deals  in  lumber.  In  1886  Mr.  Little  married, 
and  has  two  children.  He  is  a  Prohibitionist  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.     He  belongs  to  several  societies. 

Liutner,  W.  H.  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  at  Minden  March  28,  1840.  He  engaged 
in  business  for  a  few  years  in  New  Haven  and  Albany  before  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Albany  Light  Infantry.  Durmg  the  war  the  regiment  was 
known  as  the  177th  N.  Y.  S.  Vols.  Mr.  Lintner  wasbrevetted  major  for  gallant  service 
at  the  siege  and  capture  of  Port  Hudson.  In  1864  he  came  to  Little  Falls  and  em- 
barked in  the  drug  and  grocery  business,  in  which  he  made  a  great  success,  and  through 
which  he  acquired  considerable  wealth.  For  several  years  he  was  assistant  adjutant- 
general  on  the  staft'of  General  Priest,  and  also  filled  other  important  offices.  He  died 
July  11,  1892. 

La  Due,  Daniel  W.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Fulton  county,  N.  Y.,  in  which  vicin- 
ity his  father  settled  when  he  was  a  child.  The  family  is  of  New  England  descent. 
Mr.  La  Due  started  the  manufacture  of  cheese  boxes  in  1852,  gradually  working  up  the 
business  to  proportions  of  considerable  magnitude,  and  in  18G8  most  materially  added 
to  its  strength  by  purchasing  the  saw-mill,  now  a  portion  of  his  plant.  Mr.  La  Due 
has  served  as  trustee  of  the  village  and  has  furnished  employment  to  a  numerous  force 
of  hands.  He  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  identified  with  local,  social  and  financial  circles. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Mary  E.  Schuyler,  ly  whom  he  has  three  children,  one  son  and 
two  daughters. 

Longshore,  R.  Glide,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Canajohaiie,  Montgomery  county,  and 
received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  this  vicinity.  He  has  been  connected 
with  several  prominent  grocery   houses  in  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility,  and 


66  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

from  1879  to  1883  was  timekeeper  for  Monis  Marks.  After  that,  in  1883,  lie  engaged 
with  Prowse  &  Thomson,  witli  whom  he  is  at  present  engaged.  Mr.  Longshore  was 
appointed  some  time  ago  to  tlie  position  of  town  clerk,  and  at  the  following  election 
received  the  Democratic  nomination  and  election  to  this  position,  which  he  still  holds. 
He  is  prominent  in  social  and  benevolent  associations,  being  connected  with  the  Red 
Men,  K.  P.,  0.  U.  A.  M.,  A.  0.  U.  W.,  0.  U.  F.,  Order  of  Aegis,  and  others. 

Leigh,  J.  T.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Toronto,  Canada,  but  has  lived  nearly  all  his 
life  in  the  United  States.  He  began  his  business  career  as  a  book-keeper,  spent  some 
time  in  teaching,  and  was  several  years  in  the  Little  Falls  National  Bank.  He  entered 
upon  his  present  business  in  1887  and  has  managed  it  so  successfully  that  he  now  runs 
the  largest  canal  supply  store  between  Syracuse  and  Albany,  as  well  as  being  senior 
partner  in  the  large  grocery  and  meat  firm  of  E.  M.  Walrath  &  Company  on  Ann 
street.  Mr.  Leigh  has  also  been  connected  with  other  enterprises,  and  was  some  years 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Superior  Furnace  Company.  He  is  a  man  of  good  busi- 
ness abilities  and  held  a  seat  in  the  board  of  education  of  Little  Falls  for  several 
years.     He  has  also  served  as  police  and  fire  commissioner,  notary  public,  etc. 

Lewis,  John,  Schuyler,  is  a  son  of  Harris  Lewis,  one  of  the  prominent  iren  of  this 
State  in  the  past  generation.  He  was  a  member  of  A.ssembK  in  1850-57,  and  was  put 
forward  by  the  Greenback  party  as  their  candidate  for  governor  cf  the  State.  John 
Lewis  was  bo'n  in  Schuyler,  March  8,  1850,  and  has  been  re-cognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  the  town  for  many  years.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  144  acres  and  has 
a  dairy  of  forty-two  cows.  His  buildings  are  commodious  and  modern,  and  his  farm 
is  one  of  the  best  kept  in  the  county.  In  the  year  1868  Mr.  Lewis  married  Catharine 
WilcoX:  and  they  Lave  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  Harris,  George, 
Libby  and  Emma.  Mr.  Lewis  has  never  cared  for  public  office,  though  he  has 
served  his  party  as  assessor.  He  is  a  Republican  and  is  a  member  of  the  Grange. 
His  grandfather,  Isaac^settled  in  Chenango  county,  where  his  father  was  born. 
Mr.  Lewis  is  a  man  of  strong  genial  personality,  highly  respected  by  al'  having  his 
acquaintance. 

Lints,  Simon  P.,  jr.,  Schuyler,  was  born  April  4,  1857.  He  is  one  of  the  leading 
Democrats  of  Schuyler,  and  has  been  put  in  nomination  by  his  parly  for  supervisor. 
In  1881  he  mairied  Lillie  Cramer.  They  are  adherents  of  the  Methodist  church,  in 
which  church  Mr.  Lints  sings.  His  father  is  Peter  Lints  and  his  grandfather  had  the 
same  name.  Mr.  Lints  is  a  practical  cheese-maker  and  is  also  interested  with  his 
father  in  farming. 

Loucks,  William  P.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Manheim,  July  23,  1823.  His  grand- 
father, Peter,  was  second  lieutenant  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  under  Captain  Fox, 
and  participated  at  Oriskany,  after  which  he  settled  in  this  town  upon  200  acres  of 
land.  William  P.  Loucks' father  (also  named  Peter)  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
forty  years  in  Manheim,  and  town  clerk  for  twenty-two  years.  Mr.  Loucks  himself 
has  held  the  offices  of  assessor  three  years,  commissioner  of  highwaj'sone  term,  inspec- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  67 

tor  of  elections,  constable,  etc.     He  married  Ann  Kelley,  and  they  liave  had  three  sons 
and  two  daughters. 

Lewis,  Marshall,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  November 
7,  1829.  After  teaching  four  terms  in  district  schools  and  in  Falley  Seminary,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  book-keeping  and  was  engaged  chiefly  for  seven  years  with  a 
manufacturing  firm  in  FuUon,  N.  Y.,  and  for  nearly  twenty-five  years  in  the  office  of 
the  Armory  and  the  Remington  Agricultural  Company  in  Ilion,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Lewis 
married  first  Miss  C.  M.  Loorais,  who  left  a  daughter.  CalistaM.  Hispre.sent  wife  was 
Miss  Mary  Carter,  whose  three  living  children  are  Dana  C,  a  physician  ;  Victor  C, 
employed  in  the  lumber  business;  and  a  daughter,  .Tennie  V.  A  third  son,  Almon  M. 
died  in  1877,  aged  fourteen  years. 

Limpert,  John,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Ilion,  November  8,  1855,  he  being  the  only 
son  living  of  John  and  Rosa  (Vogel)  Limpert,  of  Ilion,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Germany,  emigrating  to  this  country  in  early  life.  They  met  in  Herkimer  and  were 
there  married.  John  Limpert  came  to  Frankfort  in  the  spring  of  1882  and  eno-aged  in 
the  clothing  and  gents'  furnishing  business.  He  was  married  in  1879  to  Sarah  E. 
Feasel,  of  Frankfort,  and  they  have  five  children,  J.  Valentine,  Anna  Louisa,  Sarah 
Elizabeth,  G.  Arthur,  and   Fred  L. 

Lehr,  Gilbert  N.,  M.  D.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  January  13,  1857. 
He  was  one  of  ten  children  of  George  and  Catharine  (Yordan)  Lehr.  George  Lehr, 
the  father,  was  born  in  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  when  twelve  years  of  age. 
Catharine  Yordan,  the  mother,  was  a,  descendant  of  the  Holland  Dutch,  who  emigrated 
and  settled  in  the  Mohawk  Valley  at  an  early  day.  Her  father  was  a  soldier  of  the 
war  of  1812,  and  her  mother  was  for  many  years  a  pensioner.  Gilbert  N.  was  edu- 
cated at  Union  Free  School,  Boonville,  at  Whitestown  Seminary,  two  courses  medi- 
cal department  University*  of  Michigan,  and  graduated  at  the  University  of  New  York 
city,  with  the  cla.ss  of  1880.  He  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  for  three 
years  at  Taberg.  Oneida  county,  and  in  the  spring  of  1883  removed  to  Frankfort,  where 
he  has  practiced  since  that  time.  He  married  September  16,  1880,  Nellie  G.  Gue,  of 
North  Western,  N.  Y.,  one  of  four  children  of  Jerome  V.  and  Clara  (Keech)  Gue. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Sadie  M. 

Loomis,  Watts  T.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls.  He  studied  at  Brown 
University,  the  Albany  Law  School,  and  with  his  father,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1866.  He  practiced  law  and  civil  engineering  several  years,  but  abandoned  en- 
gineering when  other  matters  became  too  pressing.  He  is  a  man  of  culture  and  refine- 
ment and  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  county.  He  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for 
political  honors  and  has  held  no  political  offices,  other  than  president  of  the  village  He 
is  and  has  always  been  a  promoter  of  the  enterprises  connected  with  the  improvement 
of  the  village  in  the  construction  of  its  mills,  churches,  bridges,  water  works,  street 
lighting,  'he  maintenance  and  care  of  its  public  parks  and  grounds  and  of  all  its  impor- 
tant improvements.  He  is  president  of  the  Warrior  Mower  Company,  the  Superior 
Furnice  CoTipiiny,  and  the  Electric  and  Power  Company,  and  the  proprietor  of  several 
mills.     He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 


68  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  CODNTY". 

Lints,  Alonzo  M.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Frankfort,  April  22, 1856 ;  lie  was  the 
only  child  of  Jacob  J.  and  Mary  E.  (Muckey)  Lints,  both  natives  of  this  town.  His 
grandfather  was  Peter  Lints ;  his  great-grandfather  emigrated  to  this  country  from 
Germany.  Alonzo  M.  was  married  in  1879  to  May  A.  Crosby,  one  of  three  children 
of  W  W.  and  Marillda  (Harris)  Crosby,  of  Frankfort.  He  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
young  men  of  the  town ;  he  has  served  as  town  clerk  and  trustee  of  the  village  and 
was  village  president  in  1884.  He  has  also  been  occupied  as  general  foreman  and 
inspector  for  State  work  and  canal  repairs. 

Levee,  Richard,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  July  3,  1830,  and  like  most 
young  m^n  in  those  days,  worked  summers  and  attended  school  winters,  and  on  com- 
ing of  age  engaged  in  whatever  occurred  to  make  money  at.  In  this  way  he  gradually 
accumulated  sufficient  to  start  his  trucking  business,  in  which  he  has  since  been  en- 
gaged. Mr.  Levee  has  held  the  office  of  chief  of  the  fire  department  for  some  years. 
He  has  also  served  the  village  as  trustee  two  terms.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Peter 
Eysman,  and  they  have  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter.  His  son,  who  is  in  busi- 
ness with  him,  is  also  a  popu'ar  and  much  respected  citizen  of  the  town. 

Lanning,  William  B  ,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  January  1,  1834,  a  son  of  John, 
whose  father  was  Conrad,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  who  married  Martha  Van  Horn,  a 
native  of  Duanesburg,  Schoharie  county,  N.  Y.,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children.  In  1819 
he  came  to  Russia  and  settled  on  a  farm,  where  he  died  in  1849,  and  his  wife  in  1844. 
John  Lanning  was  born  October  28,  1801,  in  Duaresburg.  He  married  Betsy,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Martha  Forrest,  natives  of  Ireland.  Mr.  Forrest  was  a  glass-blower 
by  trade  and  also  a  weaver.  His  children  were:  Mary,  Betsy,  William,  John,  Mark. 
James,  Martha,  Rosanah,  Sallie  and  Rachel.  The  children  of  Mr.  John  Lanning  and 
wife  are:  Martha,  Rosanah,  William  and  Mark.  He  died  August  28,  1884,  and  his 
wife  April  5,  1885.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  at  Cold  Brook  Select 
School,  Prospect  Academy  and  Fairfield  Seminary.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began 
teaching  school  and  continued  for  ten  years.  When  he  reached  his  majority  he  spent 
several  months  visiting  in  the  west.  He  spent  two  years  in  Philadelphia  in  the  cheese 
market  for  Edward  Partridge.  In  1859  he  married  Catherine,  daughter  of  Hilliard 
Broadwell,  a  native  of  Vt,  and  after  he  married  became  a  resident  of  Trenton  Falls, 
N  Y.  He  was  a  millwright  and  put  up  the  first  Hinkley  Mills,  which  he  ran  for  two 
years.  Mr.  Lanning  and  wife  had  two  children :  John  and  Sarah.  His  wife  died 
March  10,  1863,  and  he  married  for  his  second  wife  Ann  McArthur  a  native  of  Russia, 
N.  Y.,  by  whom  he  had  two  children  :  Arthur  and  George.  Mrs.  Lanning's  parents, 
Donald  and  Margaret  McArthur,  were  natives  of  Scotland,  who  came  in  1831  to  Rem- 
sen,  Oneida  county,  later  removing  to  Russia.  After  the  death  of  Mrs.  McArthur, 
Mr.  McArthur  married  Ann  Morrison,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons  and  three  daughter.'. 
He  died  November  18,  1873,  and  his  wife  in  1890.  The  parents  of  Ann  Morrison 
were  James  and  Ann  Morrison,  of  Scotland.  Mr.  Lanning's  second  wife  died  October 
17,  1869,  and  Novcnber  IG,  1870,  he  married  Mary  McArthur,  half  sister  to  his  second 
wife,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children :  Mary  A.,  William,  Frank,  Linus  E ,  Helen,  Ed- 
ward, Florence,  Jessie  E.,  Ray  M.,  and   Bertha,     Mr.   Lanning  has  been  a  cheese- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  69 

maker  many  years.  He  was  in  the  factory  at  Prospect  one  year.  In  1869  he  came 
to  the  farm  where  he  now  resides  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming  and  cheese- 
making.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  pohtics  and  he  has  many  times  been  inspector  of  elec- 
tions, and  has  held  other  town  offices.     He  is  a  member  of  Russia  Grange,  No.  630. 

Morgan,  Taylor  W.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Winfield,  on  the  farm  first  settled  by  his 
father  and  grandfather,  the  latter  one  of  the  first  settlers.  Taylor  W.  was  born  May 
26,  1816.  He  married  Abagail,  sister  of  Col.  Alonzo  Wood,  and  they  have  one  son 
living,  Kendrick  E.,  vice-president  and  manager  of  the  Morgan  Storage  and  Warehouse 
Company,  of  Chicago.  He  was  educated  at  the  West  Winfield  Academy  and  at  the 
Hungerford  Collegiate  Institute,  at  Adams,  N.  T.,  read  law  with  Burrows  &  Palmer, 
Little  Fall.s,  N.  T.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1876.  Kendrick  E.  Morgan 
formed  a  partnership  with  Burrows  &  Palmer  in  1876,  and  remained  a  member  of  that 
firm  until  July,  1888,  when  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  from  there  to  Chicago,  and  is  in 
business  in  both  places.  Alice  L.  Morgan  was  born  June_16,  1844,  and  died  April  18, 
1863.  She  was  educated  at  the  West  Winfield  Academy,  at  the  Whitestown  Seminary, 
and  at  the  Ladies  Seminary  at  Hamilton.  Kendrick  B.  Morgan  married  Amanda  M., 
daughter  of  Mrs.  R.  A.  Alden,  of  Little  Falls. 

Moon,  William  W.,  Newport,  born  April  20,  1843,  in  Cold  Brook,  N.  T.,  is  a  son  of 
Jefferson  Moon,  who  was  a  native  of  Petersburg,  Rensselaer  county,  born  November 
26,  1801.  His  father  died  when  he  was  ten  years  old,  and  he  being  the  eldest,  was 
obliged  to  support  the  family,  and  so  his  education  was  necessarily  limited.  August 
13,  1820,  he  married  Martha  Philips.  In  1822  he  moved  to  Trenton,  Oceida  county, 
and  purchased  a  farm  known  as  the  Camp  Ground  Farm,  where  he  resided  until  1833. 
He  then  went  to  Cold  Brook,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  For  some  time 
he  kept  a  hotel,  was  then  in  the  distillery  business,  afterwards  in  the  lumbering  trade, 
and  finally  in  cheese-box  making.  In  18G3  he  retired  from  business.  He  was  a  Whig 
and  a  Republican.  He  was  justice  of  peace  twenty-five  years  and  justice  of  sessions 
many  years.  By  his  first  wife,  who  died  in  1853,  he  had  eleven  children.  His  second 
wife,  Sophia  Nelson,  of  Newport,  died  December  8,  1858.  He  died  January  15,  1875. 
William  W.  was  reared  in  Cold  Brook  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  Fairfield 
Seminary.  He  taught  school  five  years,  was  agent  of  Cold  Brook  Union  store  three 
years,  and  then  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  with  his  brother  Samuel  three  years.  He 
and  his  brother  then  engaged  in  farming  and  dealing  in  cattle  and  horses.  They  are 
now  extensive  real  estate  owners  in  Herkimer  county.  On  the  28th  of  January,  1866, 
he  married  Alice  McVoy,  of  Grant,  a  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Deliah  (Willoughby) 
McVoy,  the  former  from  Ireland,  the  latter  of  Newport,  N.  T.,  a  daughter  of  James 
Willoughby.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moon  have  two  children,  James  W.,  of  the  firm  of  Forest 
&  Moon,  and  Flora  A.  Mr.  Moon  is  a  Republican,  and  was  supervisor  five  years, 
chairman  of  the  board  in  1879,  and  has  been  town  clerk.  He  was  one  of  the  building 
committee  of  the  County-House  and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Poland  National 
Bank. 

Moors,  Alfred  A.,  M.D.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Plainfield,  Otsego  county,  August  6, 
1832,  a  son  of  Isaac  L.   and  Mary  S.  Moors.     He  was  educated  at  West  Winfield 


70  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

Academy  and  at  Pittsfield,  Mass.  He  commenced  reading  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  M. 
Rose,  of  "West  Winfield,  then  with  J.  H.  Childs,  M.D.,  of  Pittsfield,  Mass.  He  at- 
tended lectures  and  graduated  at  the  Memphis  (Tenn.)  Medical  College,  and  commenced 
practice  at  Salisbury,  Herkimer  county,  remaining  three  years,  then  moved  to  Medina, 
Orleans  county,  for  two  years.  He  next  went  to  Cedarville  and  was  there  eight  years, 
and  came  to  West  Winfield  in  1868,  where  he  has  been  in  practice  twenty-four  years. 
He  married  December  2,  1856,  Mary  Jane,  daughter  of  Atwater  Cook,  of  Salisbury, 
Herkimer  county,  and  they  have  two  children  living,  James  A.  and  Maud  M.  They 
have  lost  one  son,  Harry,  who  died  February  2G,  1865.  Mary  Jane  (Cook)  Moors  died 
June  6,  1891. 

McKee,  Samuel,  Winfield,  son  of  James  and  Currence  (Jackson)  McKee,  was  born 
in  Arlington,  Vt,  December  14,  1804,  and  settled  in  Winfield  in  March,  1826.  He 
married  Betsey  C,  daughter  of  Moses  and  Alice  Eldred,  in  March,  1829.  Their 
children  are :  Cornelia  J.  Smith,  Flora  F.  Crandall,  S.  James  McKee,  of  Danville,  111., 
Myron  A.  McKee,  cashier  of  Richfield  Springs  Bank,  and  Fannie  A.  Day.  One  daugh- 
ter, Alice  M.  Houghton,  died  February  14,  1875.  Samuel  McKee  held  several  town 
offices  —  in.spector  and  commissioner  of  common  schools,  supervisor  two  terms,  justice 
of  the  peace  sixteen  years,  also  vice-president  and  director  of  the  West  Winfield  Bank 
several  terms.  He  commenced  in  life  a  poor  boy,  has  acquired  a  competence,  and  is 
now  living  a  retired  farmer  in  Winfield. 

Morgan,  Franklin  Dwight,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Winfield  March  20.  1842,  third  son 
of  Newton  Americas  Morgan,  who  was  the  second  son  of  Ebenezer,  who  settled  first 
on  the  Hugh  Davis  place.  Newton  Americus  Morgan,  the  second  son,  married  Har- 
riet, oldest  daughter  of  Dennis  Philleo.  They  had  seven  children,  Laura  A.,  who  died 
at  eight  years  of  age ;  Eliza  Jane,  Theressa,  Milton  Taylor.  The  family  moved  to 
what  is  known  a«  the  Deacon  Eaton  farm,  where  two  sons  were  born,  Henry  Curtis 
and  Franklin  Dwight.  He  then  bought  of  Squire  Green  what  was  called  the  old  Joe 
Walker  farm,  and  moved  to  that  house,  where  another  son,  Newton  Philleo,  was  born. 
Newton  Americus  Morgan  died  March  2,  1861,  aged  fifty-five  years.  Franklin  Dwight 
Morgan  married  Rosa  R.  Harrison,  of  this  town,  daughter  of  Stephen  Harrison,  a  na- 
tive of  England,  August  29,  1864.  In  September,  1867,  they  bought  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Pulaski,  town  of  Richland,  Oswego  countv.  They  have  had  one  son,  Frankie 
A.  S.,  born  November  21,  1867,  who  died  August  18,  1875,  in  Pulaski,  where  he  was 
born.  The  parents  since  the  spring  of  1880  have  rented  their  Pulaski  farm,  and  have 
lived  at  and  near  Winfield.  Mr.  F.  D.  Morgan  was  superintendent  of  the  Unadilla 
Valley  Stock  Farm  from  April,  1890,  to  March,  1892,  when  he  gave  up  farming,  and 
bought  and  settled  in  the  Ira  Walker  house  in  West  Winfield.  He  is  now  engaged  in 
the  livery  business  in  West  Winfield  near  the  Cottage  Hotel. 

Montgomery,  William  K.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  Vt.,  in  1832,  and  came  to 
Winfield  in  1862.  He  is  by  trade  a  carpenter  and  joiner,  and  has  built  many  fine 
buildings.  He  is  also  a  farmer  in  East  Winfield.  He  was  drafted  in  the  late  war  and 
paid  $300  for  a  substitute.  He  was  a  son  of  Cyril  Montgomery,  of  Fairfield,  Vt.  and 
he  is  a  son  of  William,  a  prominent  man,  a  large  land  owner  and  capitalist.     He  was 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  71 

one  of  the  stockholders  and  main  movers  in  the  "Old  Cherry  Valley  Turnpike."  Ee 
settled  in  this  town  about  1800.  William  K.  Montgomery  married  in  IBtf  Juliatte, 
daughter  of  Hiram  Burgess,  of  this  town,  who  was  also  a  thrifty  faimer,  quite  an  ex- 
tensive hop-grower  and  dairyman.  They  have  six  children  :  John  C.  F.,  Eosie  M., 
Edvfin  D.,  Lee  L.,  Mary  B.  and  Nettie  M.  They  have  lost  one,  Louisa  A.,  who  died 
March  18,  1880,  aged  sixteen  years. 

Marshall,  Dolphus  S.,  Winfield,  dealer  in  boots,  shoes  and  rubbers,  born  in  Litchfield 
July  4,  1836.  He  was  a  son  of  Charles  Marshall,  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  August 
21,  1798,  settled  here  when  a  boy,  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  February  28,  1870. 
Dolphus  Marshall  married  Caroline  E.,  daughter  of  Harry  Hadley,  who  was  a  son  of 
William  Hadley,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Litchfield.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  have  one 
child  living,  Mary  J.  Dolphus  S.  Marshall  enlisted  in  the  late  war  August  1,  1862,  in 
Company  B,  121st  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  was  discharged  June  20,  186.5,  at  the  close  of  the 
war. 

MoG-owan,  Captain  James,  Litchfield,  who  is  serving  his  second  term  as  assessor  of 
the  town  of  Litchfield,  has  also  held  the  ofBces  of  collector  and  overseer  of  the  poor. 
He  enlisted  in  Company  E.,  152d  N.  Y.  Vols.,  September  6,  1862,  as  a  private,  and  was 
promoted  from  orderly  sergeant  to  first  lieutenant,  and  then  to  captain  of  the  same 
company  and  regiment.  He  served  as  captain  until  his  discharge  at  the  end  of  his  ser- 
vice, July  14,  1865.  He  was  born  August  4,  1841.)  and  settled  in  Litchfield  in  1847, 
and  on  December  25,  1865,  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  In  1881  he  married  Gor- 
dena  Maxwell.  They  have  three  children,  Mary  Charlott,  Florence  Grace  and  William 
Delano.  Mrs.  McGowan  was  born  in  Scotland  June  18,  1848,  and  came  to  this  town 
in  1853,  to  the  same  house  where  she  now  lives. 

Milhngton,  Dr.  Stephen  K.,  Russia,  was  born  near  Russia  village,  February  9,  1826, 
a  son  of  Richard  and  Matilda  (Robbins)  Millington.  Richard  was  the  only  son  of  Dea- 
con Nathan  Millington,  one  of  the  first  settlers,  for  many  years  a  justice,  supervisor  of 
the  town  and  prominent  in  all  local  afiairs.  Richard  was  the  second  male  child  born 
in  Russia.  Matilda  was  the  oldest  daughter  of  Reuben  Robbins,  esq.,  of  Cold  Brook. 
Both  died  the  same  week,  in  January,  1881,  at  the  home  of  their  son,  Stephen  P.,  aged 
eighty-one  and  eighty  years  respectively.  Another  sou,  Nathan  R.,  died  at  Holland 
Patent  iu  1872,  aged  fifty  years,  An  adopted  daughter,  Sarah  L.,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  J. 
L.  Seavey,  of  Poland.  Stephen  R.  attended  district  school  and  entered  Fairfield  Acad- 
emy ;  during  the  winters  of  1842-3-4  he  was  in  school,  then  he  taught  district  school 
several  terms.  In  1845  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Walter  Booth, 
of  Russia.  He  attended  lectures  at  Albany  and  at  the  Geneva  Medical  College,  grad- 
uating at  Geneva  in  the  winter  of  1847  and  1848.  In  1848  he  married  Ada  R.Walker, 
daughter  of  E.  N.  Walker, who  died  in  July,  1852.  In  1853  he  married  Harty  L.  Lam- 
berson,  of  Salisbury,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Sarah  Lamberson,  and  they  have  one  son, 
Charles  S.  He  practiced  medicine  thirteen  years  in  Norway,  where  he  was  elected 
town  clerk,  school  commissioner,  supervisor,  and  to  the  Assembly  in  1859  and  1860. 
He  moved  to  Poland  in  1860,  and  continued  the  practice  of  medicine  until  1872.  In 
the  fall  of  1872  he,  with  others,  established  a  bank  in  Poland,  and  gave  the   business 


72  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTTf. 

much  of  his  personal  attention.  In  1880  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  building  of  the 
Herkimer,  Newport  and  Poland  railroad,  and  continued  as  vice-president  of  the  com- 
pany until  the  road  wai  sold  and  extended — now  the  Adirondack  and  St.  Lawrence 
railroad.  Charles  S.  married  Allie,  a  daughter  of  J.  R.Webster,  in  1878,  and  they  have 
three  children:  Maud,  Harty  and  Ada.  In  1872  he  was  made  cashier  of  the  first  bank 
organized  in  Poland  ;  has  taken  the  active  management  of  the  business,  and  is  now  the 
cashier  of  the  National  Bank  of  Poland. 

McChesney,  H.,  is  a  native  and  life-long  resident  of  Little  Falls  and  has  spent  along 
and  active  life  at  the  blacksinitli's  forge.  The  result  of  fifty-seven  years'  industry  is 
that  he  has  secured  to  himself  a  comfortable  competency  and  is  able  in  his  later  years 
to  live  free  from  care  and  enjoy  his  well-earned  repose.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  intellect, 
considering  his  opportunities,  and  has  always  been  highly  thought  of  in  Little  Falls. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Fire  department  for  sixteen  years  and  was  a  Democrat  until 
185(),  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  Republican.  He  has  two  sons.  Earl  McChesney 
and  Robert,  the  latter  deceased.  Earl  is  an  engineer  on  the  New  York  Central  and 
Robert  was  a  conductor  for  twelve  years  on  the  same  line 

Morse,  William  H.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Lewis  county,  October  17,  1842.  His 
father  was  Nathaniel  Morse,  a  son  of  William  Morse,  a  son  of  Tankard  Morse.  The 
latter  was  a  native  of  Germany  and  when  a  child  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents. 
Wnen  seven  years  old  the  family  was  captured  by  the  Indians.  He  and  his  sister  were 
saved,  but  they  witnessed  the  massacre  of  their  parents.  Some  years  afterwards 
Tankard  was  stolen  from  the  Indians  by  a  white  man,  who  gave  to  him  his  own  name. 
Tankard.  Mr.  Morse  was  married,  had  four  sons  and  died  in  Norway  in  1830.  Mr. 
Morse  was  born  in  Chatham  in  1786  and  married  Lydia  Bunnell  of  Ohio,  born  1788. 
They  had  five  children.  Mrs.  Morse  died  and  Mr.  Morse  married  Ann  Cook,  and  they 
had  five  children.  Mrs.  Morse  died  February  11,  1835,  and  Mr.  Morse  in  1869.  Na- 
thaniel Morse  was  born  in  Ohi'i  and  came  to  Norway  when  a  boy  with  his  parents.  He 
married  Eliza  Wilcox,  of  Westerly,  R.  I.,  born  1813,  one  of  five  children  of  Parker  and 
Mary  (Ciauson)  Wilcox,  who  bore  him  one  son  and  four  daughters.  Mr.  Morse  died 
September  19,  1883,  and  his  wife,  who  is  seventy-nine  years  of  age,  resides  with  sub- 
ject. W.  H.  Morse  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  in 
Fairfield  Academy.  October  31,  1867,  he  married  Nancy  B.  Collins,  of  Russia,  born 
May  18,  1843,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Almira  Collins.  Mr.  Collins  was  a  farmer. 
He  was  assessor  and  held  minor  offices.  He  died  in  1873  and  his  wife  in  1883.  To 
subject  and  wife  have  been  born  one  son,  Allison  D.,  who  resides  with  his  parents,  and 
one  daughter,  Mary,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Frank  Nethaway,  of  Norway.  She  has  two 
children,  Nellie  and  Almira.  Mr.  Morse  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  assessor  seven 
years.     His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church. 

McArthur,  Daniel,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  July  9,  1851,  a  son  of  Donald  McAr- 
thur,  a  native  of  Nairnshire,  Scotland,  born  in  1793,  who  married  Ann  Rollo,  a  native 
of  Scotland.  They  had  one  son  and  two  daughters.  In  1830  Mr.  McArthur  and  fam- 
ily came  to  America  and  settled  at  Remsen,  Oneida  county,  and  after  cine  years  moved 
to  the  farm  cow  owned  by  Daniel.     Here  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.     Mrs. 


FAMILY  SKETCiHES.  7i 

McArthr  died  in  1841  and  he  married  second,  Margaret  Rollo,  a  twin  sister  of  his  first 
wife,  and  to  them  one  daughter  was  born.  She  died  in  1846,  and  he  married  third,  Ann 
Morrison,  a  native  of  Aberdeenshire,  Scotland  by  whom  he  had  three  sons  and  three 
daughters.  Mr.  McArthur  was  a  mason  and  builder  by  trade,  but  followed  farming. 
He  was  a  Democrat  and  was  assessor  twelve  years,  and  was  also  a  Free  Mason.  He 
died  November  17,  1875,  and  his  wife  December  6,  1890.  The  subject  of  this  ske  ch 
has  always  resided  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  tlie  Union  School  at  Holland  Patent.  In  1876  Daniel  McArthur  married 
Rachel,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Christina  Fisher,  of  Ohio,  N.  T.,  and  they  have  had 
three  children :  Nellie  B.,  William  and  Frank,  all  residing  at  home.  Mr.  McArthur 
keeps  a  large  dairy  and  also  owns  a  cheese  factory,  and  makes  about  67,000  pounds  of 
cheese  annually.  He  is  a  Democrat.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church  of 
Ohio. 

McCammon  George  W.,  Manheim,  was  born  October  25,  1808,  in  Albany,  N.  Y.  He 
received  a  liberal  education  in  the  schools  of  that  city,  after  which  he  clerked  in  the 
Troy  Iron  and  Nail  factory  for  six  years.  At  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  was  engaged 
for  five  years  in  Orange  county  as  book-keeper  at  Cornwall  Cotton  factory  ;  was  ap- 
pointed second  officer  of  the  steamer  ''North  America,"  and  two  years  afterwards  was 
engaged  in  smelting  ore  in  Canada,  in  connection  with  a  Mr.  Townsend,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Townsend  &  McCammon.  In  1839  he  purchased  his  farm  of  133  acres,  near 
Little  Falls,  upon  which  he  has  since  lived.  Squire  McCammon  has  held  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace  and  was  appointed  by  the  governor  inspector  of  turnpikes  in  Her- 
kimer, which  position  he  held  for  thirty  years.  Mr.  McCammon  married  Miss  Mariah 
Cook  and  has  eight  children  living. 

McChesney,  Robert  D.,  Russia,  was  born  February  27, 1836,  in  Little  Falls,  and  is  a 
son  of  Robert,  whose  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  of  Scotch  descent.  He 
was  killed  in  a  powder-mill.  He  had  eight  children.  Robert  was  born  in  Scotland. 
His  wife  was  Betsy  Swift,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons.  By  a 
previous  marriage  Mr.  McChesney  had  fifteen  children.  He  lived  at  Fall  Hill  several 
years,  and  he  died  in  Paine's  Hollow  in  1839,  and  his  wife  in  1870.  Robert  D.  was 
reared  on  a  farm  until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he  learned  the  carpenter  trade, 
which  he  has  since  followed.  His  brother  William  is  a  minister  in  the  Methodist 
Protestant  church  in  Minnesota,  where  he  has  resided  twenty-seven  years.  In  1868 
Robert  D.  McChesney  married  Esther  Mykel,  a  native  of  Grant,  and  they  have  had 
three  children.  Frank,  aged  twenty-two  years,  is  a  telegraph  operator  and  resides  in 
Pennsylvania;  James  C,  aged  nineteen  years,  works  in  Little  Falls.  In  1888  Mr.  Mc- 
Chesney married  second,  Lucy,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Garlock,  of  Cold  Brook.  At  the 
age  of  nine  years  he  came  with  his  mother  to  Grant,  and  has  since  resided  here,  being 
now  the  only  resident  of  the  village  that  was  living  in  it  when  he  came  to  it  in  1845  to 
live  with  his  mother.  Subject  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  a  deacon  in  the  Free  Will 
Baptist  church. 

Myers,  F.  H.,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer  and  has  lived  all  his  life  on  the  old 
homestead,  which  he  now  owns.     It  consists  of  nearly  200  acres  and  a  dairy  of  thirty- 


U  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

five  cows,  while  he  raises  yearly  about  eighty  tons  of  hay.  His  father  wtf  Gtoipe  H 
Myers,  who  was  also  a  native  of  this  town.  His  great-grandfather  took  part  in  the 
Revolution  as  patriot.  In  January,  1892,  Mr.  Myers  married  Miss  Maude  Arnold, 
daughter  of  the  lat"^  D.  B.  Arnold  of  Fairfield,  N.  Y.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  a  member  of  the  grange  and  the  Odd  Fellows. 

Mabbett,  Smith  E.,  Mohawk,  has  been  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Mo- 
hawk for  many  years,  twenty-five  of  whicli  he  has  been  interested  in  the  hotel  here. 
He  died  in  1889.  H's  widow  now  conducts  the  hotel  assisted  by  her  son.  Charles  P. 
Mabbett  is  practically  the  manager  of  the  house  for  her,  and  has  good  business  ability. 
Mrs.  M.  L.  Mabbett's  other  son,  Frank  W.,  is  also  a  representative  citizen  Mrs  Mab- 
bett is  a  thorough  American  woman,  who  deserves  great  credit  for  keeping  her  family 
together  and  continuing  the  business  here. 

Mitchell,  Edwin  B.,  Herkimer,  attorney  at  law,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Oneida 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  was  educated  at  Fairfield  Seminary  and  at  Falley  Seminary,  Fulton, 
N.  Y.  He  studied  law  with  Adams  &  Swan  in  Utica,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1876.  In  1878  he  came  to  Herkimer  and  formed  a  partnership  with  E.  A.  Brown, 
which  existed  until  January  1,  1886.  He  was  elected  police  justice  in  1887  and  was 
twice  re-elected.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  six  years  and  al- 
so justice  of  the  peace.  He  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum.  Mr. 
Mitchell  married  Henrietta  N.  TowDsend,  daughter  of  H.  Townsend  of  Utica,  who  is 
a  scion  of  an  old  English  family. 

Mather,  J.,  Fairfield  is  one  of  the  oldest  a  best  known  residents  of  tlie  town  of 
Fairfield.  His  early  business  years  were  spent  in  mercantile  lines,  and  the  last  twenty- 
two  in  managing  his  own  and  other  dairy  farms,  amounting  to  C.50  acres  and  126  cows. 
He  was  postmaster  at  Fairfield  for  twelve  years  under  Presidents  Van  Buren,  Pierce 
and  Buchanan.  In  1844  he  married  Eliza  Jones,  and  they  have  three  children  living, 
Albert  B.,  Fred  D.,  and  Maria  L.  Mather.  His  father,  Moses  Mather,  was  instrumental 
in  founding  the  Fairfield  Academy,  and  Mr.  Mather  was  its  treasurer  for  twenty  years, 
and  an  active  trustee  for  about  forty  years. 

Alosher,  W.  W.,  F'airfield,  is  a  native  of  Oppenheim,  Fulton  county,  born  January  19, 
1831.  He  came  to  Middleville  at  the  age  of  seventeen  and  began  life  as  a  clerk.  To-day 
he  is  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence.  In  1853  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile  busine.^s, 
which  he  followed  up  to  a  year  ago.  For  the  past  ten  years  he  has  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  quarry  business  which  is  veiy  extensive.  He  is  a  thirty-two  deg/ee  Ma- 
son and  an  active  Democrat.  He  was  supervisor  of  Fairfield  four  consecutive  terms, 
and  president  of  the  Board  of  Education,  which  position  he  filled  for  years.  In  1854 
he  married  the  daughter  of  Walter  Griswold,  and  has  two  daughters,  Mrs.  H.  E. 
Jackson  and  Mrs.  D.  G.  Jackson  of  Middleville. 

Molineux,  Frank  M.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Middleville,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
went  to  London,  England,  to  learn  the  trade  of  painter.  He  remained  in  England  six 
years  and  then  returned  to  Middleville  and  embarked  in  business  for  himself  and  does 
the  painting  for  this  part  of  the  county  including  all  of  that  for  the  railroad.     He  is  a 


FAMILY   SKETCHES.  75 

Republican  and  an  adherent  of  the  Episcopal  church  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member.  In 
1882  Mr.  Molineux  marned  Miss  Emily  Clarke  of  Sheffield,  England,  and  they  have  a 
family  of  four  children.  His  father  is  engineer  in  the  Middleville  tannery  and  is  an 
Englishman  by  birth. 

May,  Willian,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  England,  and  was  born  December  12,  1836. 
He  came  to  America  in  1851  and  settled  in  Lockport.  He  first  farmed  for  five  years 
and  then  came  to  Fairfield.  After  which  he  returned  to  England,  where  he  remained 
one  year.  He  then  came  to  Middleville  and  embarked  in  the  meat  business,  which  he 
has  since  successfully  conducted.  He  is  a  Mason  and  is  popular  socially.  Mr.  May 
has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Ellen  (Robbins)  May  of  Middleville.  They 
had  two  daughters,  both  married  and  living  in  Ohio.  His  second  wife  was  Mary  Stew- 
art, born  in  Ireland;  one  son. 

Muckey,  Warner,  Frankfort,  the  only  son  of  eight  children  born  to  Jasper  and  Eve 
(Lints)  Muckey,  was  born  in  Frankfort  October  22,  1841  March  4,  1862,  he  married 
Emma  Slomaker  of  Frankfort,  one  of  three  children  of  Daniel  E.  and  Elizabeth  (Cum- 
mins) Slo-naker.  They  have  two  children  living,  Millie  and  Alonzo.  Mr.  Muckey 
has  been  in  business  in  Frankfort  during  the  past  nine  years,  his  present  place  of  busi- 
ness being  known  as  the  Imperial  Hotel,  No.  71  Main  street,  a  fine  building  which  was 
erected  in  1889  by  Wallace  Crosby. 

Morgan,  A.  D.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Ilion  and  was  born  December  6,  1859. 
He  studied  law  with  J.  P.  Rafter  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1881.  He  opened  an 
office  in  Ilion  in  1883  but  did  not  practice  long  as  he  was  appointed  postmaster  by 
President  Cleveland  in  1885.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term  in  1889,  Mr.  Morgan  en- 
gaged in  the  coal,  flour  and  feed  business  in  Ilion,  which  he  has  since  carried  on.  He 
is,  also,  president  of  the  Broomhall  Milling  and  Malting  Company,  of  Mohawk.  He 
married  Miss  Anna  Chatlaway  in  1885  and  they  have  one  son.  Mr.  Morgan's  father 
was  Amos  A.  Morgan,  well-known  in  Ilion  in  his  day.  He  was  one  of  the  oldest  res- 
idents of  this  place,  having  been  born  here  in  1823,  at  which  time  the  place  was  called 
Morgan's  Landing,  after  his  father's  family.     He  died  January  31,  1891. 

McEvoy,  Hon.  P.  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Ireland  about  thirtj'-seven  years  since 
and  came  to  this  country  when  quite  young,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Salisbuiy.  His 
early  days  were  spent  workmg  for  farmers  in  the  town  of  Fairfield.  His  early  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  district  schools  of  the  county  by  doing  chores  for  his  board  in 
the  winters  and  attending  school,  and  working  out  summers.  Subsequently  he  at- 
tended school  at  Fairfield  Seminary  for  six  years  and  paid  his  tuition  by  working  out 
for  the  farmers  during  vacation.  He  graduated  in  the  five  year  course  in  1868  and 
was  valedictorian  of  the  class.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  in 
the  office  of  Messrs.  Hardin  &  Burrows  (Mr.  Hardin  has  been  presiding  judge  of  the 
General  Term  for  many  years).  He  taught  school  in  the  "  Old  Brick  Schoolhouse  "  on 
the  creek  road,  near  Herkimer,  that  winter,  and  in  October,  1869,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  He  soon  after  moved  to  St.  Johnsville,  Montgomery  county,  at  the  invitation  of 
Hezakiah  Biker,  who  was  district  attorney  of  Montgomery  county,  to  help  him  as  dig- 


76  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

trict  attorney,  and  remained  there  about  one  year.  He  afterwards  made  a  complete 
course  of  philosophy,  moral  and  dogmatic  theology  at  the  University  of  Niagara.  At 
an  early  age  he  espoused  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  and  in  every  important 
election  sia^e  1868  stumped  the  county  for  the  party,  and  frequently  spoke  in  other 
parts  of  the  State  for  the  state  committee.  He  grew  rapidly  in  public  appreciation  a.s 
a  speaker  and  leader  with  the  result  that  he  was  sent  to  the  Legislature  in  1887  by  the 
unprecedented  majority  of  1,804,  and  in  1888  the  Democrats  nominated  no  one  against 
him.  While  there  he  gained  distinction  for  carrying  through  the  celebrated  elevator 
bill,  that  settled  the  important  fact  that  the  legislature  has  a  right  to  say  what  charge 
corporations  .shall  make  for  their  public  services.  It  has  been  contested  in  every  court 
and  recently  pronounced  constitut'onal  by  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  It  had 
been  introduced  in  the  Legislature  every  year  for  the  past  eighteen  years  but  never 
passed  before.     He  is  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Little  Falls. 

Mitchell,  Thomas  H,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  England  and  was  a  steel  spindle 
maker  there  He  spent  two  and  one-half  years  in  Rus.sia  and  subsequently  came 
to  America  in  1879.  He  worked  in  a  rolling  mill  in  Michigan,  and  for  eight  and  one 
half  years  in  the  Remington  Gun  Works.  He  has  lived  m  Ilion  twelve  years. 
He  is.  proprietor  of  the  Commercial  Hotel.  In  1870  Mr.  Mitchell  married  Miss 
Mary  J.  Cheetham.  Mr.  Mitchell's  father.  John  C.  Mitchell,  is  eighty-six  years  of 
age  and  lives  with  him. 

Murray  Brothers,  Little  Falls.  The  firm  of  ilurray  Bros,  consists  of  P.  W.  and 
James  J.  Murray,  natives  of  Salisbury,  Herkimer  county.  They  established  business 
in  Little  Falls  in  1887,  conducting  a  reputable  liquor  business.  P.  W.  Murray  was 
born  December  18,  1861.  He  received  a  liberal  education  in  Fairfield  Seminary,  to 
which  village  his  father's  family  had  removed  from  Salisbury  in  1868,  after  which  he 
taught  school  eight  terms  and  clerked  in  a  grocery  store  for  five  years.  His  brother, 
James  J.  Murray,  was  born  July  8,  1855.  He  is  equal  owner  in  the  establishment 
with  P.  W.  They  are  both  identified  with  local  institutions,  such  as  Erina  Fire  Com- 
pany, etc. 

Monroe,  Thomas  M.,  Herkimer,  was  was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  His  father  came  to 
this  country  from  Scotland  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  but  a  child  and  settled 
in  Utica.  Thomas  M.  Monroe  was  one  of  twelve  children.  After  receiving  an  excel- 
lent education  in  the  public  schools  of  this  vicinity,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
cotton  in  Greene  county  until  the  outbreak  of  the  war  when  he  entered  the  naval  ser- 
vice under  Dupont  at  Hilton  Ilead.  In  1864  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Sixty-First  Massa- 
chusetts, Company  D,  and  participated  in  many  battles  and  skirmishes.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  in  June,  1865.  Mr.  Monroe  is  an  active  and  prominent  member  of  the  G.  A. 
R.  and  also  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  is  engaged  in  the  wholesale  bottling  traffic, 
his  goods  being  sold  throughout  the  State.  His  wife  was  Miss  Amanda  J.  Lewis  of 
this  State.     He  has  two  sons,  both  engaged  with  him  in  business. 

Marcy,  Stoors,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  July  28,  1828,  a  son  of  Alpheus  Marcy,  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  who  came  to  Trenton    and    in  1828  moved    to    Russia.      In 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  77 

Trenton  he  married  Harriet  Barrows,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  by  whom  he  had 
four  sons  a"d  three  daughters.  He  died  in  1882  at  the  age  of  ninety-three  and  his 
wife  died  in  the  same  year  aged  eighty-four.  The  father  of  Alpheus  JIarcy  lived 
and  died  in  Connecticut.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Marcy  was  Lemuel 
Barrow.',  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Trenton.  In  his  day 
he  was  rfifered  land  for  $1.2.5  where  the  city  of  Utica  now  stands.  He  died  in 
Trenton,  on  the  farm  he  settled,  at  the  age  of  ninety.  His  wife  was  Miss  Stoors, 
a  native  of  Connecticut.  Mr.  Marcy  married  Betsey,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Prin- 
dle,  a  son  of  Joseph  Prindle,  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Russia.  Charles  Prindle  was  born  in  Russia.  His  wife  was  Clara  Smith, 
by  whom  he  had  one  daughter,  the  wife  of  subject.  Mr.  Marcy  and  wife  have 
three  children :  Phares,  a  farmer  in  Russia ;  Sherman,  a  minister  in  the  Baptist 
Church,  who  resides  near  New  York  City  and  is  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  College;  and 
Jennie,  who  lives  at  home.  Mr.  Marcy  owns  345  acres  of  land,  is  a  breeder  of  South- 
down sheep  and  is  the  most  extensive  sheep  dealer  in  Russia.  He  is  a  Democrat  and 
member  of  M.  E.  church. 

Moore,  Milo,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia  August  7,  1839,  son  of  Orson  and  Thirza 
(Salisbury)  Moore,  whose  children  were  Sarah  A.  (deceased),  wife  of  Hon.  Daniel 
Northrop :  Jane  E.  (deceased),  Lyman  (deceased),  John  (deceased),  Thirza  (deceased), 
Loretta  (deceased).  Miles  and  Eliza,  wife  of  Edwin  Knight,  and  Milo.  Milo  attended 
district  school  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered  Fairfield  Seminary.  At 
niueteen  he  commenced  teaching,  which  he  followed  for  six  winters.  When  twenty- 
six  years  of  age  he  traveled  through  the  West.  From  1866  to  1867  he  followed  cheese- 
making.  January  6,  1870,  he  married  Mary  C,  daughter  of  William  and  Susan  (Mill- 
ington)  Buck,  and  has  four  children,  William  B.,  Jennie  G.,  George  0.  and  Charles  M. 
He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  been  overseer  of  the  poor,  town  clerk  and  justice  of  the 
peace  for  the  past  sixteen  years,  and  supervisor  in  1881-82  and  1892.  Orson  was  born 
in  Brookfield,  Mass.,  in  August,  1801.  He  was  justice  of  the  peace  sixteen  terms, 
supervisor  three  years  and  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1862.  He  died  November 
27,  1881,  and  his  wife,  Thirza,  died  in  1842.  In  1843  he  married  Matilda  Salisbury,  a 
sister  of  his  former  wife.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  children.  His  grandfather, 
Thomas  Moore,  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

McKennan,  John,  Herkimer,  son  of  Alexander  McKennan.  is  a  native  of  the  village 
of  Herkimer,  and  was  born  November  10,  1821.  .  He  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  that  time  in  the  village  and  in  Fairfield  Seminary.  He  has  been  a  farmer 
all  his  life.  He  has  193  acres  of  land  used  for  dairy  purposes  and  has  a  herd  of 
twenty-three  cows  and  raises  about  100  tons  of  hay  yearly.  Mr.  McMcKennan  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Burlingham,  and  they  have  a  family  of  seven  children,  Charles,  Irving, 
Harry,  Lizzie,  Dora,  John  A.  and  Morell.     He  is  of  Scotch  descent. 

Nichols,  C,  W.,  M.D..  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  and  studied  medicine  at  Al- 
baoy.  He  graduated  in  1889  and  began  practice  in  Fairfield  village.  The  Nichols 
family  came  to  this  countrv  from  Rhode  Island.  The  grandfather  of  Dr.  Nichols  was 
Horace  Nichols.     His  father  was  Caleb  Nichols.     All  the  family  were  farmers  down  to 


78  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Dr.  Nichols.  Horace  Nicliols's  grandfather  settled  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  before  the 
Revolutionary  War.  In  1875  Dr.  Nichols  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Stevens,  and  they 
have  four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Dr.  Nichols  is  a  Republican  and  a 
member  of  the  State  Medical  Society. 

Nichols,  H.  C,  Norway,  was  born  in  Norway  September  6,  1845.  His  father  was 
Joseph  Nichols,  son  of  Horace  Nichols,  of  Rhode  Mand,  born  in  1794.  His  wife  was 
Phoebe  Bly,  born  in  Rhode  Island  in  1799.  They  had  six  children.  Horace  died  Jan- 
uary 31,  1875,  and  his  wife  died  in  1834.  Joseph  Nichols  was  born  in  Norway  in  1819, 
and  married  Louisa  Handy,  who  bore  him  five  children.  Louisa  Handy  Nichols  was  a 
native  of  Salisbury.  She  died  in  1859,  and  Mr.  Nichols  married  Anna  Hughes,  who 
had  three  children.  Mr.  Nichols's  third  wife  was  Silva  Bell,  and  by  her  he  had  two 
children.  H.  C.  Nichols  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  common  schools  and  in 
Fairfield  Seminary.  In  1869  he  married  Libbie  Johnston,  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Rachel  (Emery)  Johnston  of  Oppenheim,  who  bore  him  three  children,  namely  :  Ahce 
I.,  Edith  L.  and  Homer  J.  Mr.  Nichols  followed  farming  a  short  time,  but  for  many 
years  has  manufactured  cheese.  For  the  last  fifteen  years  he  has  been  in  the  Norway 
cheese  factory.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  been  excise  commissioner  a  number  of 
terms  and  is  now  justice  of  the  peace.     He  is  a  Baptist. 

Newberry,  Samuel  H.,  Little  Falls,  school  commissioner.  Important  as  are  the  in- 
dustrial, mercantile  and  professional  avocations  that  constitute  the  commercial  life  and 
wealth  of  the  nation,  they  are  less  paramount  than  the  educational  interests  of  the 
people,  for  upon  these  a  foimdation  of  our  moral  and  social  systems  are  built.  The 
schools  of  Herkimer  county  are  admittedly  equal  to  the  best  anywhere  in  the  Union 
similarly  located,  and  much  of  this  excellence  is  due  to  the  thorough  and  intelligent 
oversight  which  supervises,  directs  and  governs  them.  Mr.  Samuel  H.  Newberry,  the 
school  commissioner  of  the  first  district,  is  especially  worthy  of  mention  for  the  great 
zeal  and  enthusiasm,  as  well  as  high  intelligence,  with  which  he  performs  the  duties  of 
his  responsible  ofiice,  and  in  commenting  upon  the  school  system  and  .schools  of  Herki- 
mer county  more  than  passing  mention  is  due  and  is  accorded  to  him.  Samuel  H. 
Newberry  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Newport,  Herkimer  county,  and  after  receiving  a 
thorough  education  entered  the  teaching  profession,  and  during  four  years  of  active  life 
as  a  teacher  he  attained  a  high  standard  and  an  enviable  reputation  in  his  profession. 
In  1887  he  was  elected  school  commissioner  for  three  years,  and  was  re-elected  in  1890, 
a  proof  of  his  popularity  and  fitness  for  the  office,  to  which  he  devotes  all  the  energies 
of  a  superior  and  earnest  mind. 

Newell,  J.  R.,  Little  Fal's,  one  of  the  leading  dealers  in  grocers'  supplies,  wall  papers, 
stationery,  etc.,  in  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.  After  receiving  a 
thorough  public  school  education  he  began  his  business  career  as  a  book-keeper.  Pre- 
vious to  embarking  in  his  present  enterprise  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  National  Herkimer 
County  Bank.  He  began  his  present  business  January  1,  1891,  and  on  July  1  of  the 
same  year  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  C.  Bellinger,  which  still  exists.  Mr.  Newell  has 
been  village  treasurer  of  Little  Falls,  and  is  highly  regarded  by  all  the  business  men  of 
the  couaty.  Socially  he  is  also  well  known,  and  belongs  to  the  Royal  Arcanum,  in 
which  he  is  a  past  regent,  and  has  had  all  the  honors  of  the  society. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  79 

Newth,  N.  J.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Litchfield  May  10,  1840.  He  enlisted  in 
the  Eighth  New  York  Cavalry  August  11,  18G2,  and  served  three  years.  After  the 
war  he  went  into  the  hat-bleaching  business  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  In  1874  he  came  to  Ilion, 
embarked  in  the  hardware  business,  which  is  still  continued  by  him.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  church  and  trustee,  for  seven  years  superintendent  of  its  Sun- 
day-school and  a  member  of  the  Gr.  A.  R.  In  politics  he  is  a  Prohibitionist.  In  1878 
Mr.  Newth  married  Miss  Opheha  E.  Smith,  of  Troy,  and  they  have  three  children,  one 
son  and  two  daughters. 

Newman,  Milton  J.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Boonville  and  was  born  December  9, 
1845.  He  has  been  a  farmer  nearly  all  his  life.  He  now  works  300  acres,  stocked  with 
a  herd  of  fifty  cows,  and  has  been  on  the  place  nine  years.  He  is  one  of  the  leading 
tenant  farmers  of  Herkimer  county.  In  1870  Mr.  Newman  married  Savilla  E.  Du 
Bois.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  His 
grandfather  was  a  native  of  Manheim,  and  his  grandfather,  Peter  Newman,  took  part 
in  the  war  of  1812. 

Newell,  Selim,  Little  Fall.i,  was  born  in  New  England,  from  where  his  father  re- 
moved to  New  York  State  when  Selira  was  but  a  child.  His  earlier  years  were  spent 
upon  a  farm,  and  about  1852  he  established  himself  in  the  general  mercantile  line  of 
dry  goods,  groceries,  grist  and  saw-mills,  etc.,  with  which  Mr.  Newell  has  since  been 
identified.  He  located  in  Little  Falls  in  1868,  and  conducts  both  a  wholesale  and  retail 
business.  He  is  ably  assisted  by  his  sods,  who  are  prominent  in  the  best  social  and 
political  circles  of  the  village.  Mr.  Newell  married  Miss  Fanny  B.  Barnum,  by  whom 
he  has  four  children,  all  sons.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  church 
and  is  much  respected  and  esteemed  throughout  this  vicinity. 

Nelson,  Edwin  J.,  Newport,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  February  11,  1855,  a  son  of 
Henry  C.  and  Gertrude  A.  (Wemple)  Nelson,  the  former  a  resident  and  native  of  Little 
Falls  and  the  latter  of  Manheim.  In  1849  Henry  and  his  brother,  William  Nelson, 
started  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Little  Falls  under  the  firm  name  of  H.  C.  &  W. 
Nelson  Later  Edwin  J.  was  admitted  as  a  partner,  continuing  until  the  death  of 
William  Nelson,  February  19,  1881,  when  for  two  years  he  conducted  the  business, 
when  he  sold  a  part  interest  to  W.  A.  Pepper,  the  firm  being  E.  J.  Nelson  &  Company. 
In  1885  Edwin  J.  sold  his  interest,  and  in  1886  he,  in  company  with  William  F. 
Lansing,  bought  the  property  and  started  the  knitting-mill  under  the  firm  name  of  Nel- 
son &  Lansing.  This  continued  until  1890,  when  Edwin's  mother  and  two  brothers, 
Arnold  and  Seymour,  moved  to  Middleville,  where  Mrs.  Nelson  died  April  11,  1892. 
Her  children  were  Edwin  J.,  Carrie,  wife  of  William  Feter  (she  afterward  married 
Frank  Thomas) ;  Emma,  wife  of  S.  W.  Dillenbeck  ;  Seymour  and  Arnold.  Henry  C, 
their  father,  died  November  25,  1876. 

Newman,  Horace  S.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia  March  16,  1848,  a  son  of  Sylvester 
B.,  who  was  a  son  of  Ebenezer  Newman.  The  latter  was  born  in  Salem,  Westchester 
county,  in  1780.  February  7,  1805,  he  married  Lydia  Taylor,  a  native  of  Reading, 
Conn.,  born  December  4,  1785,  by  whom  he  had  seven  sons  and  five  daughters.  Mr. 
Newman  was  a  farmer.     About  1807  he  came  to  Russia,  settled  on  the  royal  grant  and 


80  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

there  lived  and  died  January  9,  1865.  He  was  drafted  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  and 
his  wife  were  Baptists.  She  died  February  11,  1865.  Sylvester  Newman  was  born 
December  22,  1817,  in  Russia.  He  married  October  7,  1838,  Sallie  A.  Pettingil),  a  na- 
tive of  Brookfield,  Oneida  county,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  Emma 
J.,  Morris  and  Horace.  Mrs.  Newman  died  April  6,  1864,  and  Mr.  Newman  married 
second  Sarah  C.  Crittenden,  a  native  af  Massachusetts.  She  died  November  12,  1872. 
Mr.  Newman  is  a  farmer  and  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  Northern  Light  Lodge, 
No.  464,  of  Poland.  Horace  S.  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  March  13, 
1873,  he  married  Emma  J.,  a  daughter  of  Henry  L.  and  Sarah  C.  Crittenden,  of  Con- 
way, Mass.,  who  came  to  Herkimer  county  about  1854.  Mr.  Crittenden  enlisted  in  the 
121st  New  York  Infantry  and  was  killed  at  Chancellorsville  in  1863.  They  had  three 
daughters  and  one  son.  The  subject  and  wife  have  three  children,  Edgar  H.,  Fred  S. 
and  Lulu  S.  He  has  been  a  farmer  and  a  butcher,  but  at  present  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing exclusively.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  of  Poland,  No.  183,  and  is  a 
Republican.  Morris  Newman  enlisted  in  the  First  Berdan's  Sharp  Shooters,  Company 
B.     He  died  December  25,  1863. 

Carpenter,  James  0.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Copenhagen,  Lewis  county,  June  24,  1836. 
His  father  was  John,  a  son  of  John,  who  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  May  9, 
1773,  and  who  married  Thankful  Fish,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  1772.  They 
had  five  children.  Mr.  Carpenter  came  to  Russia,  where  he  died,  in  1809,  and  his  wife 
in  1845.  John  Carpenter,  jr.,  was  born  June  17,  1804.  During  the  last  twenty-one 
years  of  his  life  he  was  a  Baptist  minister,  and  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  preached 
in  Russia.  December  31,  1829,  he  married  Helen  H.  Overton,  a  native  of  Long  Island, 
born  in  1808,  and  a  daughter  of  Joel  and  Navina  (Wells)  Overton.  Mr.  Carpenter  and 
wife  had  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  He  died  April  16,  1847,  and  Mrs.  Carpenter 
for  the  last  twenty  years  has  resided  with  her  son,  James  0.  The  latter  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  and  in  the  select  schools  under  Prof.  Smart  of  Russia  Corners. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began  as  a  drover  for  Frank  and  Henry  Stanton,  and  clerked 
for  them,  was  with  them  sixteen  years  ;  he  then  conducted  a  meat  market  at  Holland 
Patent  for  four  years;  then  he  took  charge  of  the  Union  store  at  Russia  for  four  years. 
One  summer  was  spent  at  Cold  Brook  closing  oiit  stock  of  goods  and  the  following 
winter  he  was  in  Carthage.  In  1883  Mr.  Carpenter  went  to  Grant,  N.  Y.,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  general  mercantile  business,  in  which  he  has  been  successful.  February 
17,  1892,  he  married  Margaret  B.,  daughter  of  Peter  Smith,  of  Russia.  Mr.  Carpenter 
is  a  Democrat  and  was  supervisor  in  1884-87-91.  He  was  postmaster  of  Grant  during 
Cleveland's  administration  and  is  now  notary  public.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest  Masons 
in  Russia,  is  a  member  of  Remsen  lodge  No.  677,  F.  and  A.  M.,  also  a  member  of  the 
Equitable  Aid  Union  of  Grant. 

Onyaus,  William,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  England,  November  20,  1832,  and 
learned  there  the  trade  of  gun  barrel  roller.  He  came  to  Springfield,  Mass.,  in  1858, 
and  during  the  war  had  charge  of  the  rolling  department  of  the  government  gun  shops 
there.  He  came  to  the  Remington  gun  works  after,  where  he  has  been  ever  since.  He 
is  one  of  the  most  noted  men  in  his  line  in  the  world.     He  was  once  sent  to  Liege,  in 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  Si 

Belgium,  to  superintend  gun-making.  Mr.  Onyaus  has  been  a  Mason  over  thirty  years 
and  a  Republican  all  his  life.  He  married  Harriet  Langton  and  has  a  son,  William 
Langton.  Mr.  Onyaus  married  second  Adeline  M.,  daughter  of  Charles  Graham,  of 
Whitesboro. 

O'Brien,  M.  G.,  Ilion,  was  born  in  Troy,  N.  T.,  September  1,  1846,  and  after  gradu- 
ating at  St.  John's  College,  Fordham,  N.  T.,  he  entered  the  wholesale  grocery  house  of 
Knapp  &  Walradt  in  Troy.  He  afterwards  was  three  years  surveying  for  the  Iron 
Moantam  Railroad  company  in  Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Texas.  In  1874  he  located  at 
Ilion,  and  was  connected  with  the  Remington  armory  for  twelve  years.  In  1879  he 
established  the  insurance  and  real  estate  business,  which  he  still  successfully  conducts. 
Was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  in  1880  for  four  years,  and  elected  police  justice  in 
1892.  Mr.  O'Brien  is  an  earnest  Republican  in  politics.  He  is  executor  for  several  es- 
tates and  has  a  high  reputation.  In  188G  Mr.  O'Brien  married  Miss  Nellie  H.  Ryan,  of 
Ilion.     They  have  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

Osgood,  Josi ah  S.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Mohawk,  March  29,  1828,  and  was 
clerking  in  a  grocery  business  when  ten  years  old.  He  then  went  to  New  York  and 
was  in  the  hotel  business  for  eight  years.  He  returned  to  Mohawk  and  was  in  business 
for  several  years.  In  1852  he  took  an  interest  in  the  Osgood  House  in  Ilion,  but  in 
1870  he  gave  up  the  business,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  retired.  He  married  Fannie 
Jones.     His  business  operations  were  very  successful,  and  he  retired  in  1870. 

Osterhout,  S.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  German  Flats,  October  1,  1845.  He  has 
been  connected  with  farming  nearly  all  his  life  and  is  now  one  of  the  prominent  small 
fruit  growers  of  the  State.  His  father  was  Daniel  Osterhout,  and  his  grandfather,  John, 
came  from  Germany.  His  grandfather,  on  his  mother's  side,  was  a  Revolutionary  sol- 
dier. In  1869  Mr.  Osterhout  married  Abbie  Sillinian,  and  they  have  two  daughters, 
Mary  and  Kate.     He  grows  about  50,000  quarts  of  strawberries  annually. 

Onuf,  Dr.  B.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Jennisseisk,  Siberia,  July  4,  1863.  He  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Zurich,  Switzerland,  and  graduated  in  medicine  in  1884,  after 
which  he  studied  eye  diseases  eight  months  at  the  Eye  Clinic,  Zurich.  The  doctor  was 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  for  six  years  prior  to  coming  to  this  country, 
being  for  two  and  a  half  years  upon  the  staff  of  physicians  attached  to  an  insane  asylum. 
After  this  he  became  physician  on  the  Rotterdam- Lloyd  line  of  steamers  in  the  East 
Indies,  also  on  the  Tran.s-Atlantic  lines.  In  September  of  1890  he  settled  in  Dolge- 
ville, where  he  is  building  up  an  extensive  practice.  The  doctor's  sister  is  a  German 
teacher  in  the  Dolgeville  school  and  academy. 

Owens,  Hugh  R.,  Winfield,  mason,  contractor  and  builder,  has  erected  some  of  the 
finest  buildings  in  this  vicinity,  including  the  Baptist  church  of  this  place,  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  at  Richfield  Springs,  also  a  number  of  fine  residences,  among  which  is 
Cashier  ilcKee's  house,  at  the  same  place,  and  a  number  of  residences  of  this  and  sur- 
rounding towns.  He  was  born  in  Wales  in  1851.  In  1862  he  commenced  his  appren- 
ticeship, finished  in  1866,  and  worked  there  then  as  superintendent  on  contracts  for  his 
father  (Robert  R.  Owens),  also  a  contractor  and  builder.     April  6,  1869,  Hugh  R.  came 


?2  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

to  America  and  settled  in  Fair  Haven,  Vt.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same  business  with 
his  brother.  In  1871  he  came  to  Utica.  In  1873  he  went  to  Plainfield,  and  engaged  in 
the  same  business  there.  In  1878  he  settled  in  West  Winfield,  and  has  been  in  busi- 
ness here  since  that  time.  He  married  Katie  Hughes,  September  9,  1875,  and  they 
have  two  children :  Fred  T.  and  Herbert  E.  Mrs.  Katie  Owens  is  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Hughes,  of  Plainfield,  Otsego  county. 

Popple,  Roswell  H.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  October  29,  1845,  a  son  of  James, 
who  was  a  son  of  William,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born  May  18,  1768.  The  latter 
married  first,  Rachael  Frink,  also  a  native  of  Rhode  Lsland,  by  whom  he  had  eight 
children  :  Zaohariah,  Daniel,  Roswell,  William,  John,  Amy,  Lydia  and  Esther.  Mr. 
Popple  came  to  Ru-ssia  about  1800  and  settled  one  mile  west  of  Grant,  near  the  twin 
rock  bridge.  He  was  at  one  time  assessor,  and  died  in  Russia,  April  13,  185G.  He  was 
oflered  land  where  Uticanow  stands  (then  a  vast  swamp,  with  one  log  cabin  on  Corn 
Hil',)  at  $2.50  per  acre.  His  second  marriage  was  with  Catherine  Tompkins,  of  Nor- 
way, by  whom  he  had  one  child,  James.  His  second  wife  died  June  8,  1852.  James 
Popple  was  born  August  20,  1817,  and  his  life  was  spent  on  the  farm  settled  by  his 
father.  He  married  Ann  Eliza  Garlock,  born  in  Montgomery  county,  March  9,  1816,  a 
daughter  of  Philip  Garlock.  Their  children  were  Ann  Elizabeth,  Emily,  Matilda,  Ros- 
well II.,  Lydia,  Louisa,  William  and  Alma  Eliza,  all  now  living.  Mr.  Popple  follovced 
surveying  for  many  years.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  for  many  years  was  as- 
sessor and  constable.  He  died  March  13,  1868,  and  his  wife  March  24,  1880.  Ros- 
well II.  is  a  farmer,  a  Democrat,  and  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party,  always  taking  an 
active  part  in  elections,  and  has  been  in.spector,  census  enumerator,  school  trustee,  and 
is  now  secretary  of  the  Grange  at  Grant,  No.  692.  For  the  past  five  years  he  has  been 
agent  for  Listers,  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  the  largest  manufacturers  of  fertilizers  in  the  coun- 
try. February  2,  1882,  he  married  Diana  (Rathbun)  Gray,  daughter  of  William  Gray, 
an  early  settler  of  Remsen,  Oneida  county.  Mr.  Popple  and  wife  had  four  children  ; 
Annie,  Lydia,  Willie  and  Charles.  Annie,  the  only  one  living,  was  born  June  17,  1883. 
July  2,  1889,  Mrs  Popple  died,  and  July  30,  1890,  he  married  second,  Jennie,  daughter 
of  Caleb  Nichols,  a  son  of  Morey  Nichols,  an  early  settler  of  Remsen.  Caleb  married 
Ellen  Hughe.s,  and  had  a  son  and  a  daughter.  They  live  in  Remsen.  Mr.  Popple  is  a 
Democrat  and  has  been  inspector  of  elections.  He  was  drafted  in  the  late  war,  but  did 
not  serve  on  account  of  disability.  He  is  a  member  of  Grange  No.  692  of  Grant.  The 
father  of  the  subject,  James,  was  the  mest  reliable  surveyor  of  these  parts,  and  his  lines 
and  maps  are  now  eagerly  sought  for. 

Pryne,  P.,  M.  D.,  Herkimer.  The  Pryne  family  settled  in  Albany  as  early  as  1661, 
and  their  descendants  participated  in  the  Revolution.  Dr.  P.  Pryne's  ancestors  were 
Frans  Jansen  Pryne,  who  settled  in  Albany  in  1661.  Frans  Pryne,  jr.,  born  in  Albany 
September  23,  1683;  David,  Frans,  jr's.  son ;  Peter  Pryne,  David's  son  ;  then  Frans  P. 
Pryne,  who  was  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Dr.  P.  Pryne  was  born  June 
20,  1820,  and  educated  at  the  schools  of  Rome  and  Frankfort.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  his  profession  with  Dr.  Arba  Blair,  and  continued  with  Dr.  DooHttle.  He 
graduated  at  Geneva  Medical  College  in  1844,  and  commenced  practice  in  Herkimer  in 


FAMILY  SKETCHES  83 

1845.  Id  1860  he  was  appointed  physician  to  Sing  Sing  prison  and  continued  there 
until  1872,  when  he  returned  to  Herkimer  and  practically  retired  from  his  profession. 
He  has  the  finest  private  geological  specimers  in  the  country.  He  is  quoted  in  Eng- 
lish journals  as  an  authority.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Miss  Jane  Byers,  by  whom 
he  had  two  children.  His  second  wife  was  Miss  Mary  C.  Weber.  They  have  no 
children.     He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

Prowse,  Wm.  H.,  Herkimer,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Prowse  &  Thomson,  deal- 
erg  in  drugs,  hardware,  etc.,  is  a.native  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  but  has  lived  all  his  life  in  Her- 
kimer. He  established  the  present  business  twenty-seven  years  ago  in  the  present 
stand  and  the  present  partnership  was  formed  in  1884.  Mr.  Prowse's  father  was  an 
Englishman,  and  his  mother  was  a  native  of  Herkimer.  He  married  Miss  Emma 
Greene  of  Rome,  N.  Y.,  in  1867.  Mr.  Prowse  is  one  of  the  enterprising  and  successful 
business  men,  and  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  United  Friends,  and  other  societies. 
He  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  same  business  continuously  longer  than  any  other 
man  in  Herkimer. 

Pross,  Geo.  Adam,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Germany  October  7,  1835.  He  came  to 
this  country  in  1854,  and  followed  farming  for  twenty-two  years.  He  had  charge  of 
the  Fairfield  road  for  seven  years,  then  moved  to  Little  Falls  and  has  done  jobbing  and 
contracting  since  that  time.  He  married  Miss  Caroline  F.  Shakinger,  and  has  five 
children,  four  of  whom  are  boys.  Two  of  the  boys  are  Pross  Bros.,  grocers,  Little  Falls. 
Mr.  Pross  was  overseer  of  the  poor  in  Manheim  for  two  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Templars  of  Temperance,  Chosen 'Friends,  E.  P.  M.  A.,  Key  Stone  of  Rochester, 
Reform  Club,  etc.,  and  a  substantial  and  esteemed  citizen. 

Parkinson,  John,  of  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  England,  but  has  been  in  America  since 
1850.  He  was  first  employed  as  a  farm  hand  but  soon  struck  out  for  himself  and  with 
great  succes  .  To-day  he  owns  a  fine  farm  of  175  acres  and  thirty  milch  cows.  He 
rents  the  farm  out  and  lives  in  a  snug  house  of  his  own  in  Fairfield  village.  Mr.  Park- 
inson married  Charlotte  Herringshaw  in  1843  and  they  have  two  children,  George  and 
Mrs.  Alfred  Childs. 

Peck,  William,  Manheim,  was  born  in  Manheim  February  13,  1811.  His  ancestors 
are  of  New  England  descent,  emigrating  there  from  England,  and  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  Mr.  Peck  married  Polly  Silliman,  and  they  have  nine  children,  four  sons  and 
five  daughters.  Mrs.  Peck  died  in  1890.  Mr.  Peck  owns  1,500  acres  of  dairy  land  in 
Herkimer  county,  which  is  worked  by  tenants,  besides  owning  other  property.  He 
has  been  a  great  traveler,  having  crossed  the  Atlantic  forty-two  times,  and  visited  the 
principal  cities  and  points  of  interest  in  France,  Germany,  Italy,  Switzerland,  Scotland, 
England,  Ireland,  Wales,  Egypt  and  the  Holy  Land,  and  is  thoroughly  informed  upon 
ancient  history.     He  is  a  most  entertaining  conversationalist. 

Petrie,  S.  A.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls,  but  has  been  on  his  present  farm 
for  about  a  year,  having  purchased  it  in  1891.  He  owns  lU  acres,  which  he  utilizes 
for  dairy  purposes,  grass  and  grain.  He  keeps  twenty-nine  milch  cows  and  sells  con- 
siderable milk  in  the  village,  outside  of  his  farming  operations.     Mr.  Petrie  is  descended 


84  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMP:R  COUNTY. 

from  an  old  and  historical  family.  His  great-grandfather,  Henry  Keyser,  was  in  the 
Revolutionary  War  and  was  taken  prisoner  with  others  by  the  Indians.  Mr.  Petrie 
married  in  1862,  Helen  Getman,  and  has  a  family  of  five  daughters  and  one  son.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

Post,  Dan,  Newport,  was  born  in  1771  and  came  to  Newport  with  his  brother  Na- 
thaniel when  a  young  man.     Dan   worked  at  farming.     He  married  Mercy  , 

and  their  children  were:  John,  Dan,  jr.,  Spencer.  "Watson,  Willoughby,  Nathaniel, 
Roxy  A.  Benchley,  and  Julia  A.  Hale.  Dan  Post,  jr.,  married  Ann  Stephens  in  1824. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  Stephens  of  Fairfield.  They  had  two  children,  Henrv 
and  Dan  3d.  He  married  second,  Delcena  Kniffin,  a  native  of  Newport,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Obediah  Kniffin.  They  also  had  two  children,  Charles  R.  and  Obediah  K.  After 
his  second  marriage  Mr.  Post  moved  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  his  death. 
Henry  Post's  father  died  when  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  he  lived  with  his  uncle, 
John  Post,  in  the  town  of  Russia  until  1844.  He  then  taught  school  in  Illinois  for  four 
years,  when  he  returned  to  Middleville,  and  has  since  followed  farming  and  carpentering. 
While  building  a  barn  on  his  farm  he  discovered  some  quarts  crystals,  which  he  mines. 
He  has  one  child  living,  Annie,  wife  of  George  W.  Nellis,  jr.,  editor  of  the  Wide  Awake 
Herkimer  Count  Record  of  Herkimer.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  a  member  of  the 
TJniversalist  church  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 

Phillips,  William,  East  Schuyler,  was  born  in  Steuben,  Oneida  county,  in  1832,  and  his 
father,  Champion  Phillips,  was  also  a  native  of  that  county.  His  grandfather  came  from 
Connecticut.  Mr.  Phillips  engages  in  general  farming,  but  has  also  a  large  business  in 
buying  and  shipping  hay.  He  has  been  twice  married  ;  first  in  1857  to  Mrs.  Mary 
Jane  Carder  of  East  Schuyler,  Herkimer  county,  and  in  1883  to  Miss  Permelia  Quance 
of  Camden,  Oneida  county.  He  was  commissioner  of  highways  six  years,  trustee  sev- 
eral terms  and  deputy  sheriff  six  years. 

Pearce,  Frank  E.,  Fairfield,  siiperintendent  of  the  poor  for  Plerkimer  count}'  (elected 
in  the  fall  of  1891),  is  a  native  of  Newport,  and  was  born  July  12,  1859.  He  is  a  son 
of  James  P.  Pearce,  one  of  the  best  known  men  of  the  county.  Frank  E.  left  the  farm 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  to  embark  in  the  sewing-maohine  business.  He  wassulxsequent- 
ly  five  years  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Newport.  Then  for  six  years  he  again  fol- 
lowed farming.  He  was  collector  of  Newport  and  supervisor  for  two  terms,  1888-89, 
and  although  a  Democrat,  he  was  elected  in  a  Republican  town.  In  1884  he  married 
Jane  L.  Harris,  and  they  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

Phillips,  S.  A.,  Russia,  was  born  April  24,  1834,  in  Hammond,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Sam- 
uel, who  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Phillips,  a  native  of  England,  who  settled  in  Rensselaer 
county,  near  Hoosac  Falls.  He  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Philips  was  twice 
married  and  had  five  children  by  his  first  wife.  His  first  wife  was  Betsey  Allen, 
youngest  sister  of  Ethan  Allen,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  He  married  second  Mrs. 
Baker,  by  whom  he  had  four  children.  Samuel  Phillip.^,  jr.,  was  born  in  Rensselaer 
county,  1797.  He  married  Emily  Wightman,  a  native  of  Trenton  and  a  daughter  of 
Eleazar  Wightman,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children.     Mrs.  Phillips  died  in  1841 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  85 

and  he  married  Paulina  MoMaster,  of  Russia,  by  whom  lie  had  one  child.  He  was  in 
the  war  of  1812.  His  son,  Leander,  in  1S61  enlisted  in  the  Second  New  York  Light 
Artillery,  but  was  transferred  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth  New  York  Infan- 
try and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Mr.  Phillips  died  in  1877,  and  his  wife  died 
in  1885.  Subject  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  in  Russia.  In  1855  he  married 
Martha  Emory,  a  native  of  Oswego  county,  whose  parents  were  early  settlers.  To 
Mr.  Phillips  and  wife  have  been  born  four  children :  Clara  V.  and  Clinton,  deceased 
Allen  J.  and  Frank  J.,  the  former  residing  on  his  father's  farm  and  working  in  the  tub 
factory  with  his  father.  His  wife  is  Cora  Baker,  of  Oswego  county,  and  they  have 
five  children:  George  A.,  Clara,  Clinton,  Samuel  and  May,  all  of  whom  are  living. 
Frank  J.  is  a  graduate  of  Fairfield  and  Holland  Patent  schools  and  holds  a  New  York 
State  diploma.  He  is  at  present  a  teacher  in  the  commercial  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity at  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  His  wife  is  Blanche  Ward,  a  native  of  North  Carolina. 
S.  A.  Phillips  is  a  farmer  and  also  has  a  tub  factory  with  first-class  machinery  and  car- 
ries on  a  successful  business.  He  is  a  Republican.  He  and  family  attend  and  support 
the  M.  E.  and  Unitarian  churches  at  Trenton. 

Parker,  Theodore  Patten,  Litchfield,  is  a  son  of  Archibald  Parker  and  Cassandre 
Hoxie.  Seven  children  were  born  to  Archibald  Parker  and  wife,  of  whom  but  two  are 
living.  Archibald  Parker  was  supervisor  of  this  town,  and  was  born,  lived  and  died 
on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  his  youngest  son.  Theodore  P.  Parker  was  a  son  of 
the  Rev.  Archibald  Parker,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  who  settled  at  Parker's  Corners, 
after  which  this  place  was  named.  There  were  five  hundred  acres  in  the  tract  bought 
by  Rev.  Archibald  Parker  and  one  Samuel  Remington,  and  the  tract  was  divided  be- 
tween them.  Theodore  P.  Parker  married  Edwina  A.,  daughter  of  Taylor  Hasselkuse 
of  Litchfield.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  have  one  son,  A.  Earl.  Rev.  Archibald  Parker 
was  born  April  12,  1769,  and  died  January  3,  1831.  He  married  Sarah  Ross,  born 
May  24,  1773,  died  October  15,  1852.  Archibald  Parker  was  born  April  7,  1808,  and 
died  August  13,  1885.  Cassandre  Parker,  his  wife,  was  born  July  26,  1809,  and  died 
October  23,  1862.  The  tract  spoken  of  above  was  divided  by  the  Rev.  Archibald 
Parker,  who  took  one-fourth,  Samuel  Remington  one-fourth,  and  one-fourth  was  sold 
by  them  to  Isaac  Parke",  a  brother  of  the  Rev.  P.,  and  the  other  one-fourth  to  another 
brother,  Jacob  Parker. 

Paddock,  Robert  Brayton,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Frankfort,  June  7, 
1824.  He  married  Mariam  F.  Tanner,  of  the  town  of  New  Hartford,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Arthur  Clifford  Paddock  and  Fannie  Esther  Paddock.  Arthur  C.  Pad- 
dock married  Emma  Almira  Burpee,  of  Litchfield,  and  they  have  two  children,  Effie 
Almira  Paddock  and  Arthur  Samuel  Paddock.  Fannie  E.  Paddock  married  John  C. 
McCartin,  of  Watertown,  June  30,  1891,  and  he  died  January  2,  1892.  Robert  B. 
Paddock  is  a  son  of  Samuel,  who  was  born  on  the  Paddock  homestead,  and  died  July 
19,  1882,  aged  eighty-six  years.  Hia  father.  Captain  John  Paddock,  was  a  sea  captain 
and  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Frankfort.  He  died 
April  4,  1817,  aged  sixty-five  year.s. 


86  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Rhodes,  Thomas  T.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  March  14,  1833,  a  son 
of  Jacob,  who  was  a  son  of  Joseph,  who  was  a  native  of  Marblehead,  Mass.  Joseph 
.Rhodes  in  an  early  day  came  to  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  where  he  lived  and  died.  He  had 
nine  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  was  a  mason  by  trade  and  also  followed  farming. 
He  died  in  Chesterfield,  Mass.  Jacob  Rhodes  was  born  in  Marblehead,  Mass.,  March 
8,  1783.  In  early  lite  he  taught  school  and  afterwards  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade  which  be  followed  until  his  death.  He  married  Sally  Wood,  a  native  of  New 
Bedford,  Mass.,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  About  1857  he  went  to 
Williamsburg,  Mass.,  where  he  died.  Thomas  T.  Rhodes  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  worked  for  his  brother,  who 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  saw  handles.  He  bought  out  the  business  and 
followed  it  until  1865,  and  after  spending  one  year  in  Connecticut  he  came  to  Cold 
Brook  and  here  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  saw  handles,  which  business  he  has 
since  followed.  On  November  '27,  1857,  he  married  Elvisa,  a  daughter  of  Levi  and 
Emily  Olds,  of  Middlefield,  Mass.  Mrs.  Rhodes  died  in  December,  1863,  and  in  1864 
he  married  second  Ella  A.,  a  daughter  of  Sylvester  and  Belinda  French,  he  a  native 
of  Sutton,  N.  H.,  and  liis  wife  of  Ashfield,  Mass.  Mr.  French  and  wife  had  one  son 
and  two  daughters :  Edward  N.,  who  was  a  corporal  in  the  Forty-ninth  Massachusetts 
Infantry;  Georgiana,  wife  of  J.  M.  Allen,  of  Cold  Brook,  and  Mrs.  Rhodes.  Mr. 
French  is  a  Whig  and  a  Republican,  and  he  and  wife  were  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church.  He  died  in  1883  and  his  wife  now  resides  at  Cold  Brook.  The 
children  of  Mr.  Rhodes  and  wife  are:  Arthur  E.,  born  July  31,  1866,  who  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  and  at  Clinton,  where  he  graduated  in  1883.  He  was 
bookkeeper  in  the  Poland  Bank  for  three  years  and  has  since  assisted  his  father  at 
Cold  Brook,  In  1887  he  married  Belle,  daughter  of  Jefferson  Moon,  of  Cold  Brook. 
He  is  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge,  No.  455,  F.  and  A.  M. ;  also  Iroquois  Chapter, 
No.  236,  R.  A.  M.,  Ilion,  N.  Y.  Nellie  E.,  wife  of  James  W.  Moon,  of  Cold  Brook, 
and  two  who  live  at  home,  Mabel  A.  and  Maud  B.  .  Thomas  T.  Rhodes  is  a  Republi- 
can and  has  been  assessor  in  Russia  for  two  terms. 

Read,  George  C,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  June  18,  1852,  a  son  of  Erastus  and 
Caroline  (Russel)  Read,  elsewhere  mentioned.  Mr.  Read  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
educated  in  the  Tenbroeck  and  Lowville  Academies.  In  1874  he  married  Estella, 
daughter  of  Frederick  and  Maria  Carpenter,  of  Russia.  To  Mr.  Read  and  wife  one 
child,  Fred,  was  born  February  14,  1875.  In  1876  Mrs.  Read  died,  and  April  18, 
1883,  Luanna,  daughter  of  William  Henry,  of  Ohio  township,  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Read.  In  1874  Mr.  Read,  with  his  brother,  E.  Bobbins  Read,  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  in  Poland,  and  they  have  since  carried  on  a  very  successful  trade.  From 
1878  to  1889  they  also  conducted  mercantile  business  in  Gray,  during  which  time  Mr. 
Read  resided  there.     Since  1889  he  has  resided  in  Poland.     He  is  a  Republican. 

Richardson,  D.  M.,  Herkimer  was  born  n  Schuyler,  N.  Y.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Utica  and  Fairfield  Seminary,  and  immediately  thereafter  learned 
the  business  of  cheese-making,  in  which  he  has  since  that  time,  a  period  of  twenty 
years,  been  enofaged.     His  family  originally  came  to  New  York  from  Massachusetts, 


Family  sketches.  s? 

but  has  lived  in  the  old  homestead  at  Schuyler  for  over  one  hundred  years,  and  his 
father  still  lives  there.  Mr.  Richardson  served  as  supervisor  for  over  six  year.s,  from 
1886  to  1891,  and  was  appointed  deputy  county  clerk  January  1,  1892.  He  is  a  Royal 
Arch  Mason,  a  member  of  Oriental  Lodge,  No.  224,  Oneida  Chapter  57,  Utica  Com- 
mandery,  No.  3,  and  Ziyara  Temple  Mystic  Shrine.  His  wife  was  Miss  Jane  Ladd,  of 
Schuyler.     They  have  no  children. 

— Rasback,  William  C,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  September  27,  1822.  He 
has  been  a  farmer  all  of  his  life.  His  father  lived  here  and  his  grandfather  took  part 
in  the  Revolutionary  War  as  a  boy,  while  his  great-grandfather  took  a  soldier's  part. 
Mr.  Rasback  owns  ninety-four  acres  of  land  and  keeps  twenty  head  of  cattle.  He  has 
been  twice  married,  first  when  twenty-two  years  of  age  and  again  at  forty-five.  His 
present  wife  is  Mary,  daughter  of  Sanford  Eysaman.  In  politics  Mr.  Rasback  is  a 
liberal  Democrat.  He  has  no  children.  His  first  wife  was  M.  E.  Harter,  all  of  which 
family  are  now  dead. 

Robinson,  T.  F.,  Little  Falls,  manufacturer  of  brush  blocks,  inner  soles,  heel  stock, 
etc.,  at  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to  America  twenty  years  ago. 
He  is  an  experienced  worker  in  various  novelties  in  leather.  He  is  enterprising,  indus- 
trious and  intelligent,  and  notwithstanding  that,  he  was  once  burned  out  without  any 
insurance,  is  picking  up  again  in  a  quiet  unassuming  way,  and  has  in  contemplation  the 
enlargement  of  his  concern.  He  is  both  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  is  past  dis- 
trict deputy  grand  master  in  the  latter  order.  Mr.  Robinson  married  June  28,  1885, 
and  has  four  children. 

Read,  E.  Robins,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  April  2,  1846,  son  of  Erastus  and  Caro- 
line (Russel)  Read.  Erastus  settled  in  Russia  in  1846.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of 
Jonathan  Russel  and  they  had  four  children:  E.  Robins,  Gile  D.,  George  C,  and  John 
B.  They  are  natives  and  residents  of  the  town  of  Russia.  E.  Robins  married,  August, 
1867,  Hattie  E.,  daughter  of  Erastus  and  Phoebe  Judson  Terry.  She  died  May  26, 
1886.  His  second  wife  was  Ella,  daughter  of  Helos  Judson,  and  has  one  child,  Erastus 
Earl.  Mr.  Read  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  clerk  three  years,  justice  of  the  peace 
four  years,  deputy  sheriff  under  J.  H.  Ives  three  years,  and  was  supervisor  in  1885-86- 
88-89,  and  was  chairman  of  the  board  in  1889.  He  is  an  active  worker  in  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.,  and  charter  member  in  Poland  Lodge,  of  which  he  has  also  been  master.  His 
early  education  was  in  the  district  school.  At  thirteen  years  he  entered  the  Utica 
Free  School,  which  he  attended  winters  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  when  he 
entered  Poland  Union  Store  as  a  clerk  for  three  years.  He  was  also  agent  for  Russia 
Union  Store  for  three  years.  In  1872  he  started  a  general  merchandise  store  at  Poland. 
In  1875  he  took  his  brother,  George  C,  in  as  a  partner.  They  are  also  interested  in 
Holstein  cattle  and  farming. 

Read,  John  B.,  Russia,  was  born  October  10,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  Erastus  and  Car- 
oline Read,  whom  we  have  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  was  reared  on  a 
farm  and  received  a  common  school  education,  supplemented  by  several  terms  in 
the  Rural  High  School  at  Clinton.     In  1880  he  married  Francis  Willoughby,  a  native 


88  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

of  Russia  and  a  daughter  of  Vincent  Willou<!;hby,  by  whom  he  had  three  children : 
Herbert,  Ralph  and  Verna,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Mrs.  Read  died  May  17,  1887. 
Mr.  Read  married  Emma  Wheeler  of  Ohio  township,  Herkimer  county.  She  was 
formerly  Miss  Lawton.  She  has  one  daughter,  Hattie  A.  Wheeler.  Mr.  Read  is  a 
manufacturer  of  cheese,  which  business  he  has  followed  for  twenty  years.  In  1889 
he  purchased  the  cheese  factory  of  Poland,  and  lias  since  had  a  very  successful  busi- 
ness. He  also  has  a  printing  office,  the  only  one  in  Russia  township.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  0.  U.  W.  of  Poland,  No.  183. 

Robinson,  Douglas,  Warren,  was  born  in  Lancashire,  Scotland,  March  24,  1824,  a 
son  of  William  Rose  and  Mary  (Douglas)  Robinson.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
educated  in  Edinboro  University,  and  in  1841  he  came  to  this  country  and  engaged  in 
business  in  Kew  York  City.  He  married  on  November  14,  1850,  Fanny  Monroe, 
who  was  born  in  New  York  City,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  Mary  (Doug- 
las) Monroe.  Her  grandfather,  Andrew  Monroe,  was  a  brother  of  President  Monroe, 
and  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  was  captured  by  the  enemy,  but  managed 
to  escape,  and  finally  died  on  his  estate  in  Westmoreland,  Va.  His  ancestor  was  An- 
drew Monroe,  a  cavalier,  who  came  from  Scotland  in  1642  and  .settled  on  a  grant  of 
land  from  Charles  11.  Andrew  ilonroe  married  Fanny  Garnett,  and  they  bad  two 
children,  James  and  Augustin.  James  Monroe  was  born  in  Virginia,  September  7, 
1779,  and  graduated  from  West  Point  in  1816.  He  served  in  various  wars,  and  was  a 
member  of  Congress  two  terms  and  of  the  New  York  Assembly.  He  married  in  1822 
a  daughter  of  George  and  Margaret  Douglas,  born  in  New  York  City  in  1779,  and  set- 
tled in  New  York  City.  Of  his  six  children  three  survived,  William,  Elizabeth  M.  and 
Fanny.  The  Henderson  House. — The  patentee  was  James  Henderson  of  Scotland, 
who  married  Letitia  Benson,  and  had  six  daughters,  one  of  whom,  Letitia,  married 
Captain  Corne,  and  her  daughter,  Margaret  married  George  Douglas  of  Scotland,  and 
had  six  children  :  Elizabeth,  Margaret,  Harriet,  George,  William  and  Mary.  Harriet 
inherited  from  her  mother  the  Henderson  property,  and  married  Henry  Cruger,  a  law- 
yer, and  died  childle.«s,  and  her  niece,  Mrs.  Douglas  Robinson,  inherited  the  property. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  James  Monroe,  of  Virginia,  who  was  a  nephew  of  President 
Monroe. 

Reynolds,  Gideon,  Newport,  and  his  wife,  Annie  Crandall,  settled  in  the  township 
of  Norway,  coming  from  Rhode  Island,  and  had  two  children,  William  and  Robert. 
He  died  September  9,  1868.  William  commenced  life  as  a  clerk  at  ten  years  of  age, 
and  at  the  age  of  twelve  taught  school,  which  he  followed  for  several  years,  then  pur- 
chased a  farm,  where  he  lived  until  his  death.  He  was  also  a  produce  dealer.  William 
Reynolds,  jr.,  was  born  May  25,  1830.  When  seventeen  years  old  he  took  charge  of 
his  father's  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  thirty  he  purchased  his  father's  intere.st  in  the  farm 
which  he  followed  for  two  years.  He  then  sold  the  farm,  moved  to  Newport  and  fol- 
lowed the  produce  business  seven  years,  In  1870  he  purchased  a  farm  near  Newport, 
which  he  sold,  then  purchased  the  farm  of  eighty  acres  where  he  now  resides.  He  also 
owns  two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  the  town  of  Schuyler.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Newport  Improvement  Society,  and  is  president  of  the  canning  factory,  which  em- 


» 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  g& 

ploys  fifty  hands  and  has  a  capacity  of  20,000  cases  of  corn.  He  was  justice  of  the 
peace  of  Norway  and  Newport  and  was  a  Republican  until  1872,  when  he  became  a 
Prohibitionist.  He  was  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Newport  Union  Free  School  eleven 
years,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  Newport  Union  Store,  and  secretary  of  the  Agricul- 
tural Society  three  years.  He  has  also  been  secretary,  treasurer  and  trustee  of  the  Uni- 
versalist  church.  His  mother,  Bet.sey  (Giles)  Reynolds,  was  a  daughter  of  James  Giles 
who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Rider,  Holmes,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  October  7,  1830.  He  was  one  of 
twelve  children  of  Anson  and  Eliza  (Holmes)  Rider ;  Anson,  the  father,  being  a  native 
of  Litchfield,  his  wife  having  been  born  in  Winfield.  Lewis  Rider,  the  grandfather, 
was  born  in  Connecticut  and  came  to  Litchfield,  where  he  settled  when  a  young  man. 
Holmes  Rider  married  first  in  1852,  Octavia  Hungerford,  daughterof  Diodate  Hunger- 
ford,  who  came  from  Connecticut  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  that  vicinity.  She 
died  in  1875,  leaving  one  son,  Martin  H.  Rider.  Mr.  Rider  subsequently  married  Giffie 
H.,  daughter  of  J.  Hartley  Ball,  of  North  Litchfield.  Mr.  Rider  lives  upon  his  farm  in 
Frankfort  making  a  specialty  of  raising  horses,  hay  and  sheep.  Martin  H.,  the  son,  is  a 
merchant,  doing  business  at  Albion,  N.  T.  He  mar.  ied  Nellie  Willis  of  Waterville. 
They  have  one  son,  Kenneth  Rider. 

Rasbach,  James  Irving,  M.  D.,  son  of  John  A.  Rasbach,  was  born  m  llion,  October 
20,  1852.  He  was  educated  in  llion  Academy,  Hungerford  Collegiate  Institute,  and 
Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College,  graduating  from  the  latter  institution  in  March, 
1876.  He  immediately  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  his  native  village  where 
he  has  since  continued.  He  is  an  enthusiastic  member  of  various  medical  societies  and 
secret  fraternal  organizations.  In  1879  he  married  Miss  Margaret  E.  Bellinger,  daugh- 
ter of  James  H.  Bellinger  of  Herkimer.  He  has  one  child,  James  B.  Rasbach.  The 
Rasbach  family  came  from  Schwarzwald,  Germany,  with  the  early  Palatines,  locating 
in  what  is  now  Herkimer.  It  actively  participated  in  all  the  valley  warfare  for  liberty. 
Marx  Rasbach,  grandfather  of  John  A.  Rasbach,  was  an  officer  under  General  Herki- 
mer at  the  battle  of  Oriskany.  John  A.  Rasbach.  father  of  Dr.  Rasbach,  was  born  in 
Herkimer,  May  9,  1805,  and  died  in  llion,  January  21,  1892. 

Read,  G.  D.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  on  the  old  Read  Homestead,  March  19, 
1850.  He  is  a  son  of  Erastus  and  Caroline  Read,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  received  a  common  school  education.  December  13, 
1887,  he  married  Carrie  A.  Barker,  a  native  of  Ru.'isia,  born  in  1865.  Her  father, 
Gorham  Barker,  was  a  native  of  Russia,  and  her  grandfather,  James  Barker,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Massachusetts,  who  came  to  Russia  when  a  young  man.  He  married  Belinda 
Hubbart  by  whom  he  had  eleven  children.  He  died  in  Russia  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
two  years  and  his  wife  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  Gorham  Barker  was  born  in 
1817.  September  28,  1852,  he  married  Achsah  Walker,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Walker, 
of  Russia,  who  was  a  son  of  Truman  Walker  of  Massachusetts,  and  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Russia.  He  was  in  the  war  of  1812.  Ebenezer  Walker  and  wife  had  five 
children.  Mr.  Walker  died  aged  seventy-six,  and  his  wife  died  in  1836.  Mr.  Barker 
and  wife  have  had  two  sons  and  a  daughter.     He  died  October  28,  1877,  his  wife  being 


S6  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTlT. 

still  living.  Mr.  Read  owns  one  of  the  Bnest  farms  in  Russia,  on  which  he  keeps  a 
large  dairy.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  Poland  Grange,  No.  607. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  of  Russia. 

Ransom,  N.  B.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  at  Ingharas,  Herkimer  county,  and  educated 
in  the  Little  Falls  Academy,  and  commenced  January  21, 1873,  to  brake  on  a  passenger 
train  on  the  N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.  R.  After  two  years  and  eight  months  service  he  was 
promoted  to  the  baggage  car.  In  two  years  and  eight  months  more  exactly  he  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  freight  conductor.  After  serving  three  years  and  eight 
months  in  this  capacity  he  was  appointed  passenger  conductor,  which  position  he  ac- 
ceptably filled  for  seven  years.  He  llien  resigned  and  entered  into  business  at  Little 
Falls.  In  1891  (Novem'-er  1)  he  was  elected  county  clerk,  which  position  he  still  holds. 
Mr.  Ransom  is  commander  of  the  Little  Falls  Commandery  of  Knights  Templer  and  also 
an  exempt  fireman.  He  married  Miss  Carrie  I.  Wilcox  of  Little  Falls,  in  1876,  and  has 
no  children.  Mr.  Ransom's  descent  is  Mohawk  Dutch  on  the  mother's  side  and  English 
on  the  father's.  His  great-grandfather  removed  from  Massachusetts  into  New  York 
State  in  1793,  and  settled  near  Little  Falls. 

Root,  H.  G.,  German  Flats,  was  born  February  8,  1809,  and  is  the  oldest  man  in  Mo- 
hawk and  the  one  who  gave  the  village  its  name.  His  father,  John  Root,  was  an  edge 
tool  maker.  In  1831  he  came  to  Mohawk  and  went  into  the  forwarding  business  which 
he  followed  for  many  years.  In  1839  he  married  Miss  Olive  B.  Mix  who  died  in  May, 
1892.  Mr.  Root  has  been  justice  of  the  peace  twelve  years,  superintendent  of  the  canal 
two  years,  clerk  at  Washington  for  fifteen  years,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly 
in  the  year  1850.     He  now  lives  retired. 

•  Rasbach,  G.  0.,  German  Flat.s,  was  born  December  23,  1846,  and  studied  law  with 
Thomas  Richardson  after  a  preliminary  education  at  Cazenovia  Seminary.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1876  and  is  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  this  part  of  the  county. 
He  was  president  of  Ilion  in  1890  and  1891  and  is  a  prominent  Democrat.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  other  local  organizations.  In  1870  he  married 
Caroline  M.  Roney,  by  whom  he  has  had  three  sons,  Charles  I.,  George  0.,  jr.,  and 
Earle  J. 

Russell,  Pardon  S.,  Frankfort,  one  of  eight  children  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Stewart) 
Russell,  was  born  in  Frankfort  February  13,  1830.  His  grandfather,  Jonathan  Russell, 
was  a  native  of  New  England,  who  emigrated  to  New  York  State  in  early  life.  His 
father  was  born  in  Scotland  and  was  kidnapped  when  young  and  brought  to  tliis  coun- 
try. Pardon  S.  Russell  was  married  November  29,  1854,  to  Cylhera  Inman  of  Frank- 
fort, one  of  eight  children  of  Asel  and  Cyntha  (Baldwin)  Inman.  They  have  six 
daughters:  Emma  (Mrs.  W.  D.  Lewis),  Nellie  (Mrs.  Jas.  McGuckin),  Jennie  (Mrs.  Jas. 
Hagnes),  Minnie,  Flora  and  Ethel.  Mr.  Russell  worked  the  homestead  farm  during  the 
lifetime  of  his  father,  who  died  in  his  ninetieth  year,  since  that  time  working  his  own 
farm.     He  was  appointed  road  commissioner  in  1892. 

Richardson,  Thomas,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  England'Octoberl9,  1830,  and  came 
to  America  in  1854.      He  began  life  as  a  teacher  in  Montgomery  county  and  taught  in 


I 


i 


FAMILY    SKETCHES.  91 

dififerent  places  from  1855  to  1861.  He  studied  law  while  teaching  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1861.  He  began  practice  in  Frankfort  but  moved  to  Ilion  in  1864  and  has 
been  very  .successful  here,  having  both  a  large  clientage  and  being  attorney  for 
E.  Remington  &  Sons  from  1867  to  1886.  He  is  also  counsel  for  the  Ilion  National 
Bank,  was  also  counsel  for  the  Driven  Wells  Company.  In  1859  he  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  Hon.  John  B.  Dygert  and  has  one  son  and  three  daughters,  A.  D.,  Caroline  L., 
Jennie  M.  and  Lillian  L. 

Rich,  Charles  M.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Marion,  Wayne  county,  April 
20,  1858,  he  being  one  of  four  children  of  John  S.  and  Amanda  (Caldwell)  Rich.  John 
S.,  the  father,  who  has  been  influential  in  the  politics  in  Wayne  county,  was  born  in 
Connecticut.  Charles  M.,  after  graduating  from  the  Rochester  Business  University  in 
1878,  learned  the  watchmaking  and  jeweler  trade  at  South  Manchester,  Conn.  He  was 
for  about  two  years  located  with  a  jeweler  at  Fort  Plain,  coming  to  Frankfort  and  estab- 
lishing himself  in  business  about  ten  years  ago,  being  one  of  the  first  merchants  to  locate 
here  after  the  West  Shore  railroad  shops  were  established.  He  was  married  January 
22,  1885,  to  BIaT)che  J.  Webster,  one  of  five  children  of  Charles  W.  and  Julia  P.  Web- 
ster of  Fort  Plain. 

Richards,  Seymour  S.,  M.  D.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Newport,  Herkimer  county. 
December  23,  1860  ;  he  being  one  of  two  children  of  L.  F.  and  Sarah  (Haskell)  Rich- 
ards, the  other  being  Frank  J.  Richards.  John  Richards,  the  grandfather,  was  born  m 
Wales.  He  emigrated  to  New  England  in  early  life  and  later  located  in  Herkimer  county. 
Seymour  S.  was  married  April  25,  1883,  toMarianettaSkifF,  daughter  of  Dr.  Perrin  A.  and 
Marianetta  (Valentine)  Skiff  of  Frankfort,  they  both  being  natives  of  Schuyler.  Dr. 
Richards  was  educated  at  Richfield  Springs  and  Fort  Edward,  at  University  of  Michi- 
gan at  Ann  Arbor  one  year  and  graduated  at  University  Medical  College  at  New  York 
in  March,  1883,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Frankfort  where  he  has 
since  remained. 

Reed,  Elijah,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer  county,  and  was  born  in  1822. 
He  lived  on  his  father's  farm  until  1846,  when  he  came  to  Little  Falls  and  entered  the 
mercantile  business.  In  1861  he  embarfced  in  the  cheese  business,  and  in  1868  retired 
from  this  to  go  into  the  starch  manufacturing  business  with  J.  J.  Gilbert.  He  con- 
tmued  in  this  industry  for  eighteen  years.  In  1882  he  became  connected  with  the 
Little  Falls  Knitting  Company  by  purchasing  stock,  and  in  1886  he  took  the  position 
of  secretary  and  treasurer,  which  he  has  since  held.  The  company  is  very  prosperous, 
and  employs  260  hands  in  the  manufacture  of  underwear.  Mr.  Reed  takes  a  deep  in- 
terest in  the  prosperity  of  the  town.  He  possesses  fine  business  abilities,  and  his  life 
has  been  successful. 

Russell,  George  R.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Virginia  January  25,  1861.  He  was  one 
of  four  children  of  A.  N.  and  Mary  (Hatch)  Russell,  the  others  being  S.  T.,  Hattie  E. 
and  Ella  M.  Russell.  A.  N.,  the  father,  was  a  native  of  Oneida  county  and  a  son  of 
Samuel  Russell.  George  R.  was  married  June  12,  1889,  to  Clara  M.  Angell,  of  Ilion, 
one  of  two   children  of  L   A.  and   Susan  (Mott)   Angell,   the  other  being  Helen  E. 


92  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Angell.  They  have  one  son,  Harold  R  Russell.  Mr.  Rvissell  has  always  lived  in  Ilion 
and  Frankfort,  he  having  been  engaged  in  business  in  Frankfort  the  past  nine  years, 
and  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  village.  The  firm  of  A.  N.  Russell  &  Sons,  of  which 
he  is  a  member,  are  located  at  Ilion  and  Frankfort,  their  manufactory  being  at  Ilion, 
where  they  manufacture  sash,  doors  and  blinds  and  all  styles  of  finishing  lumber,  em- 
ploying fifty  men,  George  R.  being  manager  of  the  Frsnktort  branch. 

Rudd,  0.  B.,  German  Flats,  jeweler,  is  a  native  of  Wyoming  county,  N.  Y. ;  was 
born  September  3,  1840.  He  came  to  Ilion  in  December,  1862,  and  was  for  some  time 
in  partnership,  but  has  been  sole  proprietor  of  the  leading  jeweler  store  of  Ilion  since 
1870.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Little 
Falls  Commandary,  al.'o  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  In  18C7  he  married  Miss  Clara  Baker, 
who  died  two  years  after.  They  had  one  son,  J.  Holland,  who  is  in  business  with  his 
father.  In  1872  Mr.  Rudd  was  married  to  Amanda  E.  Reynolds.  Their  only  son,  C. 
Reynolds  Rudd,  died  when  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age.  Mr.  J.  Holland  Rudd  is 
actively  associated  with  the  Ilion  Library,  now  in  course  of  erection,  and  was  one  of 
its  promoters.  Mr.  0.  B.  Rudd  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  treasurer  of 
the  Herkimer  County  Bible  Society  for  many  years,  and  was  superintendent  of  the 
Methodist  Sunday-school  for  a  long  period. 

Ross,  A.  M.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  Herkimer  county,  and  was  born 
January  23,  1835.  He  was  first  a  carpenter  and  pattern-maker,  and  entered  the  Rem- 
ington works  in  1862  and  remained  there  untU  1886.  He  then  purchased  the  tools, 
etc.,  and  continued  the  branch  of  business  he  conducted  there.  In  1888  he  organized 
the  present  company  for  the  manufacture  of  agricultural  implements.  Mr.  Ross  was 
supervisor  of  German  Flats  for  seven  years  and  trustee  of  the  village  five  years.  He 
was  also  in  the  Assembly  one  year.  In  1862  he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Buell,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Bert  B.  and  Imogene. 

Ross,  D,  G.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Littlefield  January  28,  1847,  and  remained 
on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age.  He  then  clerked  for  .some  time, 
and  afterwards  went  into  partnership  with  J.  A.  Chappell,  the  firm  being  known  as 
Chappell  &  Ross,  but  at  the  end  of  seven  years  the  partnenehip  was  dissolved,  Mr. 
Ross  starting  for  him.self,  which  he  still  continues.  He  is  a  member  of  the  ofiicial 
board  of  the  Methodist  church,  a  Mason  passed  up  to  the  commandery,  and  a  member 
of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  He  ran  for  supervisor  of  the  town  in  1888,  but  was  defeated.  In 
1870  D.  G.  Ross  married  Miss  Susan  J.  Paddock. 

Robbins,  Sanford,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler,  born  December  23,  1832.  His 
father  was  Giles  Robbins,  and  his  grandfather  was  Reuben  Robbins,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  town.  In  1856  Mr.  Robbins  married  Elizabeth  Finster,  who  died  October 
3,  1889.     They  had  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  two  of  the  latter  being  married. 

Rasbach,  John  A.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Herkimer  October  3,  1839,  and  was 
engagea  in  the  flour  and  feed  business  for  many  years  and  also  in  speculating.  About 
a  year  ago  he  opened  a  first-class  laundry  in  Ilion.  He  is  well  and  favorably  known 
in  Ilion,  and  is  treasurer  of  the  Water  Commission  and  an  active  Democrat.     He  is  a 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  93 

Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Little  Falls  Commandery,  also  of  the  Royal  Arcanum.  In 
1862  he  married  Miss  Sarah  E.  Owen,  and  they  have  two  sons,  Frank  B.  and  San- 
ford  A. 

Redway,  Charles  B.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Jefferson  county  July  21,  1865,  but 
has  resided  in  Ilion  about  all  hi.s  life.  His  father  established  a  dry  goods  business  in 
IHon  thirty-one  years  ago,  and  in  1882  the  business  went  into  the  hands  of  Charles  B., 
who  has  conducted  it  ever  since.  His  father  was  Albert  P.  Redway,  and  big  grand- 
father was  Albert  G.,  a  native  of  Vermont.  In  1889  Mr.  Redway  married  Miss  Lucy 
Hakes,  and  they  have  one  child,  a  daughter.  Mr.  Redway  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a 
Mason. 

Rankins,  Richard  M.,  Little  Falls,  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  farmers  in  Little 
Falls,  and  was  born  on  one  of  the  farms  he  now  owns.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Josiah 
Rankins,  and  has  always  followed  agriculture,  owning  205  acres  of  land  and  fifty  cows. 
His  ancestors  were  here  long  before  the  Revolution,  in  which  war  his  great-great-grand- 
father, Hugh,  a  native  of  Scotland,  was  a  soldier.  His  great-grandfather,  a  son  of 
Hugh,  was  a  fiferin  the  Revolution,  and  both  were  in  the  battle  of  Lake  Champlain. 
His  grandfather,  Melchert  Rankins,  son  of  Thomas  Rankins,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812,  and  was  stationed  at  Ogdensburgh  and  Sackett's  Harbor.  Mr.  Rankins  is  a 
Republican,  and  a  leading  man  in  town  affairs,  is  present  master  of  the  Grange  at  Little 
Falls,  and  is  a  Knight  Templar  in  the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  1861  he  married  Eliza- 
beth Lotridge,  daughter  of  George  H.  Lotridge,  and  they  have  two  sons,  George  H.,  a 
fireman  on  the  N.  Y.  C.  R.  R.,  and  Josiah,  a  book-keeper  in  the  Saxony  Mills. 

Richardson,  Rev.  Charles  S.,  Little  Falls,  pastor  of  the  Little  Falls  Presbyterian 
church,  was  born  in  Pitsford,  N.  Y.,  February  7,  1845,  and  after  a  preliminary  educa- 
tion graduated  at  Hobart  College  in  the  class  of  '65.  He  then  taught  school  three 
years,  and  entered  upon  a  course  at  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  Theological  Seminary,  graduating 
in  1871.  He  then  went  abroad  for  foreign  travel,  and  for  three  years  taught  in  the 
American  College  on  the  Bosphorus,  near  Constantinople.  In  the  winter  of  1874  he 
journeyed  through  the  Holy  Land  and  Egypt.  On  his  return  from  the  East  he  was 
called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Malone  (N.  Y.)  Presbyterian  church,  where  he  remained 
thirteen  years.  He  was  called  to  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  as  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
church  in  1888.  In  his  college  course  Mr.  Richardson  was  a  high  honor  man,  and  his 
career  since  has  been  very  successful. 

Root,  A.  P.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Russia,  November  5,  1839.  His  father  was  Pal- 
mer Root,  born  1802  in  Russia.  His  mother  was  Sallie  Truman,  born  October  26, 1826. 
Mr.  Root  was  a  colonel  in  the  State  militia,  and  was  a  Whig  and  afterwards  a  Republi- 
can. He  held  the  oflices  of  supervisor  and  assessor.  His  life  was  spent  in  Russia,  ex- 
cept the  last  year,  when  he  resided  in  Norway,  where  he  died  in  1863,  and  his  wife  in 
188.5.  The  subject  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  in 
Fairfield  Seminary.  In  1862  he  married  Mary  Walralh,  of  Fort  Plain,  and  their  chil- 
dren are  Nellie  E.,  Minnie,  Charles  M.  and  Edith,  In  1885  Mrs.  Root  died,  and  in  1888 
Mr.  Root  married  Mrs.  Sarah  Hall  Slocura,     Mr.  Root  was  a  resident  of  Russia  until 


94  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

1863,  when  he  went  to  Norwaj'  and  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  He 
is  a  Prohibitionist  and  he  and  wife  are  Baptists.  Mr.  Root  is  a  member  of  Norway 
Grange,  No.  586,  and  is  at  present  its  secretary. 

Rider,  Brainard  M.,  Litchfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  of  100  acres,  where  he  now 
lives,  January  7,  1848.  He  married  in  1874  Jennie  L.  Ball,  and  they  have  five  children  : 
Ruth,  Martha,  Wakeman,  Arthur  and  H.  Daisy.  Brainard  M.  is  a  son  of  Wakeman 
Rider,  who  was  born  in  this  town,  and  owned  a  tract  of  470  acres.  He  sent  three  sub- 
stitutes to  the  army  in  the  place  of  three  of  his  sons.  Wakeman  Rider  was  born  Octo- 
ber 2,  1810,  and  died  March  15,  1891.  His  wife,  Hannah  E.,  was  born  December  21, 
1811,  and  died  August  4,, 1890.  He  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Rider,  who  was  born  in 
Dutchess  county  in  1777.  In  1795  he  came  to  Litchfield,  where  but  few  persons  had 
preceded  him.  By  patient  industry  he  secured  a  good  home  and  died  April  8,  1864, 
aged  eighty-six  years.     Hi^  wife,  Lucinda  (Crosby)  Rider,  has  since  died. 

Rider,  Byron  Adelbert,  Litchfield,  was  born  March  8,  1849,  on  his  present  grain  and 
dairy  farm  of  153  acres.  He  married  S.  Frances  Smith,  and  they  have  two  children  : 
Olive  J.  and  Lester  A.  Byron  A.  Rider  is  a  son  of  Anson,  who.«e  father  was  Lewis  B., 
son  of  Christopher  Rider,  who,  in  1787,  came  from  Connecticut.  Mrs.  Rider  was  a 
daughter  of  Roderick  H.  and  Mary  L.  (Paddock)  Smith.  The  mother  of  Byron  Adel- 
bert Rider  was  Eliza  Holmes,  and  there  are  now  living  of  the  children :  Boughton  L., 
Holmes,  Ruth  Hooker,  Mary  J.,  Anson,  jr.,  Alvah  I.,  Orange  C.  and  Byron  A.  Rider. 
Those  deceased  are:  Elam,  Romelia,  Byron,  Roswell,  Rosa  Curtis,  Eveline  Tanner  and 
John  B.  Rider.     Anson  Rider  died  April  15,  1886,  aged  eighty  years. 

Simms,  Edward,  Little  Falls,  farmer,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Danube  in  1833  and 
has  been  thirteen  years  in  this  town,  at  which  date  he  purchased  his  fine  farm.  He 
owns  125  acres  of  land,  which  he  utilizes  for  dairy  purpose.^.  He  has  a  herd  of  forty 
cows.  Mr.  Simms  is  one  of  the  best  known  agriculturists  in  the  county  and  has  held 
some  important  offices.  He  was  clerk  of  the  county  from  1874  to  1880,  and  has  twice 
been  under  sheriff  of  the  county.  He  was  also  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  many  years. 
In  his  earlier  years  he  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1855,  at  which  date 
he  cast  his  first  vote.  He  is  a  Republican.  In  1858  he  married  Emeline  Churchill,  and 
has  a  family  of  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

Stacey,  Irving  E.,  Little  Falls,  cheese  broker,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls  and  began 
business  as  a  clerk  in  1881  in  the  oflfice  of  Landt  &  Mesick.  After  two  years  he  was 
given  a  percentage  in  the  business  and  at  the  end  of  four  years  became  a  partner.  In 
1889  the  firm  discontinued  and  Mr.  Stacey  embarked  in  business  for  himself  and  has 
been  unusually  successful.  He  has  become  known  as  the  largest  home  trade  buyer  in 
New  York  State  outside  of  New  York  city.  He  buys  for  the  wholesale  trade  and  .ships 
to  all  points  and  into  nearly  every  State  in  the  Union.  He  is  a  young  man  about 
twenty-eight  years  of  age  and  possessed  of  unusual  business  enterprise  and  energy. 

Shant,  W.  H.,  Little  Falls,  Herkimer  County,  was  a  native  of  the  town  of  Danube. 
His  father,  Winslow  Shant,  was  a  farmer,  ani  he  remained  on  the  farm  for  sixteen 
yjKJ.     TiirtesQ  years  ago  he  embarked  in  business  with  his  brother,  B.J.  Shant  j 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  95 

they  were  together  four  years  and  six  months  and  then  B.  J.  sold  out  to  C.  W. 
Vosburgh ;  but  five  years  ago  the  partnership  was  dissolved  and  each  has  since  con- 
tinued business  alone,  in  the  grocery,  meat  and  fish  line.  In  1878  he  married  farchE. 
Bailey  and  they  attend  the  Universalist  Church.  Between  the  time  of  leaving  the 
farm  and  going  into  business  he  learned  telegraphy  and  cheese  making  and  was  occu- 
pied two  years  in  the  former  and  five  years  in  the  latter  line. 

Small,  Fred  I.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer.  He  graduated  at  Tale,  in  1867, 
and  in  1869  took  his  degree  in  Columbia  College  Law  School.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  at  the  General  Term  in  February,  1869,  and  commenced  practice  in  New  York 
city.  In  the  summer  of  1871  he  came  to  Little  Falls,  where  he  is  now  practicing  his 
profession. 

Seavey,  Jerome  L.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  February  5,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of 
Elijah  and  Ann  (Sperry)  Seavey.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Fannie  Sperry, 
residents  of  this  town.  Elijah  and  his  mother  settled  in  Russia,  1818.  He  is  a  car- 
penter and  bridge  builder  by  occupation.  His  children  are :  George  K.,  a  dentist,  of 
Boonville,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and  Jerome  L.,  a  dentist,  of  Poland.  Jerome  L.,  at 
twenty  years  of  age,  entered  Smart  Academy  at  Russia,  and  then  studied  with  his 
brother  at  Boonville.  In  1877  he  commenced  practice  at  Poland.  He  married  Sarah 
L.,  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Matilda  Millington.  He  has  three  children,  Charles  J., 
May,  wife  of  Edgar  Cruikshank,  and  Edwin  M.  He  is  a  Republican,  as  is  also  his 
father,  Elijah,  who  has  been  very  active  in  politics,  having  been  the  first  postmaster  at 
Gravesville,  also  at  Russia  for  thirteen  years,  town  clerk  for  two  years,  justice  of  the 
peace  eight  years,  highway  commissioner  seventeen  years,  twelve  of  which  were  con- 
secutive, also  excise  commissioner  twelve  years. 

Moore,  John  D.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  December  26,  1855. 
After  receiving  a  common  school  education  he  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  then  was 
clerk  for  six  years,  after  which  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Oliver  H.  Perry, 
which  still  exists.  Mr.  Moore  was  elected  president  of  the  village  in  1885,  trustee  in 
1889,  and  re-elected  in  1890.  He  married  Miss  Libbie  Davis,  a  daughter  of  H.  R. 
Davis.  They  have  three  children,  two  boys  and  a  girl.  Oliver  H.  Perry  was  born  in 
Herkimer,  July  3,  1848,  and  has  always  lived  here.  He  married  Miss  Nancy  J. 
Moore,  a  sister  of  John  D.  Moore.  They  have  no  children.  This  firm  has  a  Carriage 
and  Harness  Repository.  They  are  large  real  estate  owners,  and  have  built  up  a 
section  of  this  village.  They  also  own  a  large  dairy  farm  just  outside  of  the  village. 
They  are  both  energetic,  enterprising,  and  rehable  business  men  and  citizens.  Mr. 
Moore  is  also  foreman  of  the  Excelsior  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  of  Herkimer.  In 
the  year  1880  was  formed  the  co-partnership  which  now  exists,  of  Perry  &  Moore. 
They  were  at  that  time  and  for  some  years  after  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  car- 
riages, sleighs,  etc.,  until  factory  work  compelled  them  to  go  out  of  manufacturing  and 
start  a  repository  for  the  sale  of  new  work,  and  finally  to  the  exclusion  of  manufac- 
turing, as  all  small  concerns  must  do.  At  this  time  they  were  engaged  in  the  milk 
business,  but  their  supply  not  being  large  enough  to  meet  the  demand  of  their  cus- 
tomers, they  bought  more  land  in  the  corporate  limits  of  the  village,  in  all  about 


&6  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

twenty-three  acres,  after  which,  in  extending  streets  and  laying  out  some  new  ones, 
there  was  added  to  the  village  seventy-seven  village  lots.  This  property  made  the 
firm  largely  interested  in  what  was  at  this  time  the  southern  suburbs  of  the  corpora- 
tion. The  school  district  comprises  the  whole  corporation  of  the  village.  About  1878 
there  was  a  new  school  building  erected,  and  a  few  years  ago  it  was  found  in- 
adequate for  its  purpose.  The  subject  of  enlarging  its  capacity  was  agitated  and 
brought  before  a  school  meeting  called  for  the  purpose,  when  the  subject  was  voted 
down.  This  firm  having  a  large  interest  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  railroad  (where 
about  one-half  of  the  children  lived,  who  had  to  cross  the  railroad  tracks),  after  three 
or  four  school  meetings,  was  successful  in  getting  a  new  school  building  placed  below 
the  railroad  at  a  cost  of  about  $20,000.  The  pleasant  village  of  Herkimer  has  now  a 
school-house  second  to  no  other  in  this  section,  and  it  may  be  said  that  it  is  largely 
owing  to  the  influence  of  this  firm.  The  firm  besides  selling  lots  have  erected  twenty- 
five  new  buildings  on  their  own  account,  some  of  which  they  have  sold  to  honest 
toilers,  and  some  of  which  they  rent. 

Steele,  J.  A.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  May  20,  1840.  He 
received,  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Rochelle,  Illinois,  and  on  May  6,  1861,  was 
mustered  in  the  United  States  service,  becoming  a  member  of  the  Sturges  Rifles,  a 
company  of  sharpshooters  from  Chicago.  This  company  was  sent  to  West  Virginia, 
and  Mr.  Steele  participated  in  the  battle  of  Rich  Mountain,  Laurel  Hill,  etc.,  after 
which  he  was  sent  to  Washington,  and  after  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  went  with 
McClellan  through  the  peninsula. campaign,  participating  in  all  the  battles  and  skir- 
mishes. After  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  he  was  mustered  out,  and  came  to  Her- 
kimer, where  he  decided  to  study  law.  He  entered  the  law  office  of  Thomas  Richard- 
son, esq.,  of  Frankfort,  N.  Y.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1864.  He  has  prac- 
ticed in  partnership  with  Judge  G.  W.  Smith  and  A.  B.  Steele,  his  sou,  Robert  E. 
Steele,  being  now  associated  with  him.  He  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Howell.  They 
have  four  children,  two  boys  and  two  girls.  J.  A.  Steele  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of 
Aaron  Helmer  6.  A.  R.  Post,  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  which  he  organized  and  was  com- 
mander of  for  six  years.  His  wife's  father  was  Lieutenant  Howell  of  the  Second  New 
York  Heavy  Artillery. 

Sherman,  John,  Newport,  was  born  in  Newport,  N.  Y.,  August  1,  1855,  a  son  of 
Waldo,  who  was  a  son  of  Berzillai  Sherman,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  January 
20,  1788.  The  latter  came  to  Newport  when  a  young  man,  and  settled  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Earnest  Sherman.  His  wife  was  Sophia  lanes,  born  in  1785,  and  they 
had  eleven  children.  Mr.  Sherman's  second  wife  was  Mary  Fenner.  He  served  as 
teamster  in  the  war  of  1812,  was  a  Whig  in  politics,  and  died  January  3,  1862.  His 
first  wife  died  August  15,  1841.  His  son,  Waldo,  was  born  in  Newport  in  1824,  and 
married  Julia  Fuller,  a  native  of  Newport,  and  a  daughter  of  Ezra  and  Lucy  Fuller. 
To  Mr.  Sherman  and  wife  were  born  three  sons  :  Charles  (deceased),  John  and  Earn- 
est. He  was  a  Democrat  and  held  the  offices  of  commissioner  of  highways  six  years 
and  supervisor  one  year.  He  was  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge,  No.  455,  F.  and  A. 
M.,  and  he  and  wife  attended  the  Universalist  church.     He  died  in  1890.     His  son 


{"AMILY  SKETCHES.  97 

John  wag  reared  on  the  old  homestead  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  In  1879 
he  married  Minnie  Higgins,  daughter  of  Gilbert  and  Emily  Higgins.  Mr.  Sherman 
and  wife  have  three  children:  Charles  Earl,  Jennie  B.,  and  Ida  E.  Mr.  Sherman  is  a 
Democrat. 

Snyder,  C.  E.,  Herkimer,  attorney  at  law,  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  is  a  native  of  Cherry 
Valley,  born  November  23,  1863.  After  graduating  at  Cornell  University  he  studied 
law  in  the  ofSce  of  the  late  Samuel  Earl,  with  whom  he  was  subsequently  a  partner. 
Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Earl,  Mr.  Snyder  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  by 
himself.  He  was  admittt  d  to  the  bar  in  November,  1887,  and  began  his  professional 
career  at  once. 

Snell,  C.  R.,  lumber  dealer  of  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer,  and  spent  his 
first  business  years  in  the  grocery  trade.  After  ten  years  in  this  line  he  embarked  in 
the  lumber  business,  in  which  he  has  now  been  engaged  nineteen  years.  Mr.  Snell 
has  a  family  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  G.  C.  and  C.  H.  Snell,  and  Mrs.  George 
Sims. 

Stinson,  B.  I.,  Little  Falls,  one  of  the  leading  druggists  and  grocers  of  Little  Falls,  is 
a  native  of  St.  Catherines,  Ontario,  but  has  been  in  the  United  States  almost  his  entire 
life.  He  came  to  Little  Falls  in  1885  and  started  in  the  drug  and  grocery  business  in 
a  partnership,  but  in  1889  he  bought  out  his  partner  and  has  since  conducted  the 
business  alone.  His  business  is  large  and  prosperous,  and  the  stand  which  he  occupies 
is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  grocery  hue  in  this  town.  Upon  leaving  Canada  his  father 
moved  to  Saginaw,  Mich.,  and  after  a  sound  preparatory  education  our  subject  took  a 
course  in  the  pharmaceutical  department  of  Ann  Arbor;  he  then  embarked  in  mercan- 
tile affairs.  Mr.  Stinson  is  quite  a  young  man,  and  is  son-in-law  to  Hon.  Titus 
Sheard,  having  married  his  youngest  daughter.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Smith,  E.  La  Grange,  Frankfort,  one  of  fourteen  children  of  Henry  I.  and  Catherine 
(La  Grange)  Smith,  was  born  in  Schenectady  county,  where  he  Kved  until  about 
sixteen  years  of  age.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  at  Fairfield  and  at 
Hungerford  Collegiate  Institute.  For  two  years  he  was  connected  with  the  Pittshurgh 
Daily  Post,  taught  school  at  Frankfort  one  year,  and  read  law  with  Lewis  H.  Babcock 
for  two  years,  and  with  Denison  and  Everett  for  the  same  length  of  time.  In  1875 
he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Frankfort,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He 
was  married  in  1879  to  Etta  M.,  a  daughter  of  Col.  William  Bridenbecker,  of  Frank- 
fort, she  being  one  of  seven  children.     They  have  one  son,  Claude  Vernett  Smith. 

Smith,  Edwin  P.,  Danube,  was  born  on  the  old  farm  February  15,  1854  ;  his  grand- 
father, John  Smith,  settled  here  early  in  the  seventeenth  century  and  during  the  war 
of  the  Revolution  was  captured  by  the  Indians  and  taken  to  Canada,  where  he  was 
sold  for  five  dollars,  and  after  two  years  of  servitude  was  allowed  to  escape,  when  he 
returned.  Edwin's  father,  John  Smith,  hved  and  died  on  the  farm  which  is  rich  in 
historic  incidents.  A  branch  of  the  Mohawk  tribe  had  their  headquarters  there  and 
several  battles  between  the  British  and  patriots  were  fought  upon  it;  skulls,  arrow 


9S  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

heads,  cannon  balls,  etc.,  are  frequently  plowed  up.     Mr.  Smith  owns  three  hundred 
acres  which  extend  into  both  counties.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Grange,  etc. 

Smith,  A.  G  ,  Fairfield,  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Fairfield,  was  born  here  June 
11,  1822,  and  has  resided  on  his  present  farm  since  1844.  His  father  came  to  the  ad- 
joining farm  in  1S31.  In  184C  Mr.  Smith  married  Adaline  M.  Todd,  who  died  July 
24,  1887.  His  grandfather  died  while  his  father,  Nicholas,  was  quite  young.  He 
taught  school  four  winters,  and  for  forty  years  there  was  no  death  in  his  family. 

Smith,  Edward  A.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Russ'a,  October  9,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Orrin 
Smith,  of  Ohio.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and 
has  always  been  a  farmer,  residing  most  of  his  hfe  in  Ohio.  He  is  a  Republican.  In 
1884  he  married  Ella  M.  Popple,  of  Ohio,  born  in  18C5.  They  have  two  children,  Eda 
M.  and  Maggie  A.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Smith  was  George  Popple,  who  was  a  son  of 
Zachariah.  John  Popple  was  born  in  Russia  in  1806.  He  married  Philette  Tayntor, 
by  whom  he  had  one  child,  George.  Mr.  Popple  died  in  1889  and  his  wife  in  1891. 
George  Popple  was  born  in  Russia  in  1836.  In  1861  he  married  Margaret  Davenport, 
of  Russia,  and  they  had  three  daughters :  Mrs.  Smith,  wife  of  the  subject,  is  the  only 
one  living.  Mr.  Popple  and  family  were  supporters  of  the  M.  E.  church.  He  died  in 
1872  and  his  wife  in  1890. 

Smith,  Melchert,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer  and  has  been  a  farmer  in  the 
same  locality  all  his  life.  Mr.  Smith  is  seventy-four  years  of  age,  having  been  born 
June  30,  1818.  He  owns  one  hundred  acres  of  land  and  has  twenty-four  cows  in  his 
fields.  His  father,  Adam  Smith,  also  resided  here,  and  went  to  Canada  in  the  war  of 
1812.  About  1840  Mr.  Smith  married  Mary  E.  Harter,  and  they  have  seven  children. 
Mr.  Smith  has  voted  for  fifty-two  years  and  never  missed  a  town  meeting  or  an  elec- 
tion. His  only  son,  Morgan,  is  married  to  Jliss  Ida  Churchill.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  has  always  voted  that  ticket. 

Stillman,  Ezra,  Newport,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  about  1790  and  died,  aged 
seventy-three  years.  He  was  a  son  of  Benjamin  Stillman  and  married  Polly  New- 
berry. He  settled  in  the  town  of  Newport  in  1811  and  was  the  father  of  eight 
children,  Nathaniel  P.,  Samuel  N.,  Mary  Anu,  Erastus  B.,  George,  Jane,  Nancy  and 
Jackson.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three  Nathaniel  P.  started  at  farming,  where  he  now 
lives.  He  married  Lydia  Wilson  in  1830.  She  was  a  native  of  Newport  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Sallie  Wilson.  She  died  in  1887,  aged  sixty- nine  years.  They  have 
seven  children,  as  follows :  Emily,  Adaline,  Louise,  Minerva,  Lydia,  Flora  and  Ezra. 
Emily  married  Gilbert  Higgins  in  1857,  and  lives  on  a  small  farm  near  Newport. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Minnie,  who  married  John  Sherman,  a  farmer,  who  also  lives 
near  Newport.  Louisa  married  William  Harris  in  1860.  The  latter  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate in  Company  D,  First  Berdan's  Sharpshooters,  in  1801,  and  died  August  11,  1863, 
at  Sulphur  (Springs,  in  Virginia.  They  had  two  children,  one  of  whom  now  survives, 
Mr.s.  Carrie  .Spellman,  of  Cold  Brook.  Louisa  Harris  died  August  4,  1875,  aged  thirty- 
two  years.  Minerva  married  George  Wilcox  July  4,  1864,  and  died  in  1867,  aged 
twenty-two  years.     Lydia  was  born  in  1850  and  died  in    1870,  aged  twenty  years. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES  99 

Flora  married  John  Payne  in  1877  and  resides  in  Utica.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Bertha  A.  Ezra  Stillman,  jr.,  married  Allie  Truman,  and  follows  faiming,  raiding  fancy 
cattle,  etc.  They  have  had  three  children,  Bessie,  Ward  and  Lydia,  of  whom  only  one, 
Ward,  survives. 

Staring,  Philip,  Little  Falls,  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Little  Falls,  was  born  in 
Herkimer,  but  has  lived  in  this  town  nearly  all  his  life.  He  owns  ninety-eight  acres  of 
land,  utilized  entirely  for  grass  and  dairying  purposes.  He  keeps  fifteen  cowo,  is  a 
young,  unmarried  man  and  is  full  of  enterprise.     He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

Staring,  Peter  A.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  this  place  and  was  born  February  5 
1824.  His  first  business  experience  was  in  the  retail  grocery  trade,  in  which  he  was 
engaged  from  1845  to  1879.  In  1860  he  connected  a  livery  business  and 
when  he  dropped  the  grocery  business  in  1879,  he  still  continued  to  manage  his 
livery  establishment.  Mr.  Staring  during  his  long  life  in  Little  Falls  has  gained 
the  highest  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  entire  community.  He  was  supervisor 
of  the  town  for  three  years,  1869-70-71,  and  has  been  trustee  of  the  village 
for  several  years.  He  comes  of  an  old  and  honorable  family.  He  is  the  son  of  Peter 
Staring,  who  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  a  grandson  of  Adam  Staring,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  .in  this  locality.  His  mother's  father  was  the  celebrated  Colonel  Feeter. 
The  old  Staring  farm  is  situated  about  one  mile  from  the  village,  and  thirty  acres  of  the 
property  was  purchased  by  the  water  commissioners  for  a  storage  reservoir  and  a  nark. 
Mr.  Staring  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Odd  Fellows  and  Royal  Arcanum. 
He  has  one  son  and  three  daughters. 

Skiff,  Perrin  A.,  M.  D.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  West  Schuyler  January  4,  1826,  he 
being  one  of  three  children  of  Hiram  and  Elizabeth  J.  (Akins)  Skiff'.  He  was  married 
in  January,  1852,  to  Marietta  Valentine  of  East  Schuyler,  daughter  of  Sidney  S.  and 
Anna  E  Valentine.  They  have  three  children,  Anna  M.  (Mrs.  J.  F.  Rogers),  May  E. 
(Mrs.  Alfred  Bayless),  and  Etta  C.  (Mrs.  S.  S.  Richards).  Dr.  Skiff  was  educated  at 
Clinton  Freewill  Institute  and  at  Whitestown  ;  he  studied  medicine  with  Drs.  Budlong 
&  Parhhurst  two  years,  and  one  year  with  Dr.  Henderson  of  Whitestown,  took  three 
courses  at  Albany  Medical  College,  graduating  in  1851.  He  then  settled  in  Frankfort, 
where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession.  Dr.  Skiff  has 
always  been  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  town,  having  acted  as  supervisor  three 
terms,  president  of  Herkimer  Medical  Society  one  term  and  for  the  past  seven  years 
has  been  surgeon  of  the  West  Shore  Railroad. 

Sellman  Bros.,  Little  Falls.  This  firm,  which  is  located  on  Main  street.  Little  Falls, 
consists  of  John  Sellman  and  Emil  P.  P.  Sellman,  general  grocers.  Both  gentlemen 
were  born  in  Little  Falls  and  educated  in  the  Union  School  there.  John  Sellman  was, 
prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  present  firm  in  1890,  an  employee  of  the  Vailroad  mail 
service  for  five  years.  Emil  clerked  for  Herlehy  Bros,  for  eight  years  and  was  with 
Dennis  Collins  two  years.  Both  are  members  of  Eriiia  Chemical  Engine  No.  5 ;  of 
Westcott  Council  Royal  Arcanum  1476,  and  Chosen  Friends,  and  are  staunch  Democrats. 
John  was  corporation  collector  for  two  years.  This  firm  is  both  popular  and  reliable, 
and  its  members  are  among  Little  Falls'  most  enterprising  citizens. 


100  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Seaman,  George  I.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  tlie  town  of  Parish,  Oswego  county,  Jan- 
uary 24,  1S50  ;  he  was  one  of  eleven  children  of  George  and  Mary  A.  (Crosby)  Seaman. 
George,  the  father,  was  born  in  Vermont,  ifary  A.  (Crosby),  the  mother,  was  born  in 
Herkimer  county,  her  ancestry  being  of  Connecticut.  George  I.  Seaman  was  married 
June  15,  1882,  to  Ella  V.  Waterbury,  one  of  three  children  of  W.  S.  and  Abigail  M. 
(Hager)  Waterbury  of  Frankfort.  They  have  two  children,  Frank  and  Hazel  Seaman. 
Mr.  Seaman  came  to  Frankfort  in  1869  and  worked  for  C.  B.  Crosby,  afterwards  forW. 
S.  Waterbury  four  years,  when  he  bought  the  grocery  and  meat  market  from  him  ;  he 
also  deals  in  cattle,  hay  and  beef  and  continues  the  other  business  to  this  day.  Mr. 
Seaman  has  served  the  town  as  supervisor  four  terms  from  1882-85  and  in  1891;  he 
has  been  collector  of  taxes  and  also  on  the  board  of  trustees. 

Scriber,  G.  H.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Oswego  county  August  8,  1837,  and  has 
been  in  the  clothing  business  all  his  life.  His  father  was  George  Scriber,  and  his  grand- 
father was  one  of  the  old  Mohawk  Dutch.  His  mother  was  also  of  the  same  origin. 
Mr.  Scriber  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  and  the 
Baptist  church.  He  has  been  treasurer  of  the  village  and  school  trustee.  In  1888  he 
married  Miss  Margaret  Hotaling  of  this  place. 

Seeber,  Peter  B.,  Little  Falls,  is  not  only  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Little  Falls, 
but  comes  from  one  of  the  most  historic  families  in  this  part  of  the  State.  He  was 
born  in  Herkimer  in  1825,  and  has  been  a  farmer  all  of  his  life.  He  married  Emily 
Ackerman,  and  they  have  six  children  living.  His  son  Henry  is  living  with  him  and 
now  owns  the  dairy  farm  of  103  acres.  He  is  a  promising  young  agriculturist.  Both 
are  Democrat.s.  They  have  lived  on  their  present  farm  for  five  years.  They  formerly 
lived  in  Danube,  where  Peter  B.  was  overseer  of  the  poor  for  some  time,  and  Henry 
Seeber  was  town  clerk  for  three. years.  The  family  have  been  in  this  part  of  the 
county  for  over  one  hundred  years.  Some  of  the  ancestors  of  the  family  were  prom- 
inent in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Seamens,  A.  C,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  WinBeld,  Februarys,  1822.  After  leav- 
ing the  farm  he  was  four  years  in  a  foundry  and  then  came  to  Ilion.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  canal  warehouse  and  mercantile  business  for  many  years  and  subsequently  was 
in  the  office  of  E.  Remington  &  Sons.  In  1852  he  married  Caroline  M.  Williams  and 
has  four  children,  Clarence  W.,  Mary  C,  Frances  M.  and  I.  C.  The  sons  are  promi- 
nent associates  with  the  typewriter  company. 

Stahl,  John  L.,  Salisbury,  was  born  in  Fulton  county,  N.  Y.,  September  25,  1846. 
His  grandfather  purchased  land  and  settled  in  Fulton  county  early  in  the  seventh  cen- 
tury, participating  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  John  Stahl,  father  of  John  L.,  was 
also  born  here.  He  was  a  contracting  carpenter.  Mr.  John  L.  Stahl  was  connected 
with  his  brother,  Levi,  in  lumbering  for  about  ten  years,  after  which  he  was  engaged 
in  mercantile  business  in  Fulton  county  for  about  nine  years.  In  1S83  Mr.  Stahl  dis- 
posed of  his  interests  in  Fulton  county,  and  purchased  the  mercantile  establishment  at 
Salisbury  Corners,  which  he  has  since  conducted,  doing  a  large  trade.  His  wife  was 
Sarah  M.  Avery,  of  Gloversville,  N.  Y.  They  have  had  two  children,  a  son  and  a 
daughter,  Frederick  and  Minnie  Stahl.  Frederick  Stahl  married  a  daughter  of  Super- 
visor Warren  H.  Eaton. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  101 

Sadler,  John  B.,  Ingham's  Mills,  was  born  January  15,  1847.  He  received  a  liberal 
education  and  has  been  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Ingham's  Mills  since 
his  youth.  He  has  conducted  the  grist-mill,  hotel,  cheese  box  manufactory  for  many 
years.  He  is  justice  of  the  peace  and  has  been  overseer  of  the  poor,  and  has  held  the 
office  of  postmaster  under  several  administrations.  He  is  also  identified  with  Little 
Falls  Masonic  Lodge,  No.  181,  Little  Falls  Chapter,  No.  161,  and  Little  Falls  Com- 
manldery,  No.  26,  also  menjber  Independent  Order  of  Eed  Men,  Ziyara  Temple  Noble 
Mystic  Shrine,  Odd  Fellows,  etc.  His  first  wife  was  a  Miss  Horton,  by  whom  he  had 
two  children,  one  now  living.  He  married  second  Frankie  C.  Staring.  Mr.  Sadler  is 
a  descendant  of  an  old  Revolutionary  family. 

Shepard,  F.  C,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Otsego  county,  and  was  born  September 
21,  1824.  After  clerking  and  being  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  some  years  he 
came  to  Ilion  as  teller  of  the  old  Hion  Bank  and  was  subsequently  made  cashier  in  1859, 
which  position  he  held  until  1866.  He  was  county  treasurer  one  term,  from  1863  to 
1866.  He  was  with  the  Remingtons  as  a  financial  manager  for  twenty  years  and  for 
the  past  four  years  has  been  living  retired.  Mr.  Shepard  married  in  1847  and  has  seven 
children  living. 

Saxby,  William,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Cheshire,  England,  December  27,  1843, 
and  oarae  to  America  in  1870.  After  working  some  time  with  Smith  &  Wesson,  he 
came  to  Ilion  in  1S74  and  entered  the  armory,  where  he  remained  till  1886,  when  he 
went  into  the  liquor  business  in  1888,  which  he  now  devotes  his  entire  attention  to. 
In  1862  Mr.  Saxby  married  Elizabeth  Turner,  and  they  have  had  two  children.  One 
son,  Henry  T.  Saxby,  has  charge  of  the  repairing  department  of  the  typewriter  in  Lon- 
don, England,  for  WycofF,  Seamans  &  Benedict.  He  married  Anna  E.  Brooker,  of 
Worthing,  England.  From  1886  to  1888  William  was  in  Schenectady;  had  charge  of 
electric  light  plant  for  lighting  city  ten  months.  Afterwards  worked  for  the  Edison 
company.     Returned  to  Ilion  in  fall  of  1888  and  bought  a  saloon. 

Spellman,  E.  J,,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Newport.  James,  his  father,  came  to  that 
town  from  Ireland  in  1854.  They  own  a  dairy  farm  of  323  acres  in  Newport,  and  E. 
J.  Spellman  is  proprietor  of  the  Spellman  House  in  Middleville.  He  was  educated  at 
Whitestown  Seminary  and  came  to  Middleville  in  May,  1889.  His  father  resides  with 
him,  his  mother  having  died  in  April,  1889.  Mr.  Spellman  is  an  active  Democrat,  and 
always  a  delegate.     He  holds  the  office  of  trustee  of  the  village. 

Strobel,  Charles  G.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ohio.  He  was  educated  in 
the  Fairfield  and  Cazenovia  Seminaries;  studied  medicine  in  the  University  of  Ver- 
mont and  the  Long  Island  College  Hospital,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  T.,  graduating  from  the 
latter  institution  in  1888.  After  practicing  for  a  few  months  in  Pennsylvania  he  set- 
tled in  Dolgeville,  where  he  now  enjoys  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He  married 
Nora  L.  Brown  of  this  county. 

Stone,  B.  A.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Wilmington,  Tt.,  and  was  educated  at  the 
Wesleyan  Academy,  Wilbrahara,  Mass.,  and  Eastman's  Business  College,  Poughkeepsie, 
N.  Y.     He  then  went  into  the  pocketbook  business  at  South   Deerfield,  Mass.,  after 


102  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

which  he  engaged  in  the  same  business  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he  still  remains.  He 
is  now  largely  interested  in  the  Mohawk  Knitting  company,  of  which  he  is  president, 
and  is  vice-president  of  the  Moliawk  Valley  Knitting  Mills,  and  a  director  in  the  Mo- 
hawk A' alley  National  Bank.  In  1872  he  married  Ella  E.  Grim,  daughter  of  J.  S.  F. 
Grim,  of  Mohawk,  N.  Y.,  and  they  have  three  children  living :  Louis  T.,  Marjorie  D. 
and  Bertha  D.  Mr.  Stone's  father  was  Ashley  and  his  grandfather  was  Ebenezer,  both 
natives  of  Hinsdale,  N.  H. 

Stoddard,  Wilbur,  0.,  Newport,  was  born  in  Newport,  Herkimer  county,  in  1857, 
a  .son  of  Orville  J.,  whose  father  was  Harvey,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in  1796. 
In  1820  the  latter  came  to  Newport,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  his 
son,  Orville  J.  He  married  Mary  Daniels,  a  daughter  of  Eleazer  Daniels  (one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  of  Newport,  and  in  the  war  of  1812),  by  whom  he  had  two  sons 
and  two  daughters.  By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter  and  assisted  in  building  the  Norway 
Church,  the  church  at  Rus.?ia  Corners  and  Middleville  Church.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Republican.  He  died  March  10,  1869,  and  his  wife  died  in  1878.  Orville  J.  Stoddard 
was  born  in  Newport  on  April  8,  18.'7,  and  has  always  been  a  resident  of  the  town. 
August  19,  185.5,  be  married  Adelaide  J.  Minott,  a  native  of  Schuyler,  born  March  3, 
1841.  She  was  one  of  the  four  daughters  of  Colonel  and  Betsey  (Farrinton)  Minott, 
early  settlers  of  Schuyler,  N.  Y.  The  children  were  Wilbur  0.,  Mary  A.,  wife  of 
George  M.  Jones,  of  Newport,  and  Frank  H.  Wilbur  O.  was  reared  on  the  old  home- 
stead. He  and  his  brother  Frank  are  the  leading  honey  producers  of  the  county,  and 
they  also  do  an  extensive  business  in  pop-corn  raising.  He  owns  two  blocks  and  a 
fine  dwelling  in  Middleville,  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  assessor  one  term.  He  has 
been  bookkeeper  and  treasurer  of  the  Hasenclever  cheese  factory  seven  years  and 
has  taught  school  several  terms. 

Staring,  Charles  E.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Frankfort,  October  22,  1834,  he  being 
one  of  eight  children  of  Nicholas  and  Mary  Ann  (Sterling)  Staring.  Nicholas  Staring, 
the  father,  was  born  in  Old  Stone  Church,  Fort  Hunter,  and  his  wife,  Mary  Ann,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Schuyler.  The  grandfather,  Adam  Staring,  lived  in  the  town  of 
Manheim.  Charles  E.  Staring  married,  in  October,  1861,  Mary  C,  daughter  of 
Abram  and  Catharine  (Phillips)  Grant,  of  Frankfort,  and  they  have  had  three  children  : 
De  Witt  C,  who  died  in  September,  1892;  Carmaleita  and  Mame.  Mr.  Staring  has 
always  lived  in  Frankfort.  He  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  builder  in  early 
life,  which  he  has  always  followed'. 

Somers,  William  C,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Germany,  June  13,  1855.  His  grandfather 
was  a  blacksmith  in  Germany,  where  he  lived  and  died.  His  father  is  George  F.,  a 
native  of  Germany.  He  is  also  a  blacksmith  and  a  farmer.  His  wife  was  Rosanna 
Timber,  by  whom  he  had  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  are  living.  In  1856  Mr. 
Somers  came  to  Ohio,  where  he  has  since  lived,  except  two  years  in  Poland.  Mrs. 
Somers  died  May  23,  1888.  William  C.  Somers  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in 
the  common  schools.  At^the  age  of^twenty-onejhe  engaged  in  lumbering  and  jobbing. 
In  1885  he  leased  the  William  Ash  saw-mill  and  in  1890  purchased  the  same,  and  farm 
in  connection.     He  manutactnres  about  500,000  feet  o£  jlumber  yearly.     He  has  been 


1 

I 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  103 

town  clerk   two  terms  and  commissioner  of  highways  one  teim,  elected  by  the  Re- 
publicans.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

Silliman,  George,  Norway,  was  born  February  8,  1826.  His  father  was  Daniel 
Silliman,  a  son  of  Ju.stice  Silliman,  who  lived  and  died  in  Connecticut.  The  wife  of 
Justice  Silliman  was  Ruth  Jennings,  who  bore  him  ten  children.  Daniel  Silliman  was 
born  in  Connecticut,  in  1795.  His  wife  was  Catherine  Sherwood  of  Connecticut,  born 
1798.  They  had  eight  children.  In  1822  Mr.  Silliman  came  to  Salisbury.  He  died 
in  1844  and  his  wife  in  1891.  George  Silliman  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  in  Fairfield  Semicary.  In  1852  he  married  Sarah  E.  Wood,  of  Stratford,  born 
July  18,  1832,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Huldah  (Jennings)  Wood,  early  settlers  of 
Stratford.  They  had  six  children.  Mr.  Wood  died  in  1881  and  his  wife  in  1865.  The 
children  of  subject  and  wife  are:  Charles  D.,  Alice  A.,  Edward  G,  Mary  C.,  Dwight 
A.,  and  Hiram  D.  When  a  young  man,  Mr.  Silliman  resided  three  years  in  Wisconsin. 
He  afterwards  resided  thirteen  years  in  Stratford.  In  1864  he  went  to  Norway  and 
has  lived  there  since,  on  a  farm  of  227  acres.  Mr.  Silliman  is  a  prohibitionist  and  he 
and  his  wife  are  Baptists. 

Spohn,  Frank,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Columbia,  and  educated  in  the 
schools  of  this  vicinity,  after  which  for  some  time  he  clerked  in  Ilion.  In  1888  he 
established  his  present  grocery  store  in  Herkimer,  which  has  proved  a  decided  success. 
He  gives  employment  to  three  men  and  delivers  goods  to  all  parts  of  this  town.  He 
married  Miss  Cora  Johnson  of  Columbia,  and  has  one  child,  a  boy,  Raymond  Spohn. 
Mr.  Spohn's  ancestors  three  generations  back  settled  in  Herkimer  town,  in  which 
vicinity  the  family  has  since  lived,  being  identified  with  local  issues  and  institutions  in 
a  marked  degree. 

Starkweather,  Rufus  G.,  Warren,  a  substantial  farmer  and  stock  breeder,  was  born 
August  15,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Rufus  G.  and  Lucinda  (Loomis)  Starkweather.  The 
subject  traces  his  parental  ancestry  back  to  A.  M.  Starkweather,  who  immigrated  from 
England  in  1690  and  settled  in  New  England.  The  subject's  father  was  born  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Warren,  September  23,  1815.  He  died  October  15,  1848.  He  fol- 
lowed merchandising  all  his  life  and  held  several  town  ofiices.  Rufus  G  ,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  educated  at  Clinton  Academy  and  Warren's  Military  school  in 
Poughkeepsie.  In  1873  he  went  to  Beloit,  Wis.,  and  carried  on  a  private  bank  three 
years.  Returning  he  located  at  Litt'e  Falls  and  ran  a  bank  until  in  1878  he  settled  on 
his  grandfather's  homestead  and  engaged  in  breeding  fine  stock.  He  has  been  super- 
visor and  is  active  in  politics.  He  married  Jennie  Rankins,  daughter  of  John  and  Ma- 
tilda Loomis.  No  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Starkweather,  but  his  wife 
has  a  daughter  by  her  first  husband.     Mr.  Starkweather  is  a  Mason. 

Snyder,  Albert  E.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Norway,  June  8,  1858.  He  is  a  son  of 
George  Snyder,  whose  father  was  an  early  settler  of  Boonville,  where  he  .spent  his  life 
as  a  farmer.  George  Snyder  was  one  of  a  family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 
He  was  born  in  Boonville  in  1824,  and  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  His  wife 
was  Lydia  Case,  of  Norway,  who  bore  liim  five  sons  and  two  daughters.     Mrs.  Snyder 


104  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

was  a  daughter  of  Stephea  Case,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  an  early  settler  of  Nor- 
way, where  he  died.  He  was  in  ths  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Snyder  came  to  Norway  at 
the  age  of  seven  years  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  an  active 
Republican  and  held  the  oflBces  of  deputy  sheriff,  collector,  and  constable.  He  and 
wife  were  Methodists.  He  died  March  24,  1888,  and  his  wife  died  April  13,  1877. 
Albert  E.  Snyder  was  educated  in  common  and  select  schools,  and  reared  on  a  farm. 
April  29,  1883,  he  married  Clarissa  White,  of  Norway,  born  18G5,  who  bore  him  one 
child,  Grace  A.  Mr.  Snyder  was  formerly  a  farmer,  but  for  the  last  five  years  has 
manufactured  ohee?e.  He  is  a  Republican  and  attends  and  supports  the  M.  E.  church. 
He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  Mrs.  Snyder's  father  was  George 
White,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  at  the  age  of  six  years  came  with  his  parents  to 
America  and  settled  in  Deerfield.  The  wife  of  George  White  was  Harriet  Benjamin, 
of  Norway.     Mrs.  White  died  in  1876,  and  Mr.  White  now  resides  in  Deerfield. 

Snell,  Nathan  A.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  at  Ingham's  Mills,  February  3,  1854.  He 
early  in  life  went  to  live  with  James  P.  Brockett,  of  Brockett's  Bridge,  in  fact  was 
brought  up  by  Mr.  Brockett  until  his  eighteenth  year,  when  he  started  in  the  cheese 
business,  in  which  he  continued  eight  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this  period  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Alfred  Dolge,  with  whom  he  yet  continues.  Mr.  Snell  first  worked  at 
the  bench,  making  sounding  boards  for  six  years.  Then  he  entered  the  felt  depart- 
ments. His  worth  was  appreciated  by  Mr.  Dolge,  who  appointed  him  superintendent 
of  the  hammer  shop  (piano  hammers).  Mr.  Snell  has  been  noble  grand  master  of  Odd 
Fellows  here  for  past  two  terms,  director  and  secretary  of  the  Dolgeville  Electric  Light 
and  Power  Company,  a  member  of  the  Building  and  Loan  Association,  etc.  His  wife 
was  Miss  Jessie  Tanner,  of  CenterviUe,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child,  a  boy.  Mr.  Snell's 
father  died  when  he  was  but  two  years  of  age.  His  mother,  who  is  living,  was  a 
daughter  of  Judge  Nathan  Brown,  of  Oppenheim,  Fulton  county,  N.  Y. 

Sharer,  John  P.,  Little  Falls,  physician  and  surgeon,  a  graduate  of  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  New  York  city. 

Snyder,  H.  P.,  Little  Falls,  superintendent  of  the  Saxony  Knitting  Mills,  is  a  native 
of  Amsterdam,  but  has  been  in  Little  Falls  for  the  past  seven  years.  He  has  been  in 
the  knitting  business  ever  since  he  was  nine  years  old,  except  a  year  and  a  half  at  school 
at  CatskiU.  He  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Saxony  Mills  for  five  years  and  is  a 
thorough  expert  in  his  business.  His  family  is  an  old  and  honest  one  in  New  York 
State  and  he  a  worthy  representative  of  the  name.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Elks,  Redmen,  and  Royal  Arcanum.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  ;  is  a  member  of 
the  A.  0.  U.  W. ;  also  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Snyder  &  Fisher,  manufacturers  and 
patentees  of  quarter  savers  and  stop  motions  for  circular  rib  machines,  also  builders  and 
patentees  of  circular  rib  machinery  of  the  latest  improved  kind,  with  office  and  manu- 
facturing works  at  Little  Falls. 

Smith,  R.  H.,  Schuyler,  supervisor  of  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  this  town,  born  April 
6,  1850.  In  1874  he  married  Lida  Faulkner.  He  was  elected  supervisor  of  the  town 
in  February,  1892.  He  had  always  been  an  active  Republican  and  a  delegate  to  con- 
ventions, and  has  been  assessor  of  the  town.  His  father,  Patrick  M.  Smith,  was  also  a 
native  of  Schuyler.     The  great-grandfather  came  from  Chatham  in  1765. 


t-AMILY  SKETCHES.  106 

Smith,  Hon.  George  W.,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Salisbury,  and  was  educated  at 
Fairfield  Seminary,  N.  Y.  Tic  studied  law  witli  Capron  &  Lake  and  tlie  late  Judge 
Graves  of  Herkimer;  he  was  editor  of  the  Herkimer  Journal  in  1845,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1848.  In  that  year  he  became  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Northern  State 
Jbwna/ of  Watertown,  N.  Y.  In  1851  he  removed  to  Boonville,  Oneida  county.  In 
1859  he  was  elected  county  judge  of  Oneida  county  and  re-elected  in  1863.  From  1886 
he  was  for  several  years  leading  editor  Of  the  Utica  Daily  Observer  &nd  also  contributed 
largely  to  the  columns  of  the  Democratic  press  of  Central  New  York.  On  January  ], 
1870,  he  came  to  Herkimer  and  entered  into  a  law  copartnership  with  the  late  Samuel 
Earl  under  the  firm  name  of  Earl  &  Smith,  succeeding  Hon.  Robert  Earl,  then  taking 
his  seat  in  the  Court  of  Appeals.  In  1876  he  was  e'ected  supervisor  of  the  town  of 
Herkimer  and  the  same  year  was  put  in  nomination  for  Congress  for  the  Jefferson, 
Lewis  and  Herkimer  districts,  but  was  defeated.  In  1882  he  was  elected  to  the  Assem- 
bly and  was  chairman  of  the  canal  committee.  In  1886  he  was  again  a  candidate  for  con- 
gressman m  the  24th  district  and  was  again  defeated.  He  was  delegate  in  1880  to  the 
Cincinnati  Convention  and  gave  the  first  vote  in  the  New  York  delegation  for  General 
Hancock's  nomination.  Judge  Smith  married  Miss  Sarah  B.  Hadley,  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Dr.  Hiram  Hadley  of  Salisbury,  and  they  have  thiee  children  surviving.  He  is  now 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  law  at  Herkimer. 

Smith,  Charles  A.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Schohaiie  January  14,  1857.  After  re- 
ceiving a  good  education  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  eleven  years,  then  entered  the  grocery 
business  at  Fort  Plain.  After  five  years  there  he  moved  to  Little  Falls  and  went  into 
the  bakery  and  confectionery  line.  After  four  years  he  disposed  of  tliis  buisness  to 
engage  in  the  bottling,  and  later  in  the  Carpet  Beating  Works  at  Lockport,  N  Y. 
After  two  years  he  again  bought  out  the  bakery  business  and  has  since  successfully 
conducted  it.     Mr.  Smith  married  Edith  A.  Devendorf  of  Fort  Plain. 

Smith,  George  A.,  Frankfort,  one  of  five  children  of  Alonzo  and  Samantha  (Cutler) 
Smith,  was  born  in  Otsego  county  September  29,  1842.  Alonzo,  the  father,  was  a  son 
of  Daniel  Smith  of  Connecticut,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1812.  Samantha 
Cutler,  the  mother,  was  a  daughter  of  David  Cutler,  who  was  a  noted  Baptist  minister 
of  Vermont,  who  in  1827  emigrated  to  New  Berlin,  Chenango  county.  He  afterwards 
settled  in  Plainfield,  Otsego  county,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  George 
A.  Smith  was  married  January  2,  1868,  to  Luoinda  Holmes  of  Unadilla  Forks,  one  of 
nine  children  of  Asa  and  Eliza  (Rood)  Holmes.  They  have  two  children,  Fred  and 
Jesse  Smith.  In  1862  Mr.  Smith  began  cheese-making  with  his  uncle,  C.  W.  Smith  of 
Exeten  They  founded  one  of  the  first  cheese  factories  in  Otsego  county.  They  came 
to  Frankfort  in  1867  and  bought -the  old  cheese  factory  and  built  a  large  cheese  business. 
In  1872  he  sold  out  his  interest  to  his  uncle,  James  Smith,  and  bought  a  factory  in 
North  WinBeld  which  he  sold  in  1875,  and  bought  another  in  CassviUe,  Oneida  county, 
and  ran  it  until  1888,  at  which  time  (1888)  he  was  owner  and  lessee  of  four  factories.  In 
that  year  he  again  took  up  his  residence  in  Frankfort,  and  was  appointed  on  the  New 
York  State  Dairy  Commission,  he  being  chief  dairy  expert  for  the  commission  ;  having 
charge  of  the  instruction  work  in  butter  and  cheese-making.      One  important  object  of 


106  HTSTORT  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  commission  being  to  elevate  the  standard  of  butter  and  cheese-making  in  the  State. 
Mr.  Smith  attends  tlie  Farmers'  Institute  throughout  the  State,  giving  practical  instruc- 
tion to  many  hundred  men  interested  in  this  important  industry. 

Smith,  Wm.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer  on  the  9th  day  of  September,  1814. 
He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Utica  and  Fairfield  and  Union  College,  Schenectady, 
studied  law  with  Gen.  Gray  of  Herkimer,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1840.  Mr. 
Smith  soon  gave  up  the  active  practice  of  his  profession,  his  large  mercantile  and  real 
estate  interests  requiring  his  undivided  attention.  In  18G8  he  was  the  prime  factor  in 
the  establishment  of  the  Herkimer  Bank,  of  which  he  is  president.  This  bank,  one  of 
the  leading  fiduciary  institutions  of  New  York  State,  owes  much  of  its  success  to  his 
financiering.  Mr.  Smith  is  of  Mohawk  Dutch  descent.  He  has  in  his  possession  the  last 
will  and  testament  of  his  ancestor,  John  Geo.  Smith,  which  was  drawn  in  1730  in  Al- 
bany, Four  generations  have  since  passed  away,  viz,,  Martin  Smith,  a  son  of  John 
George  Smith,  John  M,,  a  son  of  Martin,  and  John  Smith,  the  son  of  John  M.  Smith, 
and  father  of  William  Smith.  Wm,  Smith  has  held  such  local  oflices  as  trustee,  school 
commissioner,  supervisor,  president  of  the  village,  etc.,  and  has  spent  nearly  all  of  his 
life  upon  the  old  homestead  which  descended  to  him  from  his  ancestors. 

Smith,  Frederick,  Norway,  was  born  in  Norway  January  9,  1826,  He  was  reared 
on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  and  select  schools.  He  clerked  in  Norway 
about  six  years  and  then  followed  farming.  In  1871  he  went  to  Herkimer  and  was 
deputy  county  clerk  for  five  years.  November  20,  1851,  he  married  Maria  E,  Service 
of  Norway,  born  September  5,  1830,  who  bore  him  five  children  :  Ida  E,,  Zenas  B,, 
Arthur  I.,  Ruth  and  Phebe  D,,  all  of  whom  are  living.  In  politics  Mr,  Smith  was  an 
Abolitionist,  a  Republican,  and  is  now  a  Prohibitionist,  He  has  been  overseer  of  the 
poor,  justice  of  the  peace,  town  clerk,  and  supervisor  of  Norway.  He  was  census 
enumerator  of  Norway  in  1865  and  Salisbury  and  Norway  in  1870,  He  published  the 
Norway  Tidings  for  four  years,  beginning  January  1,  1887.  He  has  been  correspondent 
of  the  county  press  and  Utica  papers  for  over  thirty  years.  He  and  his  wife  are  Meth- 
odists. Mrs.  Smith  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Eliza  Service.  The  parents  of  Jacob 
Service  were  Wm,  W  and  Asenath  Winegar,  who  settled  in  Norway  in  1880,  The 
father  of  Fred  Smith  was  Johnson  Smith,  a  son  of  Jared  Smith,  jr.,  whose  father  was 
Jared  Smith,  Jared  Smith,  sen,,  was  born  in  Huntington,  Conn,,  July  25,  1741,  Au- 
gust 20,  1761,  he  married  Dorcas  Beecher,  She  was  born  in  Huntington  June  15, 
1744.  She  was  a  great-aunt  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  The  children  of  Mr,  Smith  and 
wife  were  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  Dorcas  Smith  died  August  20,  1779,  and  May 
5,  1783,  Mr.  Smith  married  Mary  Johnson  of  South  Britain,  Uonn.  Mr.  Smith  died 
March  13,  1813,  in  Sahsbury,  Conn.  His  second  wife  died  July  17, 1815.  Jared  Smith, 
jr.,  was  born  at  Southbury  April  11,  1766,  January  14,  1787,  he  married  Dorcas  John- 
son of  the  same  town.  In  1797  Mr,  Smith  and  family  came  to  Norway.  The  family 
of  Mr.  Smith  and  wife  consisted  of  one  son  and  five  daughters.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Whig.  In  181C  he  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace  and  held  the  office  eight  years. 
He  was  lieutenant  and  afterwards  captain  of  a  military  company.  He  died  in  Norway 
March  26,  1845.     His  wife  died  May  16,  1851.     Johnson  Smith  was  born  in  Norway 


1 
I 


I 


FAMILY  SKETCHES  107 

October  30,  1798.  January  13,  1825  he  married  Sarah  Salisbury,  born  in  Fairfield 
September  6,  1798.  They  had  six  children.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig,  Know  Nothing, 
and  afterwards  a  Republican.  He  held  minor  town  offices.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
M.  E.  Church.  His  wife  died  in  1844  and  Mr.  Smith  in  1847  married  Harriet  Hine  of 
Norway,  a  daughter  of  Russell  and  AUie  Hine.  His  second  wife  died  in  1892.  Mr. 
Smith  died  in  Norway  March  30,  18G9.     He  was  a  kind  parent  and  good  citizen. 

Huntley,  Eugene  P.,  Litchfield,  was  torn  in  Winfield  March  1,  1838,  .and  settled  in 
Litchfield  in  1867,  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  ma  ried  Annette  Faulkner,  a 
native  of  Columbia,  by  whom  he  had  three  children:  James  L.,  Ada  M.,  and  Elbert  B. 
Eugene  P.  Himtley,  i.s  a  son  of  Lester,  a  native  of  West  Exeter,  Otsego  county,  who 
was  a  son  of  James  Huntley.  Four  of  his  children  are  living:  Lyman,  Elisha,  Loren 
and  Mrs.  Myron  Eldred.  Lester  Huntley,  had  seven  children :  Jackson  M.,  Sarah 
A.,  Eugene  P.,  Alice  E.  Hay,  Byron  L.,  Josephine  Stuart  and  J.  Frank  Huntley. 
One  of  the  above  children  is  dead. 

Sweet,  Burton  J.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Norway  July  20,  1836.  He  is  a  son  of 
Jesse  Sweet,  a  son  of  Wanton  Sweet,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born  October  6,  1776. 
When  a  young  man  Wanton  Sweet  came  to  Salisbury  and  there  in  1800  married  Olive 
Carr  of  Salisbury,  born  1783.  They  reared  twelve  children.  Mr.  Sweet  died  February 
2,  1850,  and  his  wife  died  October  1,  185C.  Jesse  Sweet  was  born  in  Salisbury  in  1802. 
March  10,  1831,  he  married  Elizabeth  Potter  and  had  four  children.  While  on  ajourney 
to  the  west  looking  for  land  he  died  in  Ohio  in  1837.  Burton  J.  Sweet  was  educated 
in  the  common  and  select  schools.  He  now  owns  the  farm  on  which  he  was  born. 
In  1871  he  married  Emily  M.  Grain  of  Evans  Mills,  Jefferson  county,  born  1843.  Their 
children  are  Ward'  B.,  Arthur  H.,  Bertha  B.,  Jessie  V.  and  Annie  M.  Mr.  Sweet  is  a 
Prohibitionist.  He  has  been  highway  commissioner  three  years  and  a  member  of  Nor- 
way Grange  568.  Mrs.  Sweet  is  a  Baptist.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Sweet  were  Isaac  and 
Mertilla  (Root)  Crain.  Mr.  Crain  died  March  11,  1888,  and  Mrs.  Crain  died  February, 
1883. 

Squire,  A.  M.,  Russia,  born  January  3,  1819  in  Russia,  a  sou  of  John  D.,  who  was  a  / 
son  of  Stoddard  D.  Squire,  native  of  Woodbury,  Conn.,  born  November  8,  1758,  whose 
grandfather  was  Rev.  Anthony  Stoddard  of  New  England.  About  1792  Stoddard 
Squire  settled  in  Russia,  and  married  October  24,  1781,  Theodosia  French,  by  whom 
he  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  moved  to  Manchester,  Vt.,  with  his  father 
and  in  1792  came  to  Russia  with  his  father  and  died  in  1833.  For  many  years  he 
kept  an  inn.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy  and  his  wife  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 
John  G.  Squire  was  born  in  Manchester,  Vt.,  1785,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Rus- 
sia. His  wife  was  Robby  Smith  of  Fairfield,  and  they  had  four  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters. Mr.  Squire  was  drafted  in  the  war  of  1312.  He  was  a  Whig.  He  was  assessor 
and  school  commissioner  several  years.  He  and  wife  were  Episcopalians.  He  died  in 
1873  and  his  wife  in  1851.  A.  M.  Squire  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  learned  the  car- 
penter trade.  For  many  years  he  was  a  mover  of  buildings.  He  has  also  manufactured 
sleighs  and  kept  a  repair  shop.  For  forty  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  cider.     January,  1853,  he  married  Sarah  M.  Shaw,  a  native  of  Cold  Brook, 


108  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

born  September  9,  1828.  Her  parents  were  John  and  Perces  (Hulett)  Shaw,  early  set- 
tlers of  the  town,  who  had  five  sods  and  seven  daughters.  Mr.  Shaw  died  in  1830  and 
wife  died  in  1829.  Mr.  Squire  and  wife  have  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mr. 
Squire  is  a  Republican. 

Smith,  Bartlett  J.,  Winfield,  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  Winfield,  where  he 
was  born  April  1,  1827,  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  April  1,  1851.  He 
is  a  son  of  Samuel,  who  was  born  April  19,  1800,  in  this  town  and  died  October,  1880. 
He  was  a  son  of  Deacon  Larkin  Smith,  who  came  from  Barre,  Mass.,  and  settled  in 
Winfield  in  1794.  Subject's  mother  was  Mary  Ann,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Bartlett. 
She  was  born  March  18,  1805,  and  is  now  living  in  West  Winfield.  J.  Bartlett 
Smith  married  Cornelia,  daughter  of  Samuel  McKee,  of  Winfield,  September  18, 
1850,  and  they  have  three  children  :  Samuel  McKee,  Ada  C,  and  Flora  A.  Crossette. 

Smith,  Larkin  D.,  Winfield,  was  born  January  3,  1825,  in  Winfield,  on  the  old  home- 
stead, and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Smith,  who  was  born  on  the  same  farm  February  17, 
1800,  and  died  October  14,  1881.  He  was  a  son  of  Larkin  Smith,  who  came  to  Win- 
field in  1794,  and  settled  on  the  old  homestead,  now  owned  by  one  of  his  grandsons. 
He  was  born  in  Barre,  Mass.,  October  13,  1770,  and  died  April  19,  1842.  Larkin  D. 
Smith,  enlisted  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  September  5,  1862,  in  Company  E,  One 
Hundred  Fifty-Second  New  York  Yolunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  his  discharge 
for  disability,  September  12,  18G4.  He  married  Mrs.  Ma^ia  R.  Burdick,  June  13,  1879. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Warren  Williams,  of  Augusta,  Oneida  county.  Mr.  Smith 
bouglit  the  mills  at  Chepachet  in  1865,  rebuilt  them  and  run  them  about  eighteen  years. 
He  then  removed  to  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  known  as  the  Kellogg  farm. 

Silliman,  Gould,  resides  in  Russia.  He  is  a  farmer  but  for  many  years  was 
a  contractor  and  builder  of  Ilion,  and  erected  buildings  in  difl^erent  parts  of  the  county. 
He  was  born  in  Frankfort,  April  26,  1834.  He  went  to  Winfield  about  1850,  where 
he  learned  the  trade.  In  about  1864  he  moved  to  Ilion,  where  he  followed  the  same 
business,  and  from  there  wont  to  Russia  in  1881,  where  he  now  lives.  He  married 
Milla  A.  Hall,  by  whom  he  has  four  ch'ldren :  Frona,  Horace  G.,  Edith  M.,  Daniel 
B.  Gould  Silliman  is  a  son  of  Daniel  Gould  Silliman,  born  in  Danbury,  Conn.,  who 
settled  in  Frankfort  about  1830,  where  he  died  August  9,  1849,  aged  fifty-nine 
years.  Mrs.  Milla  A.  Silliman  was  born  in  Watertown,  Jefferson  county,  October 
22,  1838.  a  daughter  of  Shubal  Hull,  who  died  aged  thirty-four  years.  Daniel  Gould 
Silliman,  was  born  in  Danbury,  Conn.,  and  came  here  with  his  father,  Benjamin 
Silliman.  The  latter  married  Anna  Gould,  of  Connecticut  and  moved  to  Delaware 
county,  N.  Y.  Daniel  Gould  Silliman  married  Mrs.  Polly  Brockway,  daughter  of 
Luther  Cloyce,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  early  settled  in  Frankfort. 

Sholes,  Nelson  W.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Jefferson  county.  May  22,  1822,  a  son  of 
Roderick  Sholes,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut,  where  he  lived  until  about  four  j'cars 
of  age,  when  he  came,  about  1802,  with  his  mother  and  one  brother  and  one  sister,  to 
Plainfield,  Otsego  county,  and  settled  there.  He  married,  about  1820,  Zama  Cole,  a 
native  of  Otsego  county,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons  and  two  <iaughters,  of  whom  four 
survive:  Nelson  W.,  Newton,  Elijah  C,   and  Julia.     Two  died,  Mary  and  Roderick. 


i 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  109 

Nelson  W.  SLoles  came  to  Winfield,  December  1,  1858,  and  married,  February  2,  1860, 
Mrs.  Almira  M.  Bardin,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Morgan.  She  has  one  son,  Parke  M. 
Bardin.  Nelson  W.  Sholes  is  a  farmer  and  has  been  justice  here  about  sixteen  years. 
He  was  treasurer  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  lodge  at  the  time  it  was  discontinued  in  West 
Winfield.  He  was  elected  one  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  West  Winfield  Academy 
March,  1874,  and  held  that  position  until  the  school  was  graded.  He  was  treasurer  of 
the  academy  for  a  number  of  years,  and  also  of  the  graded  school.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Edu'^ation  for  two  terms,  and  now  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  West 
Winfield  Cemetery  Association,  also  its  treasurer.  Parke  M.  Bardin  was  the  first  sta- 
tion agent  of  the  D.  L.  &  W.  E.  E.  at  West  Winfield. 

Taylor,  J.  E.,  Little  Falls,  the  leading  hardware  merchant  of  Little  Falls,  is  a  native 
of  Albany.  He  has  spent  most  of  his  life  in  New  York  city,  Michigan  and  Little 
Falls.  He  was  engaged  in  the  insurance  business  in  Chicago  for  a  few  years.  In  1886 
he  embarked  in  the  hardware  business  in  Little  Falls,  the  firm  being  Taylor,  Cooke  & 
Co.  In  1890  the  name  was  changed  to  Taylor  &  M»rkham  and  in  1892  he  assumed 
control  of  the  whole  business.  He  is  essentially  one  of  the  leading  men  in  Little  Falls, 
judged  by  his  ability  and  success.  He  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Little  Falls 
Excelsior  and  Lumber  Company,  and  has  been  of  the  Board  of  Health.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows'  Society  and  the  Lodge  of  Elks  and  was  captain  of  a  military 
company  at  Port  Huron,  Mich.,  in  1874.  He  comes  of  an  illustrious  family  which  has 
resided  in  America  for  seven  generations.  His  grandfather  was  John  Taylor,  Mayor 
of  the  city  of  Albany,  1824.  He  is  connected  with  the  Taylors  of  Albany,  and  the 
Eichmonds  of  Eichmond  Manor  and  the  Wotherspoons  of  New  York. 

Timmerman,  L.  &  Son,  Little  Falls,  coal  dealers  of  Little  Falls,  are  numbered  among 
the  representative  men  of  Herkimer  county.  The  father,  L.  Timmerman,  is  a  native 
of  Manheim  Center  and  followed  the  occupation  of  farmer  up  to  eighteen  years  ago, 
when  he  came  to  Little  Falls  and  embarked  in  the  coal  business.  He  has  taken  a 
prominent  part  in  local  afl^airs  in  Little  Falls,  having  been  trustee  of  the  village  four 
terras  or  eight  years,  and  has  been  president  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  for  the  past  ten  years. 
The  coal  firm  was  first  Gillman,  Brown,  Loucks  &  Timmerman,  then  Gillman  &  Tim- 
merman, until  May  1,  1882,  when  Mr.  Timmerman  conducted  it  alone  until  February 
1,  1887,  when  0.  W.  Timmerman  was  admitted  to  the  firm,  and  it  has  since  been 
conducted  under  the  present  name.  O.  W.  Timmerman  belongs  to  what  may  be  called 
the  younger  circle  of  leading  business  men  of  Little  Falls.  He  holds  a  high  degree 
in  the  Masonic  order,  is  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter,  Commandery  and 
Shrine  ;  of  the  Elks,  the  Eoyal  Arcanum  and  other  important  organizations.  His  wife 
was  Marguerite  Eugenie  Christman,  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y. 

Turner,  Louis  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Germany,  1852.  He  came  to  this  country 
July  5,  1869.  He  started  at  farming  in  Lewis  county.  Then  he  came  to  Utica,  Oneida 
county,  1871,  and  started  in  the  butcher  business.  He  remained  there  for  five  years 
and  married  Miss  Mary  Everheart  in  1883,  from  there  he  went  to  Mohawk  in  1875  to 
1877,  and  then  to  Herkimer,  and  in  1881  established  a  business  for  himself.  In  1883 
he  was  elected  in  the  ranks  of  K.  of  P.     In  1884  he  became  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F. 


no  niSTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

His  business  has  been  successful  and  he  has  two  sons.    In  1890  he  was  elected  as  trustee 
of  the  village  of  Herkimer. 

Trenbeth,  Frank,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.  His  father,  Henry 
Trenbeth,  moved  from  Rochester  to  Herkimer  when  the  subject'  of  this  brief  sketch 
was  but  a  child.  He  therefore  received  his  education  in  the  local  schools,  and  after- 
wards was  for  four  years  connected  with  the  Herkimer  Bank.  In  June,  1888,  he,  in 
connection  with  his  father,  established  their  present  grocery  house.  Frank  Trenbeth 
married  Miss  Carrie  M.  French  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  has  two  children,  both  girls. 
Frank  Trenbeth  is  a  Mason.  Henry  Trenbeth  was  born  in  England.  At  eight  years  of 
age  he  was  brought  to  Canada,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  he  moved  to  Rochester,  N. 
Y.  In  1868  he  again  moved  for  the  last  time  to  Herkimer,  N.  Y..  where  he  has  since 
resided.  His  wife  was  Miss  Mary  Riddell  of  Ontario.  Frank  Trenbeth  is  his  only 
surviving  child.  Henry  Trenbeth  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  a  charter  member  of  the  A. 
0.  U.  W.,  and  both  members  of  the  firm  are  associated  with  leading  social,  and 
benevolent  institutions. 

Tine,  G.Frank,  Frankfort,  one  of  seven  children  of  George  and  Catherine  (Allman) 
Tine,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  March  4,  1859.  George,  the  father,  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
and  his  wife,  Catharine,  was  born  in  Germany.  G.  F.  was  married  December  29,  1S81, 
to  Cora  Belle,  one  of  six  children  of  Daniel  and  Maria  (Putman)  Bridenbecker  of  East 
Schuyler.  He  worked  for  twelve  years  in  the  Remington  works  at  Ilion,  the  last  six 
years  as  tool  maker.  About  six  years  ago  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  West  Shore 
railroad  at  their  shops  in  Frankfort,  where  he  remains,  he  being  foreman  of  the  tool 
department  at  the  works.  Since  1889  he  has  been  engaged  with  his  brother  in  running 
a  news  room,  book  and  general  notion  store,  under  the  name  of  Tine  Brothers. 

Thomas,  J.  F.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  June  20,  1836.  He  was  at 
first  a  farmer  and  then  in  the  canal  business.  He  then  began  contract  work  in  the 
gun  factory  and  remained  there  thirty-three  years  as  master  mechanic  and  contractor. 
He  was  also  contractor  for  the  State  of  New  York  for  seven  years  and  superin- 
tendent of  section  four  of  the  canal.  In  1883  he  bought  the  Ilion  Opera  Honse,  now 
the  Thomas  Opera  House  and  has  since  devoted  his  attention  to  it  and  his  real  estate 
interests.  He  has  been  president  of  the  village,  trustee  and  water  commissioner.  In 
1856  he  married  Miss  Libby  A.  McChesney. 

Thomson,  E.  0.  W.,  Herkimer,  of  the  firm  of  Prowse  &  Thomson,  is  a  native  of 
Holland  Patent,  near  Utica,  and  came  to  Herkimer  in  1884,  to  enter  the  present  part- 
nership. He  was  educated  at  Holland  Patent  Academy,  the  Holbrook  Military 
Academy,  and  at  Fort  Plain.  He  married  Miss  Addie  E.  Hubbard  and  they  have  one 
child.  Mr.  Thomson  is  quite  a  young  man,  having  taken  a  half  interest  in  this  large 
business  when  just  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
A.  0.  U.  W.,  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Taber,  Peleg,  Newport,  came  from  the  tov^n  of  Danby,  Rutland  county,  Vt.,  and  set- 
tled on  the  Turnpike,  between  Herkimer  and  Little  Falls.  He  ne.xt  moved  on  the  first 
farm  north  of  the  County  house,  and  then  he  and  his  son,  Albert,  purchased  the  first 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  Ill 

farm  west  of  the  County  house,  which  they  sold  to  Walter  Taher,  and  bought  llie  ad- 
joining farm  west.  Peleg  Taber  married  a  Miss  Cole,  and  their  children  were  as  fol- 
lows: Hannah  Cummings,  William  C,  Albert,  Walter  and  John,  all  residents  of 
the  county  through  life  except  Hannah.  Albert  married  Nancy,  daughter  of  Henry 
J.  and  Nancy  Myers,  and  their  children  were  Wilham  Henry  (deceased)  ;  Helen  L., 
John  A.  and  Ira  (deceased).  John  followed  farming  and  married  January  11,  1860, 
Annette,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Nancy  Stewart.  Her  father  came  here  when  she 
was  young.  Their  children  were  Minnie,  Stewart  J.,  Etta  and  Bertie.  John  Taber 
started  for  himself  as  a  farmer  at  the  age  of  twenty.  For  six  years  he  worked  by  the 
month,  then  on  his  marriage  he  rented  a  farm  in  Montgomery  county,  where  he  re- 
mained three  years.  Returning  to  Herkimer  county  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's 
trade,  and  then  moved  to  Orange  county,  where  he  remained  three  years,  working  for 
his  uncle,  Samuel  J.  Stewart.  He  then  moved  to  Fairfield,  remaining  thirteen  years, 
for  two  years  being  in  the  hotel  business.  He  was  also  an  officer  and  made  a  specialty 
of  collections.  In  1881  he  purchased  his  president  residence.  He  has  held  the  offices 
of  constable  for  twenty-four  years,  deputy  sheriff  nine  years,  collector  and  chief  of 
police  of  Middleville.  Ira,  son  of  Albert,  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  enlisting  in 
Company  I,  121st  N.  T.  Volunteers.  He  was  disabled  and  brought  home  from 
Frederick  City. 

Tanner,  Merritt  W.,  Schuyler,  was  born  in  Schuyler,  November  23,  1839.  He  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  the  butter  trade.  He  was  in  business  in  Iowa  for  about  five 
years.  His  father  was  Hiram  B.  Tanner,  and  bis  grandfather  was  Wiiliam  Tanner,  who 
came  here  from  Rhode  Island.  In  1861  Mr.  Tanner  married  Libbie  A.  Frank,  daughter 
of  John  C.  Frank,  of  Fort  Herkimer,  and  has  only  one  son  living,  Almon  M.,  who  is  also 
married  and  has  two  children :  Blanche  L.  and  Almon  M.  jr. 

Trenham,  William  T.,  Winfield,  is  one  of  the  assessors  of  the  town  of  Winfield,  and 
the  leading  contractor  and  builder.  His  building  operations  extend  over  six  different 
counties.  He  has  followed  this  for  forty  years.  William  T.  Trenham  was  born  in 
Oneida  county,  September  14,  1833,  and  married  Susanah  Eames  of  that  county,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children  :  Mary  E.  and  Gertrude  B. 

Thomas,  Charles  D.,  Winfield,  attorney,  was  born  August  15,  1861,  in  Winfield,  a  son 
of  John  M.  and  Dorcas  G-.  Thomas.  He  was  educated  at  West  Winfield  Academy  and 
read  law  witii  George  M.  Aylesworth,  of  West  Winfield,  Sutton  &  Morehouse  and 
Spriggs,  Mathews  &  Spriggs,  of  Utica  ;  was  admitted  to  practice  October  10,  1884.  He 
immediately  went  to  Watertown  and  formed  a  co-partnership  with  E.  P.  Webb,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Webb  &  Thomas.  This  co-partnership  wasUissolved  January  3, 1885, 
and  shortly  after  he  moved  to  West  Winfield.  On  February  4  he  opened  an  office  in 
the  Huntley  block.  He  remained  there  until  April  1,  1887,  when  he  moved  into  the 
Mairs  block,  where  he  is  now  located.  On  August  5,  1883,  he  was  married  to  Jennie 
M.  Louden,  of  Rome. 

Taylor,  Noadiah  D.,  Winfield,  farmer  and  dealer  in  cattle,  wool,  etc.,  is  a  son  of  Tim- 
othy C,  whose  father  was  Samuel  Taylor,  a  native  of  Meriden,  Conn.,  and  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Plainfield,  Otsego  county.     Subject's  mother  was  Clarissa,  daughter  of 


112  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

Timotliy  Walker,  wlio  settled  in  West  Winfield  and  built  the  first  grist-mill  in  1808.  He 
cleared  a  large  tract  of  land  where  West  Winfield  is  now  situated.  Noadiah  D.  was 
born  at  West  Exeter,  Otspgo  county,  July  5,  1827,  settled  in  West  Winfield  in  1856 
and  built  his  present  house  that  year.  He  married  \n  1854  Lodema  S.  Brown,  who  died 
December  11,  1881,  aged  fifty-one  years.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Susan 
(Gorton)  Brown. 

Seckner,  Francis  A.,  Winfield,  has  a  hop,  dairy,  fruit  and  grain  farm  of  about  240 
acres ;  also  a  store  in  Chepachet,  where  he  has  been  postmaster  for  about  ten  years. 
He  was  born  in  Columbia,  March  4,  1848,  a  son  of  Jacob  Seckner,  jr.,  a  native  of  Her- 
kimer county,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Seckner,  born  in  Jacksonburg,  September  13, 
1789,  died  February  2,  1878,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  town  of  Colum- 
bia. His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Crouch,  born  in  Herkimer,  July  7,  1792,  died  January  IG, 
1869.  The  father  of  Jacob,  sr.,  was  Conrad  Seckner,  of  Germany.  The  great  aunt  of 
Jacob  Seckner,  jr.,  who.^e  name  was  Harter.  was  scalped  by  the  Indians  during  the 
Revolutionary  War  and  left  for  dead,  but  she  recovered  and  lived  many  years  after  to 
relate  her  terrible  experience.  Chauncey,  brother  of  Jacob,  jr.,  has  in  his  possession  a 
spade  used  in  Revolutionary  days  in  building  the  fort  at  Herkimer.  Jacob,  jr.,  was 
born  March  29,  1814,  and  died  December  21,  1876.  He  married  March  29,  1837,  Man- 
dana,  daughter  of  Phineas  Whitney,  of  German  Flats,  who  died  September  2,  1847,  and 
his  wife,  Deborah  Palmer,  died  March  24,  1858.  Jacob  Seckner, jr.,  had  seven  children  : 
Irvin  W.,  died  June  8.  1859;  Phineas  G.,  died  March  21,  1876;  Euphema,  who  married 
George  H.  Edick ;  Fanny,  who  married  Newbern  R.  Myers ;  Alraina,  who  married 
James  S.  Ginby ;  Alfred  E.,  who  married  Laura  Shaul,  and  Francis  Seckner,  who  mar- 
ried Helen  F.  Tyson,  November  7,  1870,  and  they  have  four  children  :  Fanny  L.,  Leon 
E.,  Helen  F.  and  Bessie  M.,  all  living  at  home  with  their  parents.  Francis  Seckner  set- 
tled on  the  farm  where  he  bow  lives  in  1871.  It  is  partly  in  Winfield  and  partly  in 
Richfield,  Otsego  county. 

Graves,  Solomon,  Russia,  was  born  February  24,  1819,  in  Russia,  N.  T.,  a  son  of 
John,  who  was  a  son  of  Russell.  John  Graves  was  born  December  22,  1778,  and  came 
from  Stephentown,  Rensselaer  county,  to  Newport,  this  county,  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
with  his  only  property,  an  ax,  on  his  shoulder,  jobbing  it  in  clearing  land  till  he  bought 
land  of  his  own,  which  he  cleared  up  and  paid  for  by  his  own  personal  exertions.  He 
first  purchased  106  acres  of  land,  on  which  subject  now  resides,  afterwards  adding  144 
acres,  making  250  in  all.  September  30,  1800,  he  married  Abigail  Munn,  born  Decem- 
ber 27,  1780,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons,  Crosby,  Ezra  and  John  R.  She  died  De- 
cember 27,  1816,  and  in  1818  he  married  Esther  Smith,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born 
December  19,  1784,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mr.  Graves  was  a 
Jacksonian  Democrat  and  afterwards  a  Republican.  He  was  sheriff  of  Herkimer  county 
one  term,  justice  of  the  peace,  school  commissioner,  supervisor  many  times  and  was 
twice  elected  member  of  the  Assembly.  He  died  in  1855  and  his  wife  died  in  1860. 
Solomon  Graves  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Russia,  in  Clinton  Liberal  In- 
stitute and  Union  College,  graduating  from  the  latter  in  1842.  April  27,  1842,  he  mar- 
ried Margaret  Smith,  a  native  of  Williamsville,  Erie  county,  born  February  27,  1821,  a 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  113 

daughter  of  Oziel  Smith,  of  Clarendon,  Rutland  comty,  Vt.,  born  April  17,  1784  in 
Clarendon,  Rutland  county,  Vt.,  and  Phoebe  Norton,  Korn  October  22,  1789.  in  Rich- 
mond, Berkshire  county,  Mass.  Mr.  Smith  and  wife  had  four  daughters  and  one  son. 
He  died  January  3,  1836,  and  his  wife  March  13,  1890,  at  the  age  of  100  years.  To  Mr. 
Graves  and  wife  were  born  five  children :  Edward  0.,  Crosby  J.,  Charles  A.,  WiUiam 
H.  and  Jessie,  the  latter  two  deceased.  Mr.  Graves  taught  school  a  short  time  and  then 
engaged  in  farming  on  the  old  homestead  until  1850.  He  next  purchased  property  in 
Geneva,  N.  Y.,  and  resided  there  a  short  time,  but  soon  returned  to  the  old  homestead, 
where  he  remained  until  1873,  when  he  sold  out,  and,  in  1876,  went  to  Washington,  D. 
C,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  ornamental  and  architectural  terra  cotta  work 
and  sewer  pipe  for  four  years.  In  1889  he  bought  back  the  old  homestead,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  was  an  early  and  earnest  Republican,  and  has  been  school  com- 
missioner a  number  of  years  and  supervisor  five  years..  In  1859  he  represented  the  first 
district  of  Herkimer  county  in  the  Assembly.  He  is  a  member  of  Newport  lodge,  No. 
45o,  F.  and  A.  M. 

Bailey,  Thomas,  Little  Falls,  was  born  and  received  his  education  in  Little  Falls.  In 
1872  he  entered  the  manufacturing  establishment,  of  which  his  father  is  president,  in  a 
clerical  capacity.  He  now,  in  the  absence  of  the  president,  fills  his  position,  attending 
to  the  buying,  selling  and  general  outside  business.  Mr.  Bailey  has  been  for  a  number 
of  years  prominent  in  political  and  social  circles  ;  he  served  as  alderman  for  four  years 
consecutively,  and  m  the  fall  of  1890  was  elected  to  the  responsible  position  of  county 
treasurer  upon  the  Republican  ticket.  His  father  and  brother  have  also  held  public 
office.  Mr.  Bailey  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  Odd  Fellows,  Elks,  and  the 
popular  leader  of  the  well  known  Little  Falls  band,  he  being  a  very  accomplished  cor- 
net player. 

Hanchett,  N.  A.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Oneida  county  March  31,  1845.  He 
early  showed  a  preference  for  the  grocery  business,  in  which  he  is  now  engaged.  He 
came  to  Ilion  over  twenty  years  ago,  and  was  for  some  time  employed  in  the  Armory 
He  has  been  in  his  present  business  for  several  years.  Mr.  Hanchett  is  a  Mason,  an 
Odd  Fellow,  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the  order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  He 
has  been  trustee  of  the  village  two  years.  His  father  was  Nelson  D.  Hanchett,  also  a 
native  of  Oneida  county. 

Van  Buren,  Jacob,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Oppenheim  Center  January  25,  1827. 
His  father  and  grandfather  were  born  in  Coxsackie,  on  the  Hudson.  His  grandfather 
was  a  brother  to  Martin's  father.  Jacob  received  a  good  common  school  education,  and 
moved  with  his  father  to  Brockett's  Bridge  in  1834.  His  father  then  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  lead  pipe,  furniture,  undertaking  and  millwright  business,  etc.  In  1851 
he  engaged  with  Seth  Thomas  for  one  year  as  machinist  in  his  clock  shops  at  Plymouth 
Hollow,  Conn.  In  the  fall  of  1852  he  engaged  with  James  &  Ferris  in  Utica,  manu- 
facturers of  telescopes  for  their  target  rifles.  In  1854  he  went  West.  In  1864  he  en- 
gaged with  Judge  J.  D.  Caton  in  his  Illinois  and  Mississippi  telegraph  shops  in  Ottawa. 
111.  Some  two  years  after  the  judge  sold  out  to  the  Western  Union.  Van  Buren 
stopped  with  the  Western  Union,  took  charge  of  the  engine  and  machinery,  made  tools, 


114  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

dies,  etc.,  until  the  Western  Union  reraored  their  works  in  1874  to  Chicago.  In  1875 
he  removed  to  Joliet  as  engineer  in  the  Joliet  Steel  Mill  Water  Works.  During  his  life 
in  the  West  he  filled  many  important  public  offices,  such  as  city  marshal,  collector,  etc. 
In  1877  he  returned  to  Brockett's  Bridge  and  entered  the  employ  of  Alfred  Dolge  as 
machinist.  In  1878  he  drafted  and  invented  the  most  part  of  the  first  hammer  felt 
machine ;  made  the  machine  in  Mr.  Dolge's  factory,  the  only  one  said  to  be  in  ex- 
istence at  that  time,  which  was  greatly  in  advance  of  the  old  tread-mill  style.  In  1879 
he  invented  and  drafted  a  glue  table  with  a  series  of  slots  running  lengthwise  for  glue- 
ing piano  sounding  boards,  which  was  a  succe-^is.  In  1880  Mr.  Van  Buren  invented  a 
knife  forty-eight  inches  long  for  cutting  heavy  hammer  felt.  In  1882  the  second  ham- 
mer felt  machine  was  made  by  him  on  a  much  larger  scale,  which  did  excellent  work. 
About  his  last  work  there  was  getting  up  a  new  style  of  post  adjustable  box  for  Mr. 
Dolge's  heavy  shafting  and  overseeing  the  setting  of  his  large  engine.  In  1883,  his 
health  having  failed  him,  he  resigned  and  retired  from  mechanical  work. 

Vosburgh,  Charles  W.,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  and  received  his  education  at  the 
academy  here.  After  being  engaged  in  clerking,  book-keeping,  etc.,  for  several  years, 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  Leigh  &  Company  in  the  grocery  line,  and  later  a  co- 
partnership with  a  Mr.  Shaut  in  the  same  business,  the  firm  being  known  as  Shaut  & 
Vosburgh.  After  this  for  a  time  he  conducted  the  City  Market,  which  he  disposed  of 
in  1890  and  entered  the  Little  Falls  post-office  as  assistant  postmaster.  This  position  he 
still  retains.  Mr.  Vosburgh  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Elks,  Red  Men 
and  of  the  Fire  Department,  Little  Falls  Commandery,  Ziyara  Temple  of  Utica,  etc. 
He  married  Katie  M.  Sharp,  of  Little  Falls. 

Van  Dieman,  Paul,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  January  14, 
1863,  and  came  to  America  in  1874.  He  learned  the  trade  of  die- cutter  and  engraver 
in  Chicago  and  New  York,  and  came  to  Ilion  in  September,  1890.  He  cuts  the 
original  dies  for  making  type  for  the  Remmgton  Standard  Typewriter.  Mr.  Van  Die- 
men  married  Pauline  Wilhelm  December  31,  1886.  His  father,  C.  P.  H.  Van  Diemen, 
once  conducted  the  largest  express  business  in  Hamburg,  Germany. 

Pierce,  John,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  September  7,  1863.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  baker  and  confectioner  in  Wheeling,  W.  Va.  He  came  to  Little 
Falls  in  1884,  remaining  there  until  1886,  when  he  went  into  the  employ  of  the  New 
Yord  Central  Railroad,  thence  to  Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  and  back  to  Little  Falls  in  1887. 
In  1889  he  went  to  Utica  and  returned  to  Little  Falls  in  1890,  starting  the  Manheim 
bakery  April  28  of  that  year.  Mr.  Pierce  does  a  thriving  business,  having  built  up  his 
trade  through  superior  products,     He  married  Nora  Williams,  and  they  have  one  son. 

Van  Gumster,  sr.,  John,  Ilion,  was  born  in  Holland  in  1839.  He  came  to  America 
in  1848  with  his  parents,  who  first  located  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  They  subsequently  took 
up  residence  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  learned  the  trade  of 
gunsmith.  His  father  was  also  an  expert  gunmaker.  In  1861  he  came  to  Ilion  and 
became  a  contractor  with  B.  Remington's  Sons,  with  whom  he  remained  until  1885. 
Since  that  time  he  has  been  one  year  with  Edison  and  two  years  with  the  Winchester 


\ 


FAMILY  SKETCHES,  '  115 

Repeating  Arms  Company  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  has 
been  a  delegate  to  important  conventions,  and  liolds  the  position  of  trustee  of  this  vil- 
lage at  the  present  time. 

Van  Valkenburg,  C.  A.,  Manheim,  was  born  in  Manheim  July  8,  1836.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Alida  M.  Schuyler  June  17,  1868.  His  father,  Vrial,  was  born  in  August,  1795. 
His  mother  was  Catherine  Driesbach,  a  sister  of  the  celebrated  lion  tamer.  Mr.  Van 
Valkenburg  has  lived  on  the  farm  he  now  owns  forty-nine  years.  His  father  settled 
here  in  the  spring  of  1837.  Mr.  Van  Valkenburg  moved  from  the  farm  October  20, 
1886,  to  where  he  now  lives.  No.  540  East  Monroe  street.  Mr.  Van  Valkenburg  re- 
ceived most  of  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  except  one  year  in  the  Little  Falls 
Academy  and  one  term  at  Fort  Plain  Seminary.  Mr.  Van  Valkenburg  took  the  man- 
agement of  his  farm  at  the  age  of  twenty,  making  butter  and  cheese.  Two  years  later 
he  started  a  market  garden  on  a  very  small  scale  in  connection  with  cheese-making, 
and  gradually  increased  the  garden  business  for  twenty-five  years,  then  growing  fifteen 
acres  of  vegetables,  which  he  has  run  since,  making  thirty-four  years  in  all.  In  1886 
he  started  a  milk  route,  which  he  has  run  since  in  connection  with  gardening. 

Van  Vechten,  Charles  F.,  Norway,  was  born  August  9,  1836.  His  father  was  Har- 
mon Van  Vechten,  a  son  of  Peter  Van  Vechten,  who  lived  and  died  in  Rensselaer 
county.  The  wife  of  Peter  was  Jane  Waldron,  who  bore  him  four  sons  and  four 
daughters.  Harmon  Van  Vechten  was  born  in  May  23,  1813.  He  married  Rony  H. 
Austin,  and  they  had  eight  sons  and  five  daughters.  In  1851  Mr.  Van  Vechten  came 
to  Norway  and  there  resided  until  his  death  in  1883.  His  widow  is  a  member  of  the 
M.  E.  church  and  now  resides  with  Charles  F.  Van  Vechten.  Mrs.  Van  Vechten  was 
born  in  Salisbury  in  1823,  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  S.  and  Lucy  (Barne,')  Austin, 
who  were  the  parents  of  nine  children.  Ch»rles  F.  Van  Vechten  is  a  farmer  and  dairy- 
man. He  owns  276  acres  of  the  old  homestead  where  lie  was  born  and  reared.  He 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools. 

Whiteman,  Henry,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Thompson,  Windham  county, 
Conn.,  1819.  His  father  died  when  he  was  nine  years  old,  leaving  a  wife  and  three 
small  children.  He  and  his  sister  were  put  to  work  in  a  factory  immediately  .after  his 
father's  death.  In  the  year  1830  his  mother  with  her  children  moved  to  Utica,  N.  Y., 
caring  for  them  by  taking  boarders.  He  was  engaged  in  various  pursuits  until  1846, 
when  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  continued  two  years  at  De  Ruyter,  Madison 
county,  N.  Y.  He  was  married  in  De  Ruyter,  in  1846,  to  Mary  Jane  Colkins,  daughter 
of  Washington  Colkins,  of  Earlville,  ]N.  T.  He  followed  other  occupations  until  1854, 
when  he  removed  to  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  where  he  has  since  remained.  In  1869  he 
received  the  appointment  of  collector  of  canal  tolls  from  'a.  Democratic  canal  board, 
which  position  he  held  for  four  successive  years.  In  1873  he  engaged  as  general  agent 
for  the  WaTior  Mower  Machine  Company,  which  position  he  held  for  about  sixteen 
years.  His  business  as  general  agent  took  him  through  all  the  nothern  States  and 
territories.  During  his  engagement  with  the  Warrior  Mower  Company  he  made  a 
fine  geological  collection,  which  will  compaie  favorably  with  any  private  geological 
collection  in  the  State.  In  1870  he  was  appointed  overseer  of  the  poor  of  the  town  o^ 
Little  Falls,  which  position  he  yet  retains. 


116  HISTORY  OF  nERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Kelsey,  George,  Little  Falls,  was  born  at  Fort  Plain,  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y.,  No- 
vember 18, 1865.  He  received  a  good  common  school  education,  and  afterwards  learned 
the  trade  of  baker,  at  which  trade  he  worked  for  several  prominent  establishments  in 
Little  Falls,  and  in  the  spring  of  1892  established  a  wholesale  business  in  this  village. 
He  supplies  stores,  hotels,  etc., -and  his  goods  reach  all  parts  of  this  county.  He  gives 
employment  to  several  skilled  bakers,  and  supervises  all  operations  himself.  Mr.  Kel- 
sey married  Alice  A.  Rrighain,  of  Oraefenburg  Spa;  and  they  have  two  sons,  Leon  P. 
and  Charles  H.  Mr.  Kelsey's  manufactory  is  at  No.  0  Mohawk  street.  He  also  has  a 
retail  store  for  the  sale  of  fine  home-made  bakestuffs  and  confectionery  at  No.  321 
Second  street. 

Wood,  D.  R.,  Fairfield,  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Fairfield,  owning  625  acres 
of  dairy  farms.  He  raises  a  large  number  of  young  stock  annually  to  keep  up  his  large 
herd  of  milch  cows.  His  grandfather,  John  Wood,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  in 
Rhode  Island,  but  afterwards  settled  in  this  State.  In  1844  Mr.  D.  R.  Wood  married 
Lydia  Emily  Fenner,  daughter  of  G.  F.  Fenner,  and  they  have  a  family  of  four  sons  and 
five  daughters.     Mr.  Wood  is  a  Democrat  and  all  of  his  sons  except  one  are  the  same. 

Washburn,  Elisha,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Westchester  county,  N.  Y.,  near  Sing  Sing, 
upon  the  13t,h  day  of  August,  1832.  His  family  removed  into  Otsego  county  when 
Elisha  was  about  three  years  of  age.  He  received  his  educational  advantages  here  and 
in  the  town  ofPlainfield,  and  followed  farming  until  1857,  when  he  sold  his  farm  of  160 
acres  and  bought  the  Temperance  House  of  Herkimer  of  Eli  Taylor.  After  keeping 
this  house  for  some  years  he  sold  it  to  Messrs.  Fields  &  Curtis,  and  established  a  flour 
and  feed  store,  and  in  1864  bought  the  Bellinger  flouring  mills,  with  which  Mr.  Wash- 
b\irn  has  since  been  connected  In  1886  he  sold  out  one  half  interest  of  mill  to  his 
former  manager,  G.  M.  Helmer,  and  the  firm  name  is  B.  Washburn  and  G.  M.  Helmer 
now.  He  is  a  staunch  Prohibitionist  in  politics,  also  a  protectionist.  Mr.  Washburn  is 
of  English  descent,  and  traces  his  anceitry  in  this  county  to  before  Revolutionary  times, 
with  which  they  were  identified,  also  the  war  of  1812.  The  Washburn  family  hold  a 
re-union  each  year,  which  over  100  representatives  attend.  Mr.  Washburn  married 
Miss  Eunice  Newton  Rice  of  Otsego  county,  in  1834,  a  descendant  of  Sir  James  New- 
ton Rice.     They  have  two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl. 

Warren,  Halsey  W.,  Little  Falls,  general  insurance  and  new.spaper  correspondent, 
was  born  in  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  February  9, 1857.  He  was  educated  at  the  Amsterdam 
Academy.  He  followed  civil  engineering  for  eight  years  and  settled  in  Little  Falls 
after  the  completion  of  the  West  Shore  railroad,  in  which  he  was  employed  three  years. 
In  1884  he  established  a  general  insurance  agency.  His  ancestors  were  prominent  in 
the  history  of  the  country.  The  late  Hon.  Piatt  Potter,  of  Schenectady,  was  his  grand- 
mother's brother.  Mr.  Warren  has  been  a  trustee  of  the  village  for  four  years,  1889- 
1893,  besides  being  elected  to  other  political  offices.  While  trustee  he  was  foremost  in 
all  improvements  to  the  place,  among  them  being  the  lighting  of  the  village  by  elec- 
tricity. In  1883  he  was  married  to  Nancy  C.  Staring,  daughter  of  Peter  A.  Staring. 
Her  mother  was  the  daughter  of  the  late  Gen.  Abram  G.  Rosecrantz,  of  State  militia 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  117 

fame  and  a  descendant  of  Capt.  George  Henry  Bell,  a  brother-in-law  of  Gen.  Nicholas 
Herkimer,  who  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Oriskany.  Mr.  Warren  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  B.  P.  0.  Elks,  Royal  Arcanum  and  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men. 

Walker,  L.  N.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  February  14,  1845,  and 
has  been  a  mechanic  all  his  life.  He  came  to  Ilion  in  1871  and  entered  the  armory  and 
during  the  past  four  years  has  been  a  contractor  in  assembling  and  finishing.  In  1866 
he  married  Kate  B.  Sartelle,  daughter  of  Calvin  Sartelle.  Mr.  Walker  was  captain  of 
the  celebrated  Ilion  rifle  team,  and  is  a  prominent  Mason. 

Wright,  Grant  B.,  Danube,  was  born  on  the  old  farm  of  100  acres  at  Paine's  Hollow, 
which  is  still  in  possession  of  his  grandfather,  Isaac  Wright.  About  five  years  ago  they 
moved  into  Newville  and  established  a  general  store,  which  they  have  since  conducted. 
Grant  B.  Wright  married  Nellie  Schuyler,  a  daughter  of  Lon  Schuyler.  They  have  two 
children,  Bessie  and  Harry.  Grant  B.  has  served  as  tax  collector,  etc.,  besides  which 
he  is  also  postmaster  of  Newville.     His  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution. 

Wicks,  J.  D.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  T.,  January  29,  1849,  and 
learned  his  profession  of  electro-metallurgist  in  New  York  city.  He  has  been  in  Ilion 
five  years  and  does  all  the  electro-plating  for  the  Typewriter  company.  He  is  an  Odd 
Fellow,  and  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  1873  Mr. 
Wicks  married  Ida  A.  Crissey  and  they  have  one  son,  Charles  D.  Wicks.  J.  Leander 
Wicks,  father  of  J.  D.,  is  a  sea  captain,  and  the  family  have  all  been  seafaring  men  for 
generations. 

Wilson,  A.  C,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Manheim  and  was  born  in  1847. 
He  works  the  Teall  farm,  owned  jointly  by  Mrs.  Wilson  and  her  sister,  Marion  E.  Teall, 
a  farm  of  200  acres  and  a  herd  of  forty  cows.  In  1875  he  married  Miss  Sarah  C.  Teall, 
daughter  of  S.  Teall,  and  they  have  a  family  of  three  children,  two  sons  and  one 
daughter.  Mr.  Wi'son  has  been  a  .successful  man  and  has  been  commissioner  of  high- 
ways. He  is  a  member  of  the  grange  and  of  the  Republican  party.  His  grandfather 
was  a  resident  of  Jefferson  county  and  his  father,  Daniel  C.  Wilson,  was  a  well-known 
citizen  of  Fairfield. 

Wayne,  William,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  New  Scotland,  Albany  county,  June  12, 
1849.  His  father  was  Anthony  Wayne,  and  his  mother  Elizabeth  (Reid)  Wayne.  His 
grandfather,  George  Wayne,  was  also  born  on  the  family  homestead  in  New  Scotland. 
His  great-grandfather,  Anthony  Wayne,  came  from  Derbyshire,  England,  about  the 
year  1770.  Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war  he  came  to  this  country  and  settled  in  New 
Scotland.  In  1785  he  gave  a  half  acre  of  ground  for  educational  purposes  and  to-day 
a  new  school  buiHing  stands  upon  the  spot.  William  Wayne  was  married  January  10, 
1S83,  to  Glenova  Becker,  of  Central  Bridge,  a  daughter  of  Abram  and  Ellen  (Wands) 
Becker.  They  have  one  son,  Raymond  B.  Wayne.  Since  1870  Mr.  Wayne  has  done 
business  as  a  carpenter  and  builder,  living  in  Frankfort  since  1884,  engaging  in  building 
3,nd  selling  houses— employing  some  fifteen  men  in  his  business. 


118  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Weigand,  A.  E.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Berlin,  Prussia,  April  6,  1853,  and  there 
learned  the  trade  of  designer  and  woodcarver.  He  came  to  Ilion  in  18V8,  and  has  since 
been  a  oontraotor  in  the  armory,  doing  all  the  ornamenting  and  chequering  on  the  gun 
stocks.  He  was  the  first  to  educate  women  in  this  art  and  employ  them  in  America. 
In  1878  he  married  Sarah  Miller,  daughter  of  Adolphus  Miller,  a  clergyman  of  Cleve- 
land, O. 

Warner,  Robert,  W.,  M.  D.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  was 
born  January  23,  1859.  He  studied  in  Ilion  Academy  and  with  Dr.  Maben,  and  grad- 
uated in  1880  fr"m  Albany  Medical  College,  the  same  year  opening  an  office  in  Ilion. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Herkimer  Count}'  Medical  Society;  of  Ilion  Lodge,  No.  591,  F. 
and  A.  M.;  Iroquois  Chapter,  No.  230,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Khorassan  Grotto,  No.  2,  Veiled 
Prophets.  He  was  coroner  for  six  years  and  health  officer  for  about  the  same  length  of 
time.  He  is  now  first  lieutenant  and  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Thirty-first  Separate  com- 
pany, N.  G.  S.  N.  Y.     In  1886  he  married  Louise  M.  Schmidt,  of  Ilion. 

Weaver,  Walter,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Oppenheim,  July  10,  18G8.  He  received  a 
good  common  school  education,  and  was  then  engaged  in  farming  fc  r  six  seasons.  After 
this  he  became  clerk  tor  a  prominent  house  in  Dolgeville,  and  after  serving  in  that 
capacity  for  over  two  years,  he  established  his  present  shoe  and  men's  furnishing  estab- 
lishment. Mr.  Weaver  is  of  Mohawk  Dutch  descent,  and  of  Revolutionary  antecedents. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Good  Templars  and  Knights  of  S.  F.  I.  He  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  chuch,  Epworth  League,  etc. 

Whitfield,  Walter,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Manchester,  England,  in  1844,  and 
came  to  America  in  1850,  settling  in  Ilion.  He  was  for  many  years  in  the  gun  shops 
here,  in  the  pistol  department.  He  entered  the  armory  in  1859,  but  has  been  in  the 
Typewriter  company  since  its  organization.  In  18(Jl  he  enlisted  in  the  101st  New 
York  Infantry,  and  served  two  years.  Mr.  Whitfield  is  a  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the 
Little  Falls  Commandery,  No.  26.  In  1865  he  married  Emily  lies,  and  they  have  three 
children  living. 

Whitney,  Henry  G.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  German  Flats,  January  28,  1836, 
and  remained  on  the  farm  until  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  when  he  went  into 
the  livery  business  and  remained  up  to  the  present  year.  He  is  interested  in  trotting 
stock.  He  is  a  Mason  and  an  active  Republican.  In  February,  1872,  Mr.  Whitney 
married  Blmira  L.  Folts  and  they  have  one  son,  Frank  C,  who  is  a  law  student. 

Wright,  Isaac,  Stark.  For  six  generations  the  Wright  family  have  lived  and  tilled 
the  soil  in  this  town.  Isaac  Wright's  father  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  grand- 
father was  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  One  brother  and  three  nephews  participated 
in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  one  of  the  latter  died  in  Andersonville,  and  his  brother  re- 
ceived a  wound  which  ultimately  resulted  in  his  death.  Squire  Wright  was  born  in 
1815  on  the  homestead  farm.  He  married  Catie  M.  Deck,  by  whom  he  has  had  seven 
children,  four  of  whom  survive.  He  owns  a  dairy  farm  of  100  acres  and  keeps  twenty- 
five  head  of  stock.  Mr.  Wright  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  which  position  he  held 
sixteen  years  He  has  also  served  as  inspector  of  elections,  commissioner  of  highways, 
etc.;  inspector  of  schools  in  1838,  assessor  and  notary  public. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  llS 

Watts,  X  W.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Scotland  in  186G  and  was  brought  to  this 
country  in  his  infancy.  He  studied  at  Whitesboro  Seminary,  and  for  the  bar  in  the 
office  of  Goodwin  &  Swan,  of  Utica,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  20,  1889.  He 
has  fine  abilities  and  has  advanced  himself  to  his  present  position  at  the  bar  by  his  rare 
energy.  He  opened  an  office  in  Mohawk  in  October,  3892,  and  still  retains  his  office 
in  Utica.  His  father,  James  Watts,  resides  in  Whitesboro,  and  is  an  inspector  of  the 
New  York  Mills. 

Wetherwax,  A.  L.,  Little  Falls,  proprietor  of  the  Rockton  House,  Little  Falls,  has 
been  one  of  the  greatest  cheese  dealers  and  manufacturers  of  this  Slate  or  country.  He 
has  made  4,.500,000  pounds  of  cheese,  and  of  this  he  made  3,500,000  in  the  Newville 
factory,  which  he  conducted  for  eleven  years.  He  took  a  prize  for  his  cheese  at  the 
Centennial  exposition  in  1876.  In  1869  he  made  four  large  cheeses  for  a  Christmas 
dinner  in  London,  England,  weighing  980  pounds,  and  in  1870  made  four  more  for  the 
same  party,  weighing  1,380  pounds,  and  for  all  these  got  24  cents  per  pound,  when  the 
best  cheese  was  selling  for  17  cents.  He  first  made  cheese  in  Oneida  in  1864,  and  a 
year  latter  came  to  Manheim.  In  1868  he  came  to  Newville.  In  his  commission  busi- 
ness he  was  very  successful,  and  in  one  day  (September  10,  1887,)  bought  $12,700 
worth  of  cheese  for  J.  S.  Martin  &  Co.,  of  No.  168  Chambers  street.  New  York.  Mr. 
Wetherwax  is  a  native  of  this  State,  and  his  ancestors  came  from  Germany  about  cwo 
centuries  ago.     He  was  born  in  1831. 

Wallace,  Rev.  P.  F.,  Frankfort,  pastor  of  St.  Peter  and  Paul's  Roman  Catholic  church, 
was  born  in  Ireland,  and  educated  at  All  Hallows  College,  Dublin.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1881  and  entered  St.  Joseph's  Seminary  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  studying  for  the 
priesthood.  He  was  ordained  in  1886  and  appointed  assistant  priest  at  St.  John's 
church,  Albany,  where  he  remained  for  six  years.  Appointed  to  this  parish  by  Right 
Rev.  Bishop  McNeirny,  of  Albany,  he  came  to  Frankfort,  April  19,  1892,  he  being  the 
first  resident  pastor.  Rev.  James  Halpin,  of  Herkimer,  having  officiated  heretofore.  A 
fine  parochial  residence  is  being  erected  beside  the  church,  under  the  supervision  of  Fr. 
Wallace. 

Walrath  E.  M.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Danube,  but  has  spent  all  his 
business  life  in  Little  Falls.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for  about 
eleven  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Mechanics,  acd  a  Democrat  in  politics. 
Mr.  Walrath  comes  of  an  old  historic  family.  His  mother  was  a  great-grandniece  of 
General  Herkimer.  His  great-great-grandfather,  Henry  Walrath,  was  in  the  battle  of 
Oriskany,  and  at  the  close  of  the  battle,  while  still  enveloped  in  the  smoke,  he,  with 
several  others,  were  standing  together,  talking  of  the  incidents  of  the  day,  when  one 
of  the  party  was  shot  down  and  very  soon  another  and  another  until  all  but  two  or 
three  were  shot  before  they  found  their  assailant,  who  was  a  wounded  Indian,  lying 
beside  an  old  log  near  by.     His  grandfather,  Moses  Walrath,  was  in  the  war  of  1812. 

Wakeman,  Ward,  Little  Falls,  a  farmer,  resides  about  three  miles  north  of  the 
vil'age  of  Little  Falls,  and  was  born  on  the  old  Wakeman  homestead,  adjoining  his 
present  home.  His  grandfather  came  from  Connecticut  about  the  year  1800,  and  the 
family  has  resided  here  ever  since.  His  "father's  name  was  J.  B.  Wakeman.  Ward 
Wakeman  married  Ella  J.  Skinner,  who  died  July,  1891. 


120  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Wooster,  Joseph  T.,  Newport,  is  a  native  of  FairBeld,  Herkimer  county,  and  a  son 
of  Dr.  Joseph  and  Nancy  Picl^ert  Wooster,  who  settled  in  Middleville  about  1830  from 
Oneida  county,  as  a  physician,  which  profession  he  followed  until  his  death  in  1846. 
His  wife,  Nancy,  died  m  1887.  They  had  two  children,  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  1884, 
and  Joseph  T.,  who  was  born  in  May,  1844.  He  entered  the  Newport  National  Bank 
as  cashier  in  1874,  which  position  he  has  since  held.  September  27,  1888,  he  married 
Elda  A.,  daughter  of  Elisba  Smith.  They  have  two  sons,  Joseph  T.  jr.,  and  Charles  S. 
Mr.  Wooster's  mother  was  a  native  of  Manheim,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y. 

Ward,  Henry  L.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Eatonville,  and  was  born  February  7,  1813. 
His  father  came  there  about  1792,  and  was  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  that  part. 
Henry  L.  Ward  has  been  a  very  successful  man  and  has  gained  the  highest  esteem  of 
all  who  know  him.  He  was  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Newport,  and  was  supervisor 
of  that  town  six  years,  and  inspector  of  the  count}'  house  five  years.  In  1850  he  mar- 
ried Bula  A.  Martin,  and  they  have  three  sons  living:    H.  Judd,  Frank  M.  and  Bela  J. 

Williams,  J.  K.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Fulton  county  and  started  life  as  a  farmer, 
working  for  J.  W.  Windecker.  On  March  25th,  1862,  he  began  cheese  making,  making 
dairy  cheese  at  home  for  J.  H.  Ives,  near  Fairfield  villaee.  He  also  works  a  200-acre 
farm  for  Mr.  Ives  and  has  been  doing  so  for  seven  years.  In  1868  Mr.  Williams  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Carney  and  they  have  seven  children.  The  annual  make  of  the  fac- 
tory is  about  25,000  pounds. 

Weller,  W.  F.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Ilion,  August  23,  1863,  and  after  clerking 
for  some  time  established  his  grocery  and  meat  business  here  in  1889.  In  1887  he 
married  Miss  Cora  Ackler ;  they  have  a  family  of  three  daughters.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Anna  (Horner)  Weller. 

Whiting,  James  F.,  Fairfield,  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  May  8,  1847,  but  moved 
to  Middleville  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  twelve.  February  4,  1864,  at  the  early 
age  of  seventeen,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Second  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery,  which 
served  as  foot  soldiers  and  participated  in  seventeen  battles  with  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  In  August,  1864.  he  was  appointed  corporal ;  in  October,  1864,  sergeant, 
and  in  June,  1865,  first  sergeant  of  his  company;  was  honorably  discharged  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  the  29th  day  of  September,  1865.  In  1868  Mr.  Whiting  married 
Carrie  Farrell  and  they  have  had  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  Mr. 
Whiting  started  his  tin,  sheet  iron  and  stove,  hardware  and  plumbing  business,  and  by 
strict  attention  to  business  has  enlarged  it  each  year. 

Winegar,  Robert  D.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Ilion  May  27,  1869.  and  learned 
with  his  father  the  art  of  rifling  gun  barrels.  His  father,  Richard  L.  Winegar,  was  for 
thirty-three  years  a  contractor  in  the  Remington  Armory,  and  when  he  left  to  look 
after  interests  in  the  south,  Robert  D.  succeeded  him,  and  is  the  youngest  contractor 
in  the  armory.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Birmingham,  and  of  the 
Veiled  Prophets  and  Knights  of  Pythias.  Mr.  R.  L.  Winegar  achieved  fame  by  making 
the  highest  score  in  the  world  at  Creedmore,  shooting  223  points  out  of  a  possible  225, 
at  800,  900  and  1,000  yards. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  121 

Wolf,  Frederick,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Geimany  April  23,  1843.  Prior  to  coming 
to  this  country,  Mr.  Wolf  wes  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  business  from  1858  to 
1880  in  Leipsic.  In  the  latter  part  of  1880  he  came  to  America  and  entered  the  employ 
of  Alfred  Dolge  (who  i»  his  brother-in-law)  as  overseer  of  the  lumber  and  felt  depart- 
ments. Mr.  Wolf  has  been  very  active  and  influential  in  local  affairs  here.  He  was 
the  originator  of  the  German  Club,  also  a  member  of  the  Volunteer  Fire  Department 
for  ten  years,  a  director  in  the  Aid  Society,  a  member  of  the  school  board,  also  of  the 
health  board  and  of  other  associations  both  social  and  benevolent.  His  wife  wag  Miss 
Horn,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Alfred  Dolge,  and  Mr.  Wolf  has  a  family  of  five  children  living. 
His  oldest  son  is  an  assistant  m  Mr.  Dolge's  New  York  office,  and  his  oldest  daughter 
is  a  teacher  in  the  Dolgeville  Kindergarten  School. 

Wilson,  Sylvester,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Stark  August  15,  1847.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Herkimer  and  commenced  life  as  a  painter  and 
marble  cutter,  in  which  lines  he  has  worked  here  for  eighteen  years,  being  engaged  in 
one  shop  for  nine  years.  In  1875  Mr.  Wilson  was  elected  constable  and  chief  cf  police 
under  the  old  board.  In  1887  he  was  appointed  chief  under  the  new  board  of  the  paid 
department,  which  position  he  most  acceptably  filled  until  1891,  when  he  was  elected 
sheriff  of  Herkimer  county,  being  elected  in  a  Republican  county  of  800  to  1,000  ma- 
jority upon  a  Democratic  ticket  with  a  majority  of  178.  Sheriff  Wilson  is  a  leader  of 
the  celebrated  Glee  Club  which  has  participated  for  so  many  years  in  political  campaigns. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Jennie  Hall  of  Norway.     They  have  two  children. 

Western,  Benjamin  E.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Norway  May  12,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  and  Hannah  Western.  (See  Samuel  J.  Western's  sketch).  Benjamin  E.  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  is  a  farmer  and  lumberman.  His  wife  is  Sarah 
M.  Wood,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Wheelock  and  Hannah  Wood,  who  ha"  e 
four  sons  and  six  daughters.  The  children  of  Benjamin  E.  Western  are:  Jennie, 
Charlie,  Cylvina  and  Walter.  Mr.  Western  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Black  Creek. 

Witherstine,  William,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Herkimer  September  25, 
1853.  His  father,  David  Witherstine,  who  was  a  farmer,  died  on  the 8th  day  of  April, 
1864,  leaving  a  widow  and  five  children  :  Charles,  Horace,  William,  Margaret  and 
Martha,  being  the  only  children  of  a  second  wife.  The  Witherstine  family  is  one  of  the 
old  families  of  New  York  State.  His  grandfather,  John  Witherstine,  was  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolution,  having  entered  the  American  army  at  the  opening  of  hostilities  in  the 
Mohawk  Valley  and  served  with  honor  during  the  entire  struggle  of  the  colonies  for 
independence.  His  mother,  Margaret  Petrie,  was  a  granddaughter  of  Dr.  Wm.  Petrie, 
who  amputated  the  limb  of  General  Herkimer  after  he  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Oriskany.  Mr.  Witherstine  received  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Herkimer  and  afterwards  attended  school  at  Fairfield  Seminary,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  1878.  After  teaching  school  for  some  time  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Smith 
&  Steele,  in  Herkimer  and  began  the  study  of  law.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Oc- 
tober 10,  1884,  and  in  the  following  May  opened  an  office  in  the  Democrat  Block  in 
Herkimer,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in  a  large  and  increasing  practice  of  his  profession. 


122  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

He  has  been  twice  elected  justice  of  the  peace  and  for  five  years  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Education,  of  which  he  is  now  president.  He  has  always  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  the  schools,  and  is  identified  with  all  the  social  and  benevolent  enterprises  of 
the  village.  In  the  spring  of  1892  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  president  of  the  vil- 
lage by  the  largest  majority  ever  given  to  a  candidate  for  that  office,  thus  showing  the 
high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  citizens  of  that  village.  Mr.  Withersline  was 
married  December  25,  1878,  to  Miss  Mary  Western  of  Norway,  Herkimer  country,  N. 
Y.,  and  has  two  children,  Charles  J.  and  Emma.  He  has  only  one  brother  now  living, 
Dr.  H.  H.  Witherstine,  a  prominent  physician,  also  mayor  of  Rochester,  Minn.  Mr. 
Witherstine  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed  church  of  Herkimer,  and  also  one  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  the  same  place. 

Wagner,  Oscar,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Prussia,  July  6,  1862.  He  was  one  of  six 
children  of  William  and  Mathilde  Wagner.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  the 
city  of  Bromberg.  In  addition  to  the  languages,  etc.,  he  was  given  the  benefits  of  a 
scientific  education.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  came  to  this  country,  locating  in 
Frankfort,  some  nine  and  a  half  years.  In  1888  he  went  into  general  contracting  and 
building.  In  1889  he  erected  a  building,  the  first  floor  of  which  he  occupies  as  a 
grocery  and  general  store.  It  is  a  fine  three-story  building  30x80  feet,  the  upper 
floors  of  which  are  used  as  tenements.  He  also  owns  four  other  dwellings  arranged 
for  two  families  each.  He  is  one  of  the  thrifty  men  of  the  town.  He  was  married 
March  10,  1886,  to  Bertha  Koeppe,  a  native  of  Prussia. 

Waite,  Eben  Britton. —  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  village  of  Little 
Falls,  December  25,  1820,  and  is  a  son  of  Job  and  Rebecca  Waite.  His  education, 
which  began  at  an  early  age,  was  completed  in  the  village  schools,  where  he  was  a 
diligent  and  proficient  student.  Mr.  Waite  commenced  his  business  career  in  1836, 
acting  as  clerk  for  Jacob  W.  Dygert,  who  kept  a  store  on  the  canal,  near  the  Aqueduct. 
He  remained  in  this  position  one  year,  when  he  accepted  a  clerkship  with  John  Beards- 
lee  in  a  grocery  and  provision  store  on  Main  street.  Holding  this  place  three  years, 
on  April  1,  1890,  he  entered  the  canal  warehouse  of  Page  &  Priest.  In  the  spring  of 
1845  he  rented  a  canal  warehouse  and  grocery  store  of  Major  Frederick  Bellinger,  of 
Mohawk,  located  at  the  Herkimer  upjer  bridge.  The  situation  being  undesirable,  he 
returned  to  Little  Falls  in  1846  and  took  charge,  as  manage"-  of  the  canal  warehouse, 
and  line  of  boats  running  between  that  place  and  New  York  city.  In  1850  he  left 
this  situation,  and  traveled  two  years  for  health  and  recreation.  In  1852  he  formed 
a  co-partnership  with  William  Page,  to  develop  a  water  power  on  Seely  Island  and 
build  a  paper  mill.  In  1854,  selling  his  interest  in  this  enterprise  to  Mr.  Page  and  his 
son,  he  bought  and  developed  three  water  lots  on  the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk  river 
at  the  lower  falls.  Tlie  dvelopment  of  these  lots  was  a  work  of  considerable  magni- 
tude. A  channel  thirty-two  feet  wide  and  seventeen  feet  deep  at  the  highest  point 
was  blasted  through  the  solid  rock,  opening  into  the  waters  of  the  Mohawk.  It  was 
controlled  by  a  bulkhead,  and,  with  a  portion  of  the  old  Inland  Lock  and  Navigation 
Company's  canal,  which  was  reconstructed,  formed  the  mill  canal.  April  30,  1857  Mr. 
Waite  formed   a  co-partnership  with  Seth  M.  and  Alvin  Richmond,  under  the  firm 


FAMILY   SKETCHES  123 

name  of  E.  B.  Waite  &  Co.,  for  the  purpose  of  building  and  operating  a  paper-mill. 
This  business  was  successfully  continued  until  March  13,  1889,  when  the  property  was 
sold  to  the  Little  Falls  Paper  Company.  Mr.  Waite,  since  1889,  has  lived  a  retired  life 
at  his  residence,  320  South  Ann  street,  in  the  village  of  Little  Fall?.  He  married, 
August  14,  1867,  Miss  Helen  Case,  daughter  of  Morgan  E.  Case,  of  Fairfield.  Thev 
have  two  children,  a  son,  Eben  Britton,  jr.,  born  August  25,  1869.  and  a  daughter, 
Cora,  born  February  16,  1872,  both  of  whom  reside  at  the  family  mansion. 

White,  Franklin,  Warren,  was  born  in  Braintree,  Mass.,  and  is  a  son  of  Calvin  and 
Margery  White,  who  were  the  parents  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  Our  subject 
moved  to  Albany  when  young  and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  at  the  stock  yards.  In 
1871  he  located  on  a  farm  of  100  acres  west  of  Little  Lakes  and  now  owns  200  acres. 
His  wife  was  Ann  E.  Gallup,  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Gallup,  born  at  Stonington, 
Conn.,  October  16,  1799,  and  died  at  the  residence  of  our  subject  in  April,  1878.  He 
was  twice  married.  Mrs.  Franklin  White  received  an  excellent  education  in  Albany 
Female  Academy,  and  graduated  from  a  private  academy  in  18.50.  She  is  the  mother 
of  five  children:  Martha  G.,  Frank  H.,  Anna  E.,  Alice  and  Helen.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
White  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church.  Their  son,  Frank  H.,  who  was  born  in 
Albany,  May  26,  1863,  has  charge  of  the  farm  and  is  a  breeder  of  Hambletonian 
horses. 

Watkins  James  H.  .1.,  Schuyler,  a  native  of  Wales,  was  born  in  1843,  and  came  to 
America  in  1853.  He  was  educated  in  Fairfield  Academy  and  Madison  University, 
and  was  ordained  a  Baptist  minister  in  1866,  having  charge  of  the  Baptist  church  at 
Harpersville  for  some  time.  He  is  now  a  journalist  and  farmer.  He  has  been  clerk 
of  the  board  of  supervisors  and  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty  years.  In  1887  he 
edited  the  Frankfort  Register.  In  1868  he  married  M  I.  Richardson,  and  they  have 
two  children,  William  C.  B.  Watkins  and  Grace  Watkins. 

Weatherbee,  Elias  B.,  Warren,  is  a  son  of  Brayton  A.  and  Philena  H.  (Bell)  Weather- 
bee.  His  grandfather  was  Alvin,  who  was  a  son  of  Lucius,  who  came  from  Bellow's 
Falls,  Vt.,  about  1805  and  built  a  tannery.  He  died  in  1834,  leaving  one  son,  Alvin, 
born  in  1798.  He  died  in  1884  and  his  wife  at  an  earlier  date.  They  had  four  chil- 
dren :  Brayton  A.,  Alvin  E.,  Emmagene  and  Leona.  Brayton  A.  Weatherbee  was 
born  July  16,  1820,  at  Page's  Corners.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business,  which  he  conducted  till  1849,  when  he  engaged  in  milling  and  tanning. 
He  owns  250  acres,  grist  mill  tannery,  with  one  of  the  best  water  powers  in  the  coun- 
try, coming  from  springs  on  the  farm.  _  The  pond  is  well  stocked  with  trout.  He  has  a 
fine  residence.  He  has  also  invented,  made  and  had  patented  a  stone  gathering  ma- 
chine, which  works  well.  He  is  a  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Richfield 
Springs,  a  stockholder  in  and  director  of  the  National  Mohawk  Valley  bank,  and  was 
active  in  securing  the  railroad  to  Richfield  Springs.  He  married  in  1851,  Philena, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Harriet  (Patterson)  Bell,  who  bore  him  four  children :  Rose  P., 
wife  of  Walton  D.  Gregory,  of  Newark,  N.  J. ;  Elias  B.,  Willard  R.  and  Hattie  E., 
(deceased).  Mrs.  Weatherbee  died  in  1880.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Universalist 
church. 


124  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Woodhull,  W.  B.,  M.  D.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Painesville,  Ohio,  May  12,  1858,  a  son 
of  Josiah,  a  son  of  Ricliard  Woodhull,  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to  Long  Island, 
where  he  died,  about  1830.  Josiah  Woodhull  was  born  in  Long  Island  in  1829,  and 
was  a  contractor  and  builder.  He  married  Amanda  Strong,  a  native  of  Long  Island, 
by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  W.  B.  being  the  oldest.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Long  Island  and  in  St.  Barnabas  Hall  Academy,  graduating  from  the  latter 
in  1873.  He  spent  one  year  at  gea,  three  years  as  clerk  and  one  year  as  merchant.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  IT.  M.  Ives,  at  Hastings, 
an'l  afterwards  graduated  from  New  York  University  in  1882.  He  immediately  be- 
gan practicing  liis  profession,  coming  to  Poland  in  1885,  where  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful. In  1882  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of  John  and  Helen  (Sperry)  Ackley,  of 
Connecticut,  and  they  have  two  children,  Helen  and  Clarence  S.  He  is  a  Republican, 
a  member  of  Herkimer  County  Medical  society,  and  a  member  of  South  Side  Lodge, 
No.  493,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  Long  Island. 

Worden,  JeflTerson,  Russia,  was  born  in  Remsen,  Oneida  county,  March  23,  1838. 
His  father  was  Isaac,  a  son  of  John  Worden,  who  was  for  many  years  a  resident  of 
Oneida  county,  afterwards  coming  to  Russia.  His  wife  was  Rebecca  Clyde,  a  native 
of  New  England,  by  whom  he  had  five  sons.  Mr.  Worden  died  about  1848.  and  his 
wife  died  in  1862,  at  the  age  of  102.  Isaac  Worden  was  born  m  Oneida  county, 
and  there  married  Asia  Nichols,  a  native  of  that  county.  They  had  eleven  children. 
Mr.  Worden  was  a  farmer  and  lumberman.  His  wife  died  about  1840  and  he  married 
Desire  Clough,  by  whom  he  had  one  child.  Mr.  Worden  died  in  1877,  and  his  second 
wife  in  1887  Subject  came  to  Russia  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  In  1859  he  married 
Lavina  Farley,  a  native  of  Prospect,  born  in  1843.  They  had  six  sons  and  six  daugh- 
ters.    Mr.  Worden  is  a  farmer  and  lumberman.     He  has  always  been  a  Democrat. 

Wheeler,  Henry  H.,  Winfield,  assistant  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  West 
Winfield,  is  one  of  the  firiti  of  C.  D  &  H.  H.  Wheeler,  proprietors  of  the  Unadilla  Valley 
stock  farm.  He  was  for  some  time  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  of  this  town.  He 
was  bo'n  at  Leonardsville,  December  29,  1857,  and  settled  in  West  Winfield,  about  1870. 
He  married  Julia  Tyler,  and  they  have  four  children  :  Harry  D.,  Louise  W.,  Stuart  T.  and 
Agnes  H.  Wheeler.  Henry  IT.  is  a  son  of  John  0.  Wheeler,  the  cashier  of  this  bank, 
and  for  many  years  of  the  bank  at  Leonardsville.  He  married  Rebecca,  a  daughter 
of  Dennis  Hardin,  who  for  many  years  was  supervisor  of  Brookfield,  Madison  county. 
He  was  also  a  prominent  banker  and  politician,  having  been  member  of  Assembly 
from  his  district. 

Williams,  Stillman,  Winfield,  dairy  farmer  of  Winfield,  was  born  November  23, 
1830.  He  is  a  son  of  Anthony  Williams,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born  April 
15,  1799,  who  came  to  this  town  with  his  father,  Festus  Williams,  who  was  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  Columbia,  near  Miller's  Mills.  His  father  was^ohn,'  a  Bap- 
tist minister  of  the  Revolution,  and  chaplain  under  General  Washington.  Stillman 
Williams  married,  1860,  Lydia  King,  and  they  have  eight  children  living:  Jane, 
Nellie,-  Mary,  Hortence,  Alberta,  Ada,  Stillman,  jr.,  and  Henry  Williams, 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  125 

Wheeler,  Charles  D.,  Win  field,  was  born  in  Leonardsville,  Madison  county,  April 
18,  1859,  and  settled  in  Winfield  in  1880.  He  was  supervisor  of  Winfield  in  1887. 
He  is  vice-president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  West  Winfield,  and  is  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  C.  D.  &  H.  H.  Wheeler  of  the  Unadilla  Valley  Stock  Farm. 
He  married,  December  2,  1879,  Fanny  A.  Spencer,  and  they  have  two  sons :  Henry 
Hill  and  Frederick  Spencer.  Charles  D.  is  a  son  of  John  0.  Wheeler,  the  cashier 
of  First  National  Bank  of  West  AVinfield,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Prentiss  Wheeler. 
Charles  D.  Wheeler  was  postmaster  of  West  Winfield  from  1881  to  1884.  He  is  a 
member  of  Winfield  Lodge  581,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Richfield  Springs  Chapter  222,  R.  A. 
M.,  Utica  Commandery  K.  T.,  No.  3,  and  the  Syracuse  Consistory.  He  was  for  some 
years  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  West  Winfield  News.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  en- 
tered the  West  Winfield  Academy  and  remained  two  years.  In  1875  he  entered  the 
Grammar  School  at  Clinton,  and  graduated  in  the  class  of  1877.  His  father,  John  0. 
Wheeler,  present  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  West  Winfield,  was  for  several 
years  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  at  Leonardsville,  Madison  county.  His 
mother  was  Rebecca  E.  Hardin,  daughter  of  Dennis  Hardin,  a  prominent  banker 
and  politician  formerly  of  Brookfield,  Madison  county,  N.  T. 

Wadsworth,  Joel,  Winfield,  was  born  in  New  Hartford,  Oneida  county,  November 
5,  1800.  He  was  a  son  of  Timothy,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Oneida  county  ;  who  when  he  came  to  this  locality  found  but  two  or  three  small  houses. 
He  settled  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  of  New  Hartford,  where  he  died  November 
15,  1847.  Lydia,  his  wife,  died  June  11,  1848.  Joel  Wadsworth  settled  in  Winfield 
about  1833  and  has  lived  in  this  town  ever  since.  He  has  been  strictly  a  temperance 
man  all  this  time.  He  belongs  to  the  First  M.  E.  Church  of  West  Winfield.  His 
father  had  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  They  were  all  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  There  are  but  three  of  them  living  :  Joel,  Nancy,  and  Maria.  Mr. 
Wadsworth  attends  the  M.  E.  church,  having  been  a  member  since  1825,  and  is  a  very 
active  worker.  Joel  Wadsworth  married  first,  Sarah  Goodier,  who  died  January  22, 
1861.  She  was  the  mother  of  four  children  :  Hester  Ann,  who  married  Albert  Crumb ; 
George  H.,  who  married  Henrietta  Stout ;  Emily  H.,  who  married  Alvin  Day,  and 
Lizzie  H.,  who  married  Dr.  Orrin  Wilcox.  He  married  second,  Roxey  (Beals)  Dunham, 
who  died  March  6,  1883.  His  third  wife  was  Lucretia  Peck,  the  widow  of  Alexander 
Dewey.     She  was  married  to  Mr.  Wadsworth  April  17,  1884. 

Wood,  Palmer  M.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  the  town  of  German  Flats,  January  18, 
1839,  in  which  vicinity  his  ancestors  located  early  in  the  century,  originally  coming 
from  New  England.  Mr.  Wood  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  this  vicinity  and 
those  of  Columbia  and  Warren.  He  followed  farming  until  1880,  having  purchased 
155  acres  of  land  in  the  spring  of  1860.  In  1868  he  married  Jennie  M.  Ward,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Artemas  Ward,  and  has  a  family  of  four  daughters  and  two  sons.  Mr.  Wood 
has  been  identified  with  political  matters  in  a  marked  degree,  being  the  accredited 
manager  of  Warner  Miller's  campaign.  In  1879  he  was  elected  Herkimer  county 
clerk,  which  oflice  he  held  for  six  years.  In  1881  he  was  chairman  of  the  Republican 
county  committee,   holding  this    position    until  1887,  and   in   1878  was  chairman  of 


126  HISTORT  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

the  Board  of  Supervisors.  Mr.  Wood  is  a  Mason  and  identified  with  other  local  and 
benevolent  institutions.  He  is  largely  interested  in  real  estate  in  Herkimer  and  also 
at  Kettle  Falls,  Washington,  and  is  largely  engaged  in  the  coal  and  wood  traffic  here. 

Lovenheim,  I.  N.,  Little  Falls,  conducts  a  variety  establishment  in  the  village  of  Lit- 
tle Falls.  Hi  i  stock  consists  of  dry  goods,  crockery,  fancy  good.«,  house  furnishings, 
etc.,  and  a  good  trade  is  enjoyed  and  several  assi.<;tants  are  employed.  The  business 
was  inaugurated  in  1888.  The  senior  member  of  the  firm  (which  consists  of  I.  N. 
Lovenheim  &  Brother),  is  in  Europe  at  the  present  writing.  His  house  enjoys  a  first 
class  reputation  for  liberal  dealing  with  the  public  of  Herkimer  county. 

Hurlbut,  George  H.,  Newport,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Norway,  November  1,  1826, 
a  son  of  William  H.  and  Chloe  (Hull)  Hurlbut.  She  was  a  native  of  Newport  and  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  Hull.  She  was  born  January  1.  1800,  and  died  November  13, 
1870.  William  H.  Hurlbut  came  to  Newport  at  about  twenty  years  of  age,  but  re- 
turned to  Norway  and  remained  till  1867.  He  died  in  Newport  in  1887  in  his  ninety- 
fourth  year.  He  had  three  children,  William  D.,  George  H.  and  Horace  L.,  all  married. 
The  grandfather  and  grandmother  were  Presbyterians,  the  former  being  associate 
judge  of  Herkimer  county.  William  H.  was  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Hannah  (Cole)  Hurl- 
but, who  came  from  Connecticut  and  settled  in  Salisbury.  George  H.  married  Harriet 
O.  Scott  in  September,  1852,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Clara  B.  Mrs.  Hurlbut  died 
September  12.  1866,  and  Mr.  Hurlbut  married  second,  Mary  L.  Scott,  on  June  12, 
1868;  They  have  two  sons,  George  B.  and  Harry  H.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a 
merchant,  also  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge  No.  455.  of  which  he  acted  as  secretary 
for  nineteen  years.  He  was  also  junior  warden.  He  is  a  Republican  and  postmaster 
of  Newport  under  Garfield  and  Harrison.  He  has  held  the  ofSces  of  supervisor,  town 
clerk,  president  and  trustee  of  the  village  several  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Education  five  years,  and  a  member  of  the  Republican  county  committee  in 
1891. 

ZoUer,  Jacob,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Minden,  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y.  He  es- 
tablished himself  in  business  over  forty  years  ago  in  the  produce  and  provision  lines  in 
Montgomery  county.  He  was  one  of  the  first  who  commenced  to  lime  eggs,  in 
which  he  has  been  engaged  since  his  entrance  into  the  busines.s.  Mr.  Zoller  is 
njw  located  on  East  Mill  street,  where  be  has  extensive  warehouses  and  facilities. 
He  conducts  a  wholesale  cheese,  egg,  butter  and  pork  packing  business. 

Spall,  Jacob,  Russia,  was  born  in  Germany,  August  17,  1840,  a  son  of  George  Spall, 
a  native  of  Germany,  born  1810.  The  wife  of  George  was  Mary  Spall,  by  whom  he 
had  five  children.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1884  and  settled  in  Trenton,  Oneida 
county.  Here  he  remained  two  years  and  then  went  to  Russia  and  settled  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Jacob.  Here  he  remained  until  his  death  in  1882.  The  first  wife  of 
George  Spall  died  in  1867,  and  his  second  wife  in  1887.  He  was  sixteen  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  America.  In  1867  he  married  Lana  Smeary,  by 
whom  he  had  six  children  :  John,  George,  Henry,  Jacob,  Fred  and  Willie,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  Mr.  Spall  has  two  hundred  acres  of  land  and  keeps  a  laree  dairv.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  127 

Snell,  Joseph  L.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Rensselatr  county,  near  Troy,  in  1827.  Eis 
father  was  Robert  Snell  jr.,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  who  came  when  a  young  man  to 
Rensselaer  county,  and  there  married  Maria  Mykell,  a  native  of  Troy,  and  had  five 
children.  Mr.  Snell  was  a  millwright  by  trade.  In  1843  he  Fettled  on  the  farm  now 
occupied  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  there  lived  and  died.  He  was  a  Democrat 
and  a  Mason,  and  was  commissioner  of  highways  three  years.  His  death  occurred 
September  8,  1872,  and  that  of  his  wife  February  20,  1867.  Robert  Snell,  grandfather 
of  the  subject,  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  great-grandfather  was  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  Joseph  L.  Snell  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  city  of  Troy.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  came  to  Ohi".  October  14,  1849,  he  married  Lana  A.  De  Long  of 
Washington  county,  who  bore  him  three  children  :  Mary  E.,  Harriet  M.,  and  Ruth  A. 
March  30,  1858,  Mrs.  Snell  died,  and  he  married  Violette  Pooler,  of  Russia,  and  had  by 
her  one  child,  Ella  B.  Mr.  Snell  is  a  farmer,  and  also  works  at  the  carpenter  trade. 
He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  highway  commissioner  one  term. 

Tliorp,  John  J.,  Litchfield,  proprietor  of  the  Cedarville  Hotel,  w,is  born  in  Rural 
Grove,  Mon'gomery  county,  September  26,  1848,  and  settled  in  Danube  in  18,59.  He 
is  a  son  ofj  Prof.  Joshua  Thorp,  who  spent  most  of  his  life  in  teaching.  He  was  for 
some  time  principal  of  the  academy  at  Onondaga  Valley,  N.  Y.,  and  also  of  the  High 
School  at  Watertown.  He  was  a  very  successful  teacher  and  lecturer,  and  was  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion.  He  was  a  son  of  Ebenezer  Deacon  Thorp,  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Root,  Montgomery  county.  John  J.  Thorp  married  Ella  Young,  of  German 
Flats,  and  they  have  four  children  living :  Benjamin  F.,  Raymond  J.,  Mabel  J.,  and 
Ethel  Thorp.  Professor  Joshua  Thorp  mahied  Miss  Catharine  Shull  the  daughter  of 
Jacob  Shull  of  Danube,  Herkimer  county,  New  York.  She  was  the  mother  of  John 
J.  and  Louisa  A.  Thorp. 

Meagher,  John,  of  LHt'e  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Ireland.  He  was  born  in  1835  and 
came  to  America  in  1846.  He  learned  the  trade  of  tanner  in  Boston.  In  1853  he 
went  into  business  in  Boston,  which  he  gave  up  during  the  crisis  of  1860.  He 
then  went  west  and  took  a  position  in  Rockford,  111.  .  In  1875  he  moved  to  Chi- 
cago, becoming  superintendent  for  Ingle  Brothers.  Subsequently  he  was  super- 
intendent for  Gray,  Clark  &  Co.  for  five  years.  After  filling  other  responsible  posi- 
tions he  became  superintendent  for  J.  S.  Barnett  in  1888,  and  has  done  much  toward 
attaining  the  high  name  the  leather  of  this  factory  possesses.  In  1853  Mr.  Meagher 
married  Mary  Slattery  and  they  have  six  children  living,  two  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters. Both  sons  work  in  the  tannery  with  their  father,  Thomas  F.  having  charge 
of  the  up  stairs. 

Senior,  Frank,  Little  Falls,  is'a  native  of  that  village.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1862. 
His  father  was  of  English  descent  and  was  a  co-partner  of  Titus  Sheard  in  the  house 
of  Senior  &  Sheard,  manufacturers.  Frank  Senior  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  this 
village  and  in  1876  commenced  working  for  Mr.  Sheard  at  three  shillings  per  day.  He 
worthily  upheld  the  reputation  of  his  house  and  after  successively  passing  through 
all  departments,  was  through  merit  admitted  to  a  partnership  in  the  Titus  Sheard  com- 
pany, when  but  twenty-one  years  of  age,  of  which  he  is  now  treasurer.     Mr.  Senior  is 


128  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

identified  with  local  social,  political  and  benevolent  institutions  such  as  Elks,  Royal 
Arcanum,  fire  and  police  commissioners,  etc.,  and  is  an  honorary  member  of  the  fire 
department.     He  married  Elizabeth  Herbert  of  Franklin  county  and  has  two  children. 

Smith,  John  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  England,  coming  to  this  country  when  but 
four  years  old,  with  his  parents.  They  located  at  Sandy  Hill,  Washington  county. 
Here  John  secured  his  educational  advantages  and  learned  the  paper- making  trade. 
In  1852  he  went  to  California  where  he  was  signally  ."successful  returnirg  in  1860  to 
Little  Falls  and  establishing  a  shoddy  mill.  In  1864  be  ccmmenced  the  manufaclure 
of  knit  stockings;  in  1864  he  moved  his  plant  to  Watertown  ;  in  1868  he  sold  the 
Watertown  mill  and  returned  to  Little  Falls,  and  in  1887  built  his  present  splendid 
plant  on  Moss  island,  which  site  he  purchased.  He  employs  fifty-five  hands  manufac- 
turing wool  extracts  and  shoddy  and  has  two  sons  both  assisting  him  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  enterprise.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Col.  Leonard  Boyer  of  Little  Falls 
and  has  four  children  living. 

O'Rourk  &  Hurley,  dealers  in  drugs,  oils,  paints,  etc.,  Little  Falls,  commenced  busi- 
ness in  April,  1892.  Mr.  John  Hurley  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls  and  has  always  been 
in  the  drug  line.  He  graduated  from  the  Albany  College  of  Pharmacy  in  1885  and  is  a 
member  of  the  New  York  State  Pharmaceutical  Society.  He  is  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics and  treasurer  of  the  Republican  club.  At  the  present  age  of  thirty- one  he  has  by 
his  own  industry  and  ability  advanced  himself  to  his  present  prosperous  condition.  His 
wife  IS  a  sister  of  Mr.  O'Rourke,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  who  is  also  a  young 
man.  and  a  member  of  the  fire  department  and  the  Republican  party.  He  was  book- 
keeper for  Lintner  &  Babcock  for  ten  years  prior  to  the  formation  of  the  present  part- 
nership. 

Frateschi,  Paola,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Italy,  and  has  been  in  this  country 
twenty  years.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  business,  and  owns  one  of  the  finest 
blocks  in  Ilion.     In  1875  he  married  Mary  Dellaca,  and  they  have  one  child. 

Ingraham,  Fernando  C,  Salisbury,  was  born  in  Mayfield,  Montgomery  county,  April 
23,  1811.  He  learned  the  trade  of  harness-making  early  in  life  with  his  father,  and 
when  eighteen  years  of  age  left  home  and  established  a  shop  for  himself  at  Union 
Mills.  This  he  conducted  until  1861,  when  he  bought  the  Empire  House  at  Salisbury 
Centre,  which  he  has  since  owned  and  run.  He  married  Angeline  North  of  Montgom- 
ery county,  and  they  have  eight  children,  six  of  whom  survive.  Mrs.  Ingraham  died 
a  year  ago.     He  has  served  as  deputy  sheriff,  justice  of  the  peace,  etc. 

Ward,  Hiram,  Stark,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  March  30,  1826,  a 
son  of  John  A.  and  Catherine  (Shafl'er)  Ward ;  his  grandfather  was  a  pioneer  of  Stark, 
who  was  born  March  20,  1744,  and  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War  as  a  private.  He 
raised  tour  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  died  on  the  farm  in  1822.  John  A.  Ward  was 
born  October  17,  1792,  served  in  the  War  of  1812;  he  was  a  AVhig  and  a  Republican 
He  died  in  1857,  aged  sixty-five,  his  wife  died  in  1869,  aged  seventy-five  years.  They 
had  seven  children  :  Maria  (deceased),  Levi  (deceased),  Liza  Ann  (deceased),  David, 
Hiram,  Ephraim  and  Daniel  are  now  living.     Hiram  lived  with  his  parents  and  took 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  129 

charge  of  the  farm  which  he  now  owns,  buying  out  the  other  heirs.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican.  He  married,  December  31,  1857,  Marinda  Bronner,  daughter  of  Frederick 
and  Eliza  (Shaul)  Bronner.  Her  father  served  as  supervisor,  was  a  Republican.  They 
had  eleven  children.  Her  grandfather,  Frederick  Bronner,  was  a  pioneer  of  Stark. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiram  Ward  have  had  two  children  :  Charles  H.  and  Libbie  M. 

Wightman,  AbelG.  (deceased),  was  born  in  Warren  July  21,  1832,  a  son  of  Timothy 
and  Phila  (Bronson)  Wightman.  The  grandfather  was  Allen,  whose  ancestors  came 
from  the  Isle  of  Wight.  AJlen  was  born  in  Connecticut  and  came  here  about  1800,  and 
settled  east  of  Jordanville,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Ran- 
dall, and  they  raised  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Timothy  A.,  was  born  in  Warren 
in  1800.  He  was  a  justice  and  was  a  Republican.  He  was  twice  married;  his  first 
wife  bore  him  two  children  :  Mary  Mix  and  our  subject.  His  second  wife  was  Cath- 
arine Sanford,  who  died  in  July,  1882.  Subject  received  a  district  and  academic  educa- 
tion, and  was  an  active  Republican.  In  early  life  he  went  to  Illinois  and  Utah,  and 
speculated  in  stocks.  He  was  also  a  surveyor.  He  returned  to  Warren  and  engaged 
in  farming  ;  and  in  later  days  he  followed  the  saddler's  business.  He  ditd  September 
23,  1883.  He  married,  January  5,  1865,  Jane  L.  Sanford,  born  SepttmVer  11,  1837,  a 
daughter  of  Rodney  and  Catherine  0.  (Mix)  Sanford,  a  descendant  of  the  Sanfords 
who  landed  at  Plymoth  Rock.  He  was  born  at  New  London,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolution.  He  was  at  New  York  at  the  evacuation  and  followed  the  sea  for  many 
years.  In  November,  1800,  he  came  with  his  family  to  Warren,  and  located  on  ninety 
acres,  one  mile  west  of  Jordanville.  His  wife  was  Lavinia  Egerton,  who  bore  him  nine 
children  :  Joseph,  Kingsbury,  Asa,  Giles,  Ralph,  Ezra,  Rodney,  Lavinia  and  Laura. 
Rodney  was  born  in  Connecticut  February  17,  1794,  and  died  in  1852,  aged  fifty-eight. 
He  was  a  colonel  of  militia.  He  owned  160  acres  at  his  death,  and  his  wife  survives. 
She  was  born  in  Columbia  March  28,  1816,  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Ovendorff'; 
Mix  of  German  Flats. 

Willoughby,  Daniel  C,  Russia,  was  born  in  Newport  in  1819.  His  father  was  James, 
a  son  of  Westel  Willoughby.  James  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1773.  His  wife  was 
Annie  Cole,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  by  wlom  he  had  two  sons  and  ten  daughters,  of 
whom  two  daughters  and  subject  only  are  living.  Mr.  Willoughby  came  to  Norway  in 
1795,  where  he  built  the  first  house  and  barn.  During  the  winter  seasons  he  made 
spinning  wheels.  His  brother.  Dr.  Westel  Willoughby,  was  one  of  the  original  professors 
of  Fairfield  Seminary,  and  was  the  founder  of  Willoughby  College  of  Ohio.  He  prac- 
iced  medicine  in  Herkimer  county  many  years.  His  wife  was  Sallie  Cole,  an  aunt  of 
Daniel  C.  James  Willoughby  died  in  1856,  and  his  wife  in  1854  at  the  of  seventy-six 
years.  Daniel  C.  has  lived  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born  sixty-eight  years.  In  1840 
he  married  Caroline  M.  Carpenter,  a  native  of  Cold  Brook,  born  in  1823.  Her  parents 
were  Daniel  and  Temperance  (Warfield)  Carpenter,  natives  of  Russia.  To  subject  and 
wife  were  born  four  children  ;  Eliza  A,  (deceased),  Edward  A.,  Marcilla  F.  and  Flora 
E.  Edward  A.  resides  at  Rome,  N.  Y.,  and  is  general  manager  for  R.  M.  Bingham  of 
that  place.  Marcilla  F.  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  R.  Irwin  of  Poland.  Flora  is  the  wife 
of  Irvint'  D.  Adams  of  Poland.     In  1886  Mr.  Willoughby  came  to  Poland  and  has  since 


130  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

lived  a  retired  life.     In  politics  he  has  always  been  a  Republican  and  i.*:  a  temperance 
man.     He  has  assisted  in  the  Baptist  church  at  Poland. 

Young,  Charles,  Mohawk,  was  born  in  Stark  December  27,  1856.  He  received  an 
academic  education,  then  look  a  course  in  the  Utica  Business  College.  He  returned  to 
the  farm  for  a  few  years  and  was  then  engaged  in  general  merchandise  transactions  in 
.Bethel  till  1879,  when  he  came  to  Mohawk  and  became  identified  with  the  Broomhall 
Milling  &.  Malting  Conjpany,  Ltd.,  manufacturers  of  patent  roller  flour,  etc.,  of  which 
company  he  is  director  and  general  manager.  Mr.  Young  married  Mattie  L.  Lewis  of 
Herkimer,  and  they  have  two  daughters.  He  is  identified  with  the  Masons,  holding 
otiice  as  W.  M.,  and  is  trustee  of  the  village  board,  of  which  body  he  was  elected  clerk. 
He  is  also  clerk  of  the  school  board,  and  a  member. 

Schooley,  Andrew,  Litchfield,  is  a  machinist,  carpenter,  joiner  and  millwright.  He 
was  born  in  this  town  May  27,  1814,  a  son  of  James  Schooley,  a  native  of  Pittstown, 
Rensselaer  county,  who  settled  in  this  town  in  1804,  and  died  December  8,  1863,  aged 
seventy-four  years.  Andrew  Schooley  read  law  with  Charles  O'Conner  of  New  York 
city  in  1848.  He  married  Emma  Winegar,  and  they  have  three  children  :  Warren  H., 
Stella  I.,  and  James  A.  They  have  lost  one  son,  Charles  C.  Stella  I.  married  Dayton 
D.  Prescott  of  Norwich  Corner,  and  they  have  four  children:  Fanny  F.,  Walter  D., 
Arthur  A.  and  Eva  Estella.  Mrs.  Emma  Schooley  is  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Winegar  of 
this  town,  but  he  died  in  Genesee  county,  N.  Y.,  he  left  eight  children.  James  Schooley 
married  Amy  Young,  they  had  six  children  :  Andrew,  Mary,  Caroline,  James  1/.,  Ed- 
ward B.  and  Catherine  Schooley,  the  last  is  dead,  the  others  are  living.  Amy  Young 
came  from  Rhode  Island,  town  of  Scituate. 

Snyder,  J.  A.,  Middleville,  was  born  in  Somerset,  Pa.,  September  4,  1855,  moved  to 
Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1864,  and  resided  west  until  1880,  when  he  came  to  New  York 
State  and  to  Herkimer  county  in  1882,  where  he  has  resided  ever  since,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  years  spent  in  Albany  and  Montgomery  counties.  Mr.  Snyder  com- 
menced working  in  the  knitting-mill  in  Illinois  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  has  followed  the 
business  ever  since,  and  is  now  the  superintendent  of  the  Nelson  Mill  at  this  place. 
October  24,  1889,  he  married  Flora  M.  Casler  of  Little  Falls,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Moldred  Eleanor,  born  October  15,  1891,  at  Middleville. 

Loomer,  Aaron  P.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Fulton  county.  His  early  life  was  spent 
on  a  farm,  and  he  has  always  dealt  in  horses  and  cattle.  Twenty-six  years  ago  he  he- 
came  proprietor  of  the  Empire  House  in  St.  Johnsville.  This  he  ran  for  five  years,  then 
took  charge  of  the  Rickwood  near  Johnstown.  This  hotel  he  kept  for  three  years,  then 
moved  to  Little  Falls  and  took  charge  of  the  Bettel  Hotel.  After  keeping  this  hotel 
one  year  he  moved  to  Dolgeville  and  has  since  conducted  with  but  one  slight  inter- 
mission the  Loomer  House.  Mr.  Loomer  has  been  twice  married  and  has  three  children, 
all  boys.  Mr.  Loomer  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  six  years,  and  is  an  extensive 
real  estate  owner,  and  owns  a  farm  in  Stratford. 

Crist,  D.  B.,  Fairfield,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  and  his  father  removed  to  Middleville 
when  D.  B.  was  quite  young.     He  was  in  the  mercantile  business  for  five  years  and 


FAMILY   SKETCHES  131 

in  the  flour  and  feed  business  for  three  years  before  he  took  up  farming.  He  occu- 
pies one  of  his  father's  dairy  farms  of  180  acres.  His  father  still  lives  in  Middleville. 
In  1883  Mr.  Crist  married  Miss  Nettie  Jackson,  and  they  have  a  family  of  two  sons. 
He  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  His  father's  name  is 
Morgan  C.  Crist.  n 

Spoor,  James  H.,  Stark,  son  of  Gilbert  and  Nancy  (Link)  Spoor,  natives  of  Danube, 
was  born  September  9,  1844,  in  Danube.  He  received  a  district  school  education.  At 
twenty  he  left  home  and  began  life  on  his  own  account.  Lived  ten  years  in  Little 
Falls  ;  and  for  the  past  seven  years  has  lived  on  218  acres  of  land  in  Stark,  which  he 
works  on  shares.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  married  July  8,  1864,  Elda  Jones,  born  in 
Stark,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Betsey  (Snell)  Jones,  natives  of  Danube  and  Stark  ;  who 
are  members  of  the  M.  E.  church.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, and  of  English  origin.  Jacob  Jones  was  a  son  of  William,  a  pioneer  of  Danube. 
James  H.  has  seven  children :  Frank,  who  died  at  nineteen  ;  Nettie,  Fred,  Ada  M., 
Nellie,  Ross  and  Ca'he,  who  died  at  seven  months.     They  are  Universalists. 

Lotridge,  George  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  1811  and  has  lived  on  his  present  farm 
all  his  long  life.  He  and  his  two  brothers,  both  of  whom  are  dead,  lived  on  adjoining 
!a"d  for  over  half  a  century  as  men  grown,  and  had  everything  in  common.  They 
owned  750  acres  of  land.  Mr.  Lotridge  married,  January  30,  1838,  Mary  Rankin,  and 
they  have  four  daughters.  The  youngest,  Mary,  lives  at  home.  One  is  the  wife  of 
Hamer  Petrie,  one  the  wife  of  R.  M.  Rankin  and  one  of  Mr.  Houpt.  Mr.  Lotridge  has 
been  commissioner  of  highways  and  is  a  member  of  the  Grange.  His  father  and 
mother  were  born  in  Montgomery  county,  and  his  grandfather,  Seeber,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  latter  was  wounded  at  Oriskany  and  was  an  invalid 
for  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life,  though  he  lived  to  the  age  of  104  years.  The 
parents  of  George  H.  came  to  these  parts  when  the  section  was  a  wilderness,  and  he 
can  relate  many  interesting  anecdotes  of  their  early  experiences  in  the  wilds. 

Loftis,  John,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Frankfort,  September  8,  1844,  being  the 
youngest  of  six  children  of  Johti  and  Bridget  Loftis,  who  emigrated  to  this  country 
from  the  Emerald  Isle  in  the  year  1832.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  but  three 
years  old  when  his  father  died,  and  the  care  of  rearing  and  educating  the  children  to 
frugality,  respect  and  usefulness  was  the  sacred  heritage  of  their  courageous  and  de- 
voted mother,  who,  surviving  her  husband  for  a  third  of  a  century,  died  in  1883,  at  the 
golden  age  of  seventy-three  years.  Of  this  family  James  and  Thomas  were  volun- 
teers in  the  Union  army,  the  former  dying  in  the  service  of  his  country,  while  the 
latter  now  resides  at  Frankfort  village.  April  22,  1880,  John  Loftis  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Catharine  McCann,  of  Dtica,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  sons:  Charles  W.  and 
James  F.  Loftis.  Early  in  life  Mr.  Loftis  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  and  for  several 
years  prior  to  1867,  was  occupied  as  a  carriage  maker,  at  which  time  he  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  as  a  retail  goocer.  In  1876  he  erected  the  large  and  commodious 
building  he  now  occupies,  the  upper  floor  of  which  is  Loftis  Hall.  By  close  attention 
and  strict  integrity  Mr.  Loftis  has  built  up  an  extensive  mercantile  business,  and  now 
is  .one  of  the  f  jremost  merchants  of  Frankfort  village.  In  politics  Mr.  Loftis  is  a 
Demoerat  and  has  served  the  town  as  supervisor  during  the  years  1886-7-8. 


132  HISTORY  OF  ITRRKIMER  COUNTY. 

Olmstead,  Osmond  B.,  is  a  native  of  Fulton  county,  N.  Y.,  and  at  the  commencement 
of  the  late  war  was  a  resident  of  Washington,  D.  C.  and  in  the  spring  of  '61  enlisted 
in  the  Fifth  N.  Y.  Cavalry,  serving  his  country  faithfully  and  well,  participating  in 
many  battles  and  engagements  and  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  service  in  1865 
from  the  Fourth  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery,  after  which  he  became  a  very  proficient 
barber.  After  working  in  several  towns  and  cities  lie  finally  in  1879  established  a 
business  in  Dolgeville,  where  he  has  been  successfully  doi-  g  business  since,  being 
patronized  by  all  the  leading  citizens  in  town.  In  1872  Mr.  Olmstead  married  Miss 
Ida  A.  Reed,  a  lady  of  Peeksville,  N.  Y.     They  have  no  children. 

Smith,  Dr.  Fred  A.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Frankfort,  August  15,  1870.  He  was 
educated  at  the  Union  schools  of  Ilion  and  Waterville,  and  also  took  a  course  at  the 
Newark  Business  college.  He  eventually  graduated  from  the  University  of  Penn- 
.sylvania,  dental  department,  in  1891.  Dr.  Smith  was  associated  with  his  uncle,  Dr. 
Cutler  Smith,  of  Ilion,  for  a  short  time,  after  which  he  went  West,  settling  in  Des 
Moines.  Upon  the  death  of  Dr.  Barnes  he  returned  to  Herkimer  and  purchased  the 
practice  and  office  from  the  widow.  Dr.  Smith's  father  is  in  the  service  of  the  dairy 
commission  for  New  York  State.  One  of  the  ancestors  of  the  family  participated  in 
th  Revolutionary  war,  also  the  war  of  1812.  In  the  latter  war  his  great-grandfather 
was  a  captain. 

Mason,  Joseph  W.,  W«rren,  was  born  in  German  Flats,  September  5,  1837,  a  son  of 
Alanson  and  Mary  A.  (Thomas)  Mason.  His  grandfather,  Isaac,  was  born  at  Adams, 
Mass.,  February  21,  1777,  and  came  to  Warren  and  bought  144  acres  on  Staley's 
patent.  He  returned  to  Massachusetts,  and  in  1804  came  with  his  family  to  Herkimer 
county.  He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Hannah  Martin,  born  in  Warren,  R.  I.  She 
bore  him  ten  children :  Ama,  Thomas,  Alanson,  Samuel,  John,  Rhoda,  Almira  and 
Harriet  twins,  Isaac,  Apama,  Sarah  and  James.  His  wife  died  July  25,  1826.  He 
married  second  Mary  Chapman.  Alanson  was  born  in  Berkshire  county,  Mass.,  Au- 
gust 17,  1803,  died  April  17,  1865.  He  was  twice  married,  having  by  his  first  wife 
eight  children :  Isaac,  Mary,  Amos  T.,  Electa  J.  Walker,  Joseph  W.,  Helen  E.  Morts, 
Hannah  A.  Coakley  and  Maria  A.  His  wife  died  September  26,  1842,  and  he  married 
second  Adelia  Slater,  who  bore  him  three  children  :  Norman  J.,  Almira  V.  Belshaw 
and  Almena  V.  Bradt.  Subject's  mother  was  born  in  German  Flats,  a  daughter  of 
Amos  and  Jane  Thomas,  pioneers  of  German  Flats.  At  twenty  he  began  for  himself 
at  farming  on  shares.  In  1865  he  bought  his  first  farm  of  sixty-five  acres  in  German 
Flats.  Three  years  later  he  moved  to  wliere  he  now  resides  on  214  acres.  He  also 
owns  another  farm  of  128  acres.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  married,  April  13, 
1858,  Harriet  R.,  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Helen  (Shove)  Tisdale.  Harriet  was  born 
January  3,  1842.  Her  father  was  born  in  Connecticut,  September  7,  1792,  and  died 
where  his  daughter  now  lives,  April  6,  1869.  He  married  first  Ruth  Palmer,  born 
July  31,  1802,  in  German  Flats,  who  bore  him  four  children  :  Thomas  II.,  George  W., 
Henry  S.  and  Quedett.  He  married  a  second  time  and  raised  three  children  :  Harriet 
R.,  Lydia  A.  and  Dorothy  M.  His  second  wife  was  born  at  Johnstown,  February  3, 
1822,  died  October  12,  1880.     Subject's  wife's  grandfather,  Ephraim  Tisdale,  was  born 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  133 

in  Norwich,  Conn.  His  wife  was  Welthy  Babcock.  He  died  in  1854,  age  8.5,  and  his 
wife  died  aged  91.  Subject  and  wife  had  three  children:  Cory,  died,  aged  seven, 
Amos  T.  and  Cary.  Amos  T.  was  born  May  27,  1870.  Married  to  Florence  Hardy 
May  21,  1889.  They  have  three  children.  Cary  W.  was  born  March  16,  1872.  Mar- 
ried to  Lulu  Hardy,  November  22,  1892. 

Jackson,  I.  E.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield,  born  in  1855,  and  is  a  farmer.     His 
grandfather,  Elijah  Jackson,  came  from  Canaan,  near  Albany.     In  1881,  I.  E.  Jackson 
,  married   Jennie  Enos.     Mr.   Jackson  belongs  to  the  Grange,   and  owns  seventy-five 
acres  of  land,  with  a  dairy  of  eighteen  cows.     His  farm  lies  adjacent  to  Middleville. 

Shaut,  Moses,  Stark,  was  born  in  Stark,  August  1,  1825,  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary 
(Fort)  Shaut.  His  grandfather  came  from  Germany  and  settled  in  Springfield,  Otsego 
county,  where  his  father  was  born.  They  moved  to  Stark,  and  thence  to  Steuben 
county,  where  he  died  about  1850,  aged  about  eighty-eight.  Jacob  had  fourteen  chil- 
dren and  raised  twelve:  Jacob,  Isaac,  Joseph,  Peter,  Catharine,  Betsey,  Mary,  Laney, 
Peggy,  Nancy,  Abram  and  Moses.  Subject  was  raised  on  a  farm,  and  has  always  lived 
in  Stark.  At  seventeen  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  followed  it  seventeen 
years.  He  then  bought  ninety  acres,  and  engaged  in  farming,  making  hops  a  specialty. 
In  1862  he  located  where  he  now  lives,  on  160  acres  about  four  miles  northwest  of 
Starkville.  He  is  an  active  Republican.  He  has  been  married  twice,  first  in  January, 
1853,  to  Louisa,  daughter  of  William  and  Catharine  Waltz,  by  whom  he  had  four  chil- 
dren :  Adda,  who  died  aged  two;  William,  Minnie,  wife  of  Charles  Weeks,  and  Frank. 
He  married  second,  Martha,  daughter  of  Abram  and  Catharine  Wagner. 

Whipple,  Benjamin  A.,  Stark,  is  a  son  of  Addison  and  Janette  (McDonald)  Whipple. 
His  grandfather,  James,  came  from  Connecticut,  a  pioneer  of  Springfield,  Otsego  county, 
and  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  bore  him  six  sons  and  five  daughters.  Addison 
was  born  in  Springfield,  and  was  a  farmer  and  manufacturer.  He  died  in  1867,  aged 
sixty-three,  and  his  wife  in  January,  1891,  aged  eighty-four.  They  raised  five  children  : 
John  J.,  Anna  W.,  Joseph  S.,  Eugene  M.  and  Benjamin  A.  The  latter  was  born  in 
Springfield,  February  7,  1847.  At  nineieeu  he  began  life  for  himself  by  farming  on  the 
homestead.  At  twenty-one  he  began  the  manufacture  of  cheese  at  Springfield,  and  a 
year  later  came  to  Van  Hornesville,  and  ran  a  cheese  factory  two  years.  He  then  spent 
three  years  in  Illinois  in  the  sewing  machine  business.  In  1875  he  bought  the  cheese 
factory  at  Van  Hornesville,  and  in  the  winter  of  1876  came  to  this  village  and  has  had 
charge  ever  since.  The  factory  was  established  in  1868.  He  was  also  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  five  years.  In  February,  1892,  he  was  elected  town  clerk.  He  mar- 
ried October  14,  1868,  Frances  A.  Drew,  daughter  of  Chauncey  P.  and  Elizabeth  (Cor- 
bin)  Drew,  of  Spr'ngfield,  and  they  have  one  child,  Jessie  B.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics. 

Wheelock,  Clayton  T.,  Winfield,  farmer  and  cheese  manufacturer,  runs  the  North 
Winfield  combination  of  cheese  factories.  No.  1  cheese  factory,  at  North  Winfield, 
makes  annually  about  250,000  pounds  from  about  600  cows.  No.  2,  at  Cedar  Lake, 
makes  about  170,000  pounds  from  about  450  cows.     No.  4,  in  Litchfield,  makes  about 


134  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

125,000  pounds.  No.  5,  in  Marshall,  Oneida  county,  and  makes  about  75,000  pounds, 
during  the  six  months  that  they  run,  from  about  250  cows.  No.  6,  in  Litchfield,  makes 
about  150,000  pounds  from  about  350  cows.  This  cheese  is  manufactured  for  export 
principally  to  London  and  Liverpool.  Clayton  T.  U'heelock  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Oc- 
tober 28,  183G,  a  son  of  Samuel,  who  died  December  9,  1864,  aged  seventy- one.  lie 
was  a  son  of  Alvin  Wheelock,  who  came  from  Massachusetts  in  1791,  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  Litchfield,  on  the  farm  adjoining  the  one  settled  by  Elijah  Snow  in  1786, 
called  first  Snow's  Bush,  afterwards  Wheelock's  Hill.  Clayton  T.  married  Sarah  L., 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Kershaw,  of  Litchfield,  and  they  have  two  children :  Samuel  C. 
and  May  L.  Samuel  C.  married  Jennie  Davis,  and  has  three  daughters:  Nettie  M., 
Mina  D.,  Mabel  E.  May  L.  Wheelock  married  Dr.  John  H.  Stephens,  of  West  Win- 
field,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Edna  J.  Stephens. 

Mixter,  David  E.,  Warren,  was  born  December  25,  1855,  in  Warren,  a  son  of  Kiran 
A.  and  Martha  (Kane)  Mixter.  The  grandfather,  David,  came  from  Massachusetts,  and 
was  an  old  settler  of  Warren,  where  he  died,  aged  fifty-four.  They  had  eleven  children  : 
Daniel,  Eliza,  Mary,  Laura,  Hannah,  David  E.,  Ira,  Orland,  Alvaro,  Kiran  and  Hulda. 
Kiran  Mixter  was  born  in  Warren,  received  a  good  education  and  taught  at  Clinton 
College.  He  moved  in  1857  to  Lock,  Ingham  county,  Mich.  He  had  ten  children,  of 
whom  he  raised  nine:  Orland,  Guy,  David  E.,  Judson,  died  at  fifteen,  Emma,  Charles, 
Elmina,  Lewis  and  Matilda.  Subject's  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Kane  and  Ma- 
tilda Randall,  of  Mohawk.  David  E.  received  a  district  school  education  and  went, 
with  his  father,  to  Ingham  county,  Michigan.  He  returned  to  New  York,  at  the  age  of 
eleven  years,  and  lived  with  his  aunt,  Laura  Druce,  for  twenty-two  years.  At  twenty- 
one  he  began  working  for  himself  by  the  month,  and  continued  eleven  years.  In  the 
spring  of  1889  he  located  on  100  acres,  where  he  now  resides.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
poUtics,  and  married  October  11,  1887,  Emma  Hoke,  born  in  Danube,  a  daughter  of 
Solomon  and  Catharine  (Walter)  Hoke.  They  have  two  children:  Kiran  and 
Ralph  M. 

Wooster,  Daniel  P.  B.,  Newport,  a  native  of  Newport,  is  a  son  of  Sherman  and  Cor- 
nelia (Smith)  Wooster.  His  mother  died  in  1845.  His  father  was  a  son  of  Sherman 
and  Sallie  (Buel)  Wooster,  who  settled  in  Newport  in  1 804.  Both  the  father  and  grand- 
father were  Universalistsin  religious  views,  and  Democrats  in  politics.  Daniel  Wooster 
was  born  February  29,  1840.  He  married  Caroline  Kuhn,  daughter  of  Gotlieb  and 
Mary  Kuhn,  September  1,  1868. 

Ball,  Alpha  A.,  Warren,  was  born  February  28,  1852,  in  Litchfield,  a  son  of  Horatio 
and  Roxey  (Manning)  Ball.  The  grandfather,  Eleas  Ball,  was  also  born  in  Litchfield, 
where  his  father  was  a  pioneer.  He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Fannie  Holding,  by 
whom  he  had  these  children  :  Horatio,  Varnum,  Fidelia  and  Celia.  By  his  second  wife, 
Mary  A.  Wilkerson,  he  had  five  children  :  Ira,  Alfred,  Jared,  Daniel  and  Sarah.  Ho- 
ratio was  born  in  Litchfield,  but  has  lived  thirty-three  years  in  Warren.  His  children 
were  Alpha  A.  and  Alice  C.  The  former  received  a  district  and  select  school  educa- 
tion, and  came  to  Warren  when  seven  years  of  age.  When  twenty-one  he  began  for 
himself,  working  by  the  month   for  two  yeps.     He  then  rented  102  acres,  where  he 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  135 

lived  three  years,  and  worked  his  father's  farm  for  two  years.  He  also  spent  a  year  in 
Columbia.  In  the  spring  of  1889  he  bought  fifty-two  acres,  where  he  now  resides  in 
Warren.  March  26,  1875,  he  married  Eose  E.,  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Catharine 
(Walters)  Hoke.     They  have  three  children,  Carrie  M.,  Florence  C.  and  Walter  M. 

Eysaman,  Horace,  Linle  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  in  1834.  He  is  of  German 
ancestry,  the  family  three  generations  back  having  settled  in  this  town.  They  partici- 
pated in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  and  in  1812,  and  have  since  been  identified  with 
the  best  interests  of  the  community.  Mr.  Eysaman  owns  a  dairy  fatm  of  ISO  acres, 
including  a  fine  orchard  and  buildings.  His  wife  was  Mary  E.  Smith,  of  Herkimer 
county,  by  whom  he  has  three  children,  a  son  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Eysaman  has 
filled  a  number  of  acceptable  local  offices,  such  as  assessor,  etc.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

Welden,  Thomas,  Stark,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  was  a  pioneer  of  Stark.  James  D., 
son  of  Thomas,  was  born  in  Stark  November  15,  1796,  and  lived  in  Stark  all  his  life. 
He  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  going  as  a  substitute  for  David  Elwood,  of  Stark.  He 
married  Margaret,  daughter  of  John  and  Christina  Cramer,  (subject's  mother  died  April 
25,  1860,  aged  seventy),  and  reared  three  children,  Moses,  Maria  and  Peggy.  He  died 
February  19,  1878.  Moses  Welden,  the  oldest,  was  born  May  9,  1822,  in  Stark,  where 
he  has  resided  since,  except  one  year.  He  furnished  a  substitute  in  the  late  war  in  the 
person  of  Ephraim  Birch.  He  taught  school  in  District  No.  4  of  the  town  of  Stark  six 
consecutive  winter  terms  at  eleven  and  twelve  dollars  per  month  of  twenty- two  days 
and  boarded  himself.  His  average  daily  attendance  was  from  thirty-three  to  thirty- 
eight  scholars.  December  29,  1853,  he  married  Caty,  daughter  of  Abram  and  Christina 
(Cramer)  Roof.  They  have  four  children  :  Fayette,  the  eldest,  a  farmer  in  the  town  of 
Lysander,  Onondaga  county ;  Charles,  a  justice  of  Stark ;  Frances,  wife  of  Herman 
Bauder,  of  Stark.  They  have  two  children,  Dora  and  Oscar  Bander ;  and  Christina, 
wife  of  John  L.  Cramer,  of  Lysander,  Onor>daga  county,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Welden  and  Arthur  Cramer.  The  subjects  of  this  sketch  have  240  acres  of  land  in  the 
home  farm  in  Stark,  200  acres  lying  on  Oak  Flat,  in  Stark,  145  acres  lying  in  Danube, 
eighty-five  acres  in  Minden,  Montgomery  county,  a  house  and  lot  at  Brookman's  Cor- 
ners, in  the  latter  county,  180  acres  in  Garoga.  Fulton  county,  forty  acres  in  Constan- 
tia,  Oswego  county,  and  158  acres  in  Lysander,  Onondaga  county.  They  also  have 
two  lots  in  Utica,  Oneida  county. 

Tilyon,  Abram,  Stark,  was  born  November  25,  1838,  two  miles  east  of  Van  Hornes- 
ville,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Rebecca  (Kinter)  Tilyon.  The  grandfather,  Joseph,  was  a 
Frenchman  and  a  pioneer  of  Van  Hornesville.  He  died  in  Stark,  aged  over  ninety. 
His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Druse,  who  died  a  year  earlier.  They  had  these  children : 
Elizabeth,  Charlotte,  Joseph,  Stephen,  Carlisle,  Mary.  Charles,  Catharine  and  Alexan- 
der. Joseph  was  born  in  Stark  September  19,  1807.  He  learned  the  cooper's  trade, 
but  was  a  farmer,  owning  180  acres.  He  died  March  25,  1882,  and  his  wife  in  March, 
1868.  She  was  born  April  13,  1807,  and  had  eight  children  :  Jonas,  Catharine  L., 
Abram,  Edwin,  Rensselaer,  Leander,  Daniel  S.  and  Ellen  C.  Joseph  married  second 
Phebe  Herkimer.     Subject  was  raised  on  a  farm,  and  at  twenty-one  began  for  himself 


136  History  of  herkimer  counts. 

buying  and  shipping  stock.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he  bought  his  first  farm  of  176 
acres.  In  187G  he  bought  the  homestead  of  his  maternal  grandfather  of  180  acres.  ,He 
also  owned  aiiotlier  of  112  acres,  which  he  sold.  He  was  elected  justice  at  twenty- 
three,  but  refused  to  serve.  He  is  an  active  Mason  at  Springfield  Center.  February 
19,  1868,  he  married  Hannah  M.  Turner,  born  in  Warren,  daughter  of  Appolas  and 
Mary  (Yule)  Turner,  natives  of  Grandvilla,  Vt.,  and  Warren,  N.  Y.  When  a  young 
man  he  came  to  Warren  and  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death,  January  27,  1892, 
aged  eighty-six.  He  was  a  Democrat.  His  wife  survives  him,  aged  eighty-one.  They 
had  three  children:  Sylvester,  of  Minnesota;  Nicholas,  of  Branch,  Mich.,  and  Han- 
nah M.  Subject  and  wife  have  had  two  children :  Willard  J.,  of  New  Jersey,  and 
Zula,  who  died,  aged  six  years.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tilyon  are  Universalists. 

Fikes,  Willard,  Stark,  is  a  son  of  Adam  H.  and  Amanda  (Shimel)  Fikes.  His  grand- 
father, Henry,  was  a  son  of  Adam  Fikes,  who  came  to  Stark  aud  bought  the  farm 
where  subject  resides.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Walts,  and  they  had  four  children  ;  Chris- 
tina, Adam  H.,  Menzo  and  Harvey.  Menzo  died  young.  Adam  Fikes  was  born  in 
1883,  and  resided  here  all  his  life,  except  three  years,  when  he  hved  in  Fort  Plain.  He 
died  January  1,  1881,  leaving  a  wife  and  three  children,  Luella,  deceased,  Willard  and 
Arthur.  The  wife  of  Adam  was  born  in  Stark,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Katie  (Fort) 
Shimel.  The  former  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  and  died  at  Richfield  in  June,  1890, 
aged  ninety-two,  and  his  wife  died,  aged  seventy.  They  had  ten  children,  nine  sur- 
vived: Lena,  Ephraim,  Loui.sa,  Eli,  Levi,  who  died  young;  Almira,  Amanda,  Sylves- 
ter, Lucy  and  Amelia  C.  Willard  Fikes  was  born  where  he  now  resides  May  28,  1861. 
He  was  educated  at  district  schools,  and  after  his  father's  death  took  charge  of  the 
farm,  the  fourth  generation  in  possession  of  same.  Arthur  Fikes  was  born  November 
30,  1862,  and  married  Carrie,  daughter  of  William  and  Jennie  (Fikes)  Armstrong. 
They  have  one  child,  Howard  J. 

Cook,  Chauncey,  Manheim,  was  born  in  Salisbury  August  16,  1822.  He  received 
his  schooling  in  the  town  of  Manheim,  into  which  township  his  father  moved  in  the 
spring  of  1832.  Chauncey  Cook's  grandfather  and  father  came  into  this  State  from 
Connecticut  about  1800  and  settled  in  Salisbury.  Mr.  Cook  owns  173  acres  of  dairy 
land  an  the  Salisbury  Road,  upon  which  he  keeps  a  tenant.  He  has  about  forty  head 
of  milch  cows,  besides  other  stock.  He  married  Miss  Jane  Getman,  of  Fulton  county, 
and  has  a  family  of  two  sons.  One  son,  Charles  Cook,  is  engaged  in  farming,  and  the 
other  son,  Malvin  B.,  is  in  business  in  Little  Falls. 

Hadcock,  Dr.  E.  P.,  Newport,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Newport  March  26,  1831,  a 
son  of  Adam  and  Barbara  Ann  (Vanslyke)  Hadcock,  of  Middleville.  Dr.  Hadcock's 
early  education  was  obtained  in  the  latter  town.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to 
Utica  and  studied  dentistry  with  G.  N.  Foster  and  William  Blakesly,  and  after  perfect- 
ing himself  in  the  profession  located  in  Newport  in  1852,  where  he  has  since  remained, 
and  is  regarded  by  the  profession  as  one  of  the  skilled  dental  surgeons  in  this  locality. 
He  has  been  connected  with  many  of  the  improvements  of  the  village.  He  has  served 
as  president  of  the  village  and  was  on  the  school  board  for  nine  years,  president  all  this 
time,  and  is  at  present  the  only  original  member  living  of  New'port  Lodge  No  455  F. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  137 

&  A.  M.  He  has  been  for  thirty  years  a  member  of  Oneida  Chapter  57.  October  7, 
18^0,  he  married  Henrietta  I.  Fonda,  a  native  of  Troy  and  a  descendant  of  Genera! 
Fonda.  Their  five  children  are  as  follows:  Charles  E.,  M.  D.,  a  graduate  of  Harvard 
College,  where  he  still  resides  and  practices;  Henry  L.,  a  druggist  of  Boston,  and  a 
graduate  of  the  Boston  Pharmacy  ;  Annie,  wife  of  George  D.  Hawkins  of  Newport  ; 
Helen  P.,  and  Mabel  H.  One  son,  Freddie  B.,  died  in  18G8,  aged  two  years  and  six 
months. 

Fikes,  Jacob  A.,  Stark,  was  born  in  Steuben  county  January  1,  1838,  son  of  Adam 
and  Catherine  (Conderman)  Fikes.  The  grandfather,  Jacob,  was  born  in  Stark,  and  his 
father  was  born  in  Germany,  and  settled  in  Stark  before  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Jacob  was  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was  born  in  Stark.  He  was  over  seventy  years  old 
when  he  died.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Miller,  and  they  raised  eleven  children  :  Michael, 
Peter,  Adam,  John,  Jacob,  James,  Abrani,  who  died  young,  Katie,  Betsey,  Clarinda, 
Mary  A.  and  Margaret.  Adam  was  raised  in  Stark  where  he  lived  all  his  life  except 
three  years  in  Steuben  county.  He  died  in  Stark  in  1866,  aged  fifty-three  years.  He 
served  in  various  town  offices,  and  was  a  Republican.  He  had  three  children  and  raised 
two:  Jacob  A.  and  Franklin.  His  wife  still  lives,  aged  eighty-two.  She  was  born  in 
Warren,  a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Catherine  (Conderman)  Bronner.  Subject  has  always 
resided  in  Stark.  After  his  marriage  he  began  for  himself,  and  after  his  father's  death 
he  bought  the  homestead  farm  of  150  acres,  to  which  he  has  since  added  fifty  acres. 
He  owns  another  of  135  acres  and  one  of  120  acres.  He  was  elected  in  1871  supervisor 
and  served  two  terms,  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  m  1880,  in  1885  commissioner 
of  highways,  and  is  now  justice  of  the  peace.  He  married,  December  25,  1862,  Mary 
L.,  daughter  of  Nelson  and  Maria  (Frost)  Phillips  of  Stark.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fikes  have 
one  child,  Nelson  A.,  who  married  Lillie  M.,  daughter  of  David  Ecker.  They  are  Uni- 
versalists. 

Belshaw,  Thoma.s,  Warren,  came  from  Ireland  about  1755  with  four  children,  and 
settled  in  Connecticut.  In  1793  he  settled  near  Fort  Herkimer,  and  soon  after  he  and 
others  took  1,000  acres  at  Jordanville,  where  he  died  in  1827,  in  his  ninety- second  year. 
His  wife,  Elizabeth,  bore  him  eight  children  :  David,  Thomas,  John,  Elizabeth,  Betsey, 
Lydia,  Sallie  and  Fannie,  and  died  in  1808.  His  son  David  was  born  in  Connecticut, 
near  Hartford,  June  26,  1777,  and  came  to  Herkimer  county  with  his  father.  He  died 
November  6,  1868.  He  was  twice  married,  first  in  February,  1801,  to  Lydia  Isham, 
born  in  Connecticut,  a  daughter  of  Zebulum  and  Rose  (Ellis)  Isham,  who  were  early 
settlers  of  Warren.  His  first  wife  raised  seven  children :  Rose  E.,  Erastus,  William, 
Flavilla,  Lydia,  Orilla  and  Sally.  His  wife  died  March  26,  1831.  His  second  wife  was 
Betsey  Bennett.  She  died  in  1872,  aged  eighty-one.  William  T.  Belshaw  was  born 
October  19,  1804,  where  he  now  reside.s.  He  has  filled  minor  town  oflices;  and  has 
twice  married,  first  to  Mary  Rhodes  of  Brookfield,  Madison  county,  who  bore  him  two 
children:  M.  W.  of  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  and-Rosett  a  McLaughlin  of  Chagrin  Falls,  Ohio, 
who  died  in  1884,  aged  fifty-two.  His  wife  died  January  30,  1833,  and  he  married, 
second,  Huldah  Durfee,  born  at  Hamilton,  Madison  county,  a  daughter  of  Wing  Dur- 
fee.     She  bore  him  four  children  :  John  T.  of  Antioch,  Cal. ;  Mary  C.  Dye  who  died  in 


138  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Minnesota  in  1887,  aged  fifty ;  Lucy  J.,  wife  of  Ira  Starkwetlier,  died  October  2,  1892, 
aged  fifty,  and  Violetta  H.,  wife  of  James  Purcliase.  His  second  wife  died  April  17, 
1887,  she  was  a  Baptist,  as  were  all  the  children.  Mr.  Belshawhe  been  an  active  Whig 
and  Republican. 

Beckwith,  Clinton.  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  where  be  has  always  lived. 
His  business  has  been  contracting,  and  he  is  one  of  the  heaviest  operators  in  this  part 
of  the  State,  having  completed  many  notable  pieces  of  work.  He  is  also  prominent  in 
the  Democratic  party,  which  has  nominated  him  several  times  for  local  and  State 
positions.     Mr.  Beckwith  is  full  of  enterprise,  and  is  possessed  of  much  ability. 

Riley,  James  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  April  10,  1844.  He 
received  a  good  common  school  education  and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  became  iden- 
tified with  the  carrying  trade  on  the  Erie  canal,  and  after  working  for  some  years  be- 
came the  owner  of  boats,  continuing  in  this  business  for  twenty-eight  years.  In  1861 
he  enlisted  in  the  11th  New  York  Cavalry,  which  was  General  Scott's  body-guard,  and 
afterwards  President  Abraham  Lincoln's.  After  the  war  Riley  returned  and  engaged 
in  the  rolling-mill  business.  About  seven  years  ago  he  assumed  control  of  the  Mohawk 
Valley  Hotel,  which  he  has  conducted  successfully  ever  since.  He  is  a  member  of 
Galpin  Post  No.  19,  G.  A.  R.  He  married  Nancy  M.  France,  and  they  have  two 
children. 

Bullion,  Clark  L.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Warren  September  21,  18G5,  a  son  of  James 
and  Phoebe  (Cole)  Bullion.  The  grandfather,  Andrew,  was  a  son  of  William,  and 
married  Isabella  Marshall,  both  of  Scotland,  they  had  five  children  :  James,  Andrew, 
Alexander,  Janette  and  Margaret.  The  last  two  named  died  in  Scotland  ;  the  rest  all 
came  to  the  United  States  about  1800,  and  settled  in  Warren.  Andrew  Bullion  loca'ed 
on  256  acres  west  of  CuUen,  and  died  in  Richfield  Springs.  His  first  wife  was  Geneth 
Puller,  and  their  children  were :  John,  William,  James,  Isabel,  Anna,  Libbie  and  Mary. 
James  Bullion  was  born  west  of  CuUen,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1877,  aged 
sixty-five.  He  was  twice  married,  first,  to  a  Miss  McCready,  by  whom  he  had  three 
children;  Monroe  of  Nebraska,  Nettie  and  Laura  Ames.  His  second  wife  bore  him 
two  children :  Jennie,  deceased,  wife  of  Curt.  Palmer,  and  Clark  L.  She  died  April  16, 
1892,  aged  fifty-nine  years.  Clark  L.  received  a  district  and  seminary  education,  and 
since  fourteen  years  of  age  has  made  his  own  living.  He  served  in  town  oifices  as  a 
Republican,  and  was  collector.  He  owns  100  acres  of  the  homestead,  and  lias  added 
twenty  acres  since.  He  married  in  November,  1884,  Ida  Bellinger,  born  at  Jackson- 
burgh,  a  daughter  of  Norman  and  Anna  (Baxter)  Bellinger.  They  have  one  child, 
Harry  J.     Subject  and  wife  are  Universalists. 

Buck,  George  W.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  1835,  a  son  of  William  and  Susan 
Buck.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  supplemented  by  .several  terms  in  the 
Fairfield  Seminary,  in  which  he  was  a  member  of  the  Calliop  Society.  February  14, 
1871,  he  married  Georgiana  Ashley,  a  native  of  Cliatham,  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.,  who 
was  a  daughter  of  Russel  D.  Ashley,  a  son  of  Abram,  whose  father  was  Abram  Ash- 
ley, a  native  of  England  and  an  early  settler  at  Ashley's  Hill,  Columbia  county,  N.  Y. 


FAMILY   SKETCHES.  139 

Here  he  lived  and  died.  Abram  Ashley,  jr.,  married  a  Miss  Beebe,  by  whom  he  had 
seven  sons  and  four  daughters.  He  died  about  1876.  Russell  D.  Ashley,  born  in  1810, 
was  a  native  of  Columbia  county,  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  early  became  a  painter.  In 
1831  he  married  Sarah  Gale,  a  native  of  New  Lebanon,  Columbia  county,  N.  T.,  bom 
in  1812.  To  Mr.  Ashley  and  wife  were  born  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  He  was 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Columbia  county  for  sixteen  years  and  died  June  16,  1889,  while 
residing  with  his  daughter,  Mr.».  George  Buck,  of  Polacd.  His  wife  died  August  26, 
1839.  Mr.  Buck  and  wife  have  one  daughter.  Flora  M.,  born  November  17,  1871.  Mr. 
Buck  is  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  he  and  his  brother  own  the  old  homestead.  He 
also  owns  another  farm  of  270  acres. 

Wainman,  John,  Warren,  was  born  in  Gargrave,  Torkshire,  England,  June  26,  1842, 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Shepard)  Wainman,  who  had  seven  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters; Thomas,  died  in  1891  at  Mohawk;  Frank,  died  in  1884  at  Richfield  Springs; 
William,  Alfred,  Edward,  Henry,  John,  Christiana,  Sarah  and  Adelaide.  The  grand- 
father, Thomas,  was  born  at  Leeds,  Torkshire,  a  man  well  educated  and  informed.  His 
wife  was  Chri.stiana  Yates,  who  bore  him  two  sons,  Alfred  J.  and  Thomas.  He  died  in 
England  about  183.5,  and  his  widow  came  to  the  United  States,  with  his  son  Thomas, 
and  died  in  New  Hartford,  Oneida  county,  before  the  war.  Alfred  J.  was  the  first  to 
come  to  the  United  States,  about  1843,  and  settled  in  Utica.  He  was  a  close  friend  of 
Roscoe  Conkling,  and  was  in  the  tanner  and  currier  business  at  New  Hartf'^rd.  He  is 
now  in  the  custom  house  in  New  York.  Thomas  Wainman  was  born  in  Leeds,  York- 
shire, received  a  college  education  at  Leeds  and  Cambridge,  where  he  became  a  teacher. 
In  July,  1847,  he  came  to  this  country,  and  located  in  Utica,  where  he  followed  his 
trade;  he  also  ran  a  hotel.  In  1851  be  moved  to  Newport  and  engaged  in  the  shoe 
business.  Four  year.-  later  he  went  to  Salisbury,  and  in  1870  came  to  Jordanville,  and 
followed  his  trade  until  his  death  in  April,  1888.  He  was  a  Democrat  and  was  a  prom- 
inent Forester  in  England.  His  wife  survives  him.  She  was  born  in  Kendal],  West- 
moreland county,  England,  daughter  of  Thomas  Shepard,  a  farmer, who  had  ten  children, 
three  of  whom  came  to  the  United  States.  John  Wainman  received  a  district  school 
education,  and  at  fifteen  began  to  work  on  a  farm  by  the  month.  In  the  spring  of  1870 
he  located  where  he  now  resides,  on  180  acres  on  the  Robinson  estate.  He  is  an  ac- 
tive Democrat,  but  has  never  married. 

Freeman,  David,  Stark,  was  born  in  German  Flats,  near  Fox  Hollow,  June  18,  1836, 
son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Osterhout)  Freeman.  The  grandfather,  David,  was  born 
and  died  in  Connecticut,  and  raised  six  children  :  Samuel,  David,  Henry,  Seth,  Mary 
and  Phoebe,  all  of  whom  came  to  Herkimer  county.  Samuel  came  in  1820  to  German 
Flats,  where  he  died  January  2,  1880,  and  his  wife  died  November  20,  1885.  They  had 
nine  children  and  raised  seven :  Henry,  Louisa,  Caroline,  David,  Anson,  Joseph  and 
Resell.  Subject's  mother  was  born  in  Columbia,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Ann  Osterhout, 
of  Holland  Dutch  descent.  David  was  raised  in  German  Flats,  received  a  district  school 
education,  and  at  nine  left  home  and  began  earning  his  own  living.  He  lived  with  Dan 
Wilson  until  he  was  twenty-one,  but  the  latter  died,  and  at  sixteen  he  worked  by  the 
month  wherever  he  could.     At  twenty  he  began  the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he 


140  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

worked  for  seven  years,  then  he  worked  by  the  month  on  a  farm  until  the  war  broke 
out.  August  29,  1864,  he  enlisted  on  the  gun-boat  Dragons,  and  saw  service  in  Chesa- 
peake bay.  He  was  discharged  March  29,  1865,  at  Washingfton  navy  yard,  and  re- 
turned to  his  home,  where  he  engaged  in  cheese  making  at  Wicks'  Corners,  in  Stark. 
He  spent  one  year  in  Springfield,  but  las  resided  most  of  his  life  in  Stark.  He  owns 
six  acres,  and  has  served  as  inspector,  excise  commissioner,  collector,  justice  and  is  now 
deputy  sheriff.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  July  3,  1856,  he  married  Lucinda,  daugh- 
ter of  Christian  F.  Bronner,  a  farmer  of  vStark.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freeman  had  three  chil- 
dren :  Rozeltha  B.,  wife  of  Lewis  H.  Backus;  Cynthia  A.,  wife  of  Franklin  House,  and 
Floyd  V.  Subject  and  wife  are  active  members  of  long  standing  in  Freewill  Baptist 
church. 

Bennett,  William,  Norway,  was  born  in  Newport,  July  23,  1834.  His  father  was 
Hiram  Bennett,  a  son  of  Joshua  Bennett,  who  came  from  New  England  at  an  early  date 
and  settled  in  Ohio,  where  he  died.  Hiram  Bennett  came  with  his  father  to  Ohio  and 
here  his  life  was  spent.  He  married  Almira  Churchill,  of  Deerfield.  She  bore  him  six 
children.  By  his  second  wife,  Lydia  Cavenaugh,  he  had  five.  The  death  of  Mr.  Ben- 
nett occurred  in  1861  and  that  of  his  wife  in  1891.  William  Bennett  married  Emily  I. 
Warner,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  by  whom  he  has  had  six  children,  two  of  whom  are 
living,  Gary  and  Olie.  Mr.  Bennett  enlisted  in  the  Eighty-first  N.  Y.  S.  V.  regiment, 
Co.  C,  in  November,  1861,  for  three  years;  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Drurj-'s 
Bluff,  May  16,  1864,  taken  to  Andersonville  prison  and  was  paroled  February  28,  18G4, 
receiving  his  honorable  discharge  at  Annapolis,  May  16,  1865.  Mr.  Bennett  is  a  car- 
penter by  trade  and  runs  a  saw-mill.  He  has  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Ohio,  but  during 
the  last  eight  years  has  resided  in  Norway.  In  1884  he  purchased  the  Black  Creek 
Western  mill.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  clerk  of  Ohio  three  years.  He  and  his 
wife  are  Methodists. 

Hodge,  Ira,  Norway,  was  born  in  Winfield,  Herkimer  county,  in  1840.  He  is  a  son 
of  David  Hodge,  a  son  of  Roberi  Hodge,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Ohio,  where  he  spent 
his  life  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The  wife  of  Robert  Hodge  was  Rosa  Pell,  who  bore  him 
twelve  children,  five  of  whom  are  living.  David  Hodge  was  a  farmer.  His  wife  was 
Patience  Hall,  who  bore  him  eleven  children.  Mr.  Hodge  spent  most  of  his  life  in 
Ohio,  where  he  and  his  wife  died.  The  subject  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in 
the  common  schools.  He  married  Mary  F.  Warner,  of  New  York,  and  they  had  the 
following  children :  Nellie  I.,  Jessie  W.,  David  0.,  Florence  E.,  Benjamin  F.,  Polly  M. 
and  Nora  0.,  all  of  whom  are  living  except  Nora  O.,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Hodge 
is  a  farmer  and  shingle  maker.  He,  perhaps,  has  made  more  shingles  than  any  other 
man  in  Herkimer  county.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  comnany  C,  Thirty-fourth  N.  Y.  Vol- 
unteers, and  at  the  end  of  two  months  was  sent  home  tor  disability.  In  1865  he  was 
drafted  and  on  account  of  disability  was  rejected.  He  did  not  receive  his  discharge  un- 
til 1892. 

Weeks,  James  N.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Greene  county,  August  22,  1819,  a  son 
of  Townsend  and  Hannah  (Nelson)  Weeks.  His  grandfather,  Solomon,  came  from 
Rhode  Island,  to  Greene  county,  where  he  died.  He  raised  a  large  family.     Townsend 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  141 

was  born  in  Greene  county  in  1796,  and  moved  to  Canada  on  Lalie  Ontario,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death.  He  had  four  children  :  James  N.,  Rob,  George  and 
Rachel  A.  Subject's  mother  was  born  in  Greene  county,  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Berzilla  (LaValley)  Nelson.  He  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  earlier  in  the  British 
army.  He  left  a  widow  and  two  children  :  Hannah  and  Betsey.  Subject's  mother 
married  for  second  husband  John  Lawton,  by  whom  she  had  one  child,  Robert.  Our 
subject  went  with  his  parents  to  Canada  where  he  remained  two  and  a  half  years,  then 
came  to  Albany  county.  Since  the  age  of  twelve  he  has  supported  himself.  He  had 
a  district  school  education,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  began  the  blacksmith's  trade  in 
Greene  county,  and  worked  at  Albany  and  other  places  until  1840,  when  he  came  to 
Warren  and  followed  his  trade  at  Little  Lakes.  In  1861  he  bought  and  located  on  212 
acres  where  he  resides,  and  carried  on  farming.  He  now  ownes  196  acres,  has  served 
as  justice  n'ne  years,  and  assessor  many  terms,  as  a  Democrat.  He  married  July  28, 
1841,  Martha,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Julia  (Tunnicliff)  McChesney,  by  whom  he  has 
seven  children  :  Hannah,  Conkline,  John  of  Michiean,  Nelson  who  enlisted  in  the 
Ninety-second  New  York  Regiment  and  was  killed  at  Petersburg,  Ira  of  Iowa,  James, 
George,  Ida  wife  of  W.  Vibber,  and  Charles.  Subject's  wife  died  September  28,  1891, 
aged  seventy- three  years. 

Crumby,  John  A.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Newport,  and  was  born  June  6, 1827.  He 
was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  followed  it  up  twenty-five  years  ago,  when  he  took  up 
farm  gardening,  which  he  hassince  followed  very  successfully.  His  father  was  Minor 
Crumby.  He  served  in  the  army  in  1812  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  In  1851  John  A. 
Crumby  married  Mary  Benckley  and  they  have  two  children,  a  daughter  and  a  son, 
Elizabeth  and  Frederick.  Mr.  Crumby  is  a  Democrat  and  has  belonged  to  several  so- 
cieties. He  is  one  of  the  old  residents  of  this  part  and  one  of  the  best  known 
men  in  the  locality. 

Burt,  Delos  M.,  Little  Falls,  farmer,  is  a  native  and  life-long  resident  of  this 
town.  He  is  forty-seven  years  of  age  and  has  been  collector  of  the  town,  and  com- 
missioner of  highways.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  polities  and  is  much  esteemed  by  that 
party.  He  occupies  his  father's  farm  of  127  acres  of  land,  which  is  devoted  to  dairy- 
ing and  largely  to  the  raising  of  grass.  His  wife  was  Mary  E.  Brown  and  they  have 
two  children,  John  S.  and  Katie  Belle.  The  family  are  adherents  of  the  Universalist 
church.  Mr.  B'lrtis  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  Grange  and  is  a  leading 
farmer  of  Little  Falls. 

Dietz,  Charles,  Salisbury,  was  born  in  Germany,  February  19,  1824.  He  came  to 
this  country  in  1851.  He  has  operated  a  tannery  at  Salisbury  Center  for  the  past 
nineteen  years.  Mr.  Dietz  married  Christiana  Pickett,  a  daughter  of  John  Pickett,  and 
they  have  three  children,  one  son  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Dietz  is  a  thorough 
and  competent  tanner  and  a  reputable  citizen.  He  gives  employment  to  a  number 
ot  assistants  at  different  times. 

Fish,  Charles  P.,  Litchfield,  a  farmer,  was  born  in  that  town  August  20,  1855,  and 
married  Belle  Coolidge  by  whom  he  has  four  children :    Lois  C,  Bertha  B.,  Mary  P. 


142  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

and  Warren  L.  Charles  P.  Fish  was  a  son  of  Samuel,  a  native  of  this  town  and  a  son 
of  Ilias  W.,  who  came  here  with  his  father,  Nathaniel,  one  of  the  first  settlers.  Mrs. 
Belle  Fish  is  a  daughter  of  Warren  Coolidge,  a  native  of  Frankfort  and  a  son  of  Hor- 
ace Coolidge,  also  a  resident  of  Frankfort. 

Easton,  Hon.  Henry  L.,  Stark,  came  from  Connecticut  and  settled  in  Cedarville. 
He  was  an  extensive  farmer  and  manufacturer  and  represented  his  district  in  the 
Assembly  in  1837.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Deivendorf,  by  whom  he  had  five 
children  :  Mnhlon,  Ellen,  Charlon,  Hannah  and  Frank.  He  died  from  an  accident 
in  the  saw-mill  aged  seventy-five.  His  son,  Charlon,  was  born  in  Cedarville.  He 
resides  at  Richfield  Springs,  being  a  contractor  and  builder  by  trade.  He  is  a 
Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
John  and  Hannah  (Cronkite)  Coapman  of  Hallsville,  by  whom  he  had  two  children : 
Fred  E.  and  Maude  M.  Fred  E.  Easton  was  born  December  18,  18G1,  in  Cedarville, 
receiving  a  common  and  high  school  education.  He  taught  school  for  three  years.  At 
fifteen  he  began  the  study  of  medicine.  At  eighteen  he  entered  an  office  at  Moravia, 
Cayuga  county.  In  the  winter  of  1881-82  he  took  a  course  in  the  Albany  Medical 
College,  and  was  a  student  of  Dr.  A.  Vandeveer.  He  graduated  in  1884  from  Long 
Island  College  Hospital,  at  Brooklyn.  In  1885  he  located  at  Richfield  Springs,  and  in 
July,  1890,  removed  to  Van  Hornesville.  He  was  health  oflicer  at  Richfield  Springs 
three  years,  was  four  years  clerk  of  Board  of  Education,  and  is  health  oflicer  where  he 
now  resides.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  County  Medical  Society  and  the  Royal 
Arcanum.  He  is  a  Republican.  He  married,  October  5, 1886,  Celestia  Edna,  daughter 
of  Barton  and  Melvina  (Wood)  Richardson,  of  Cayuga  county.  They  are  Universal- 
ists. 

Helmer,  Henry  J.,  Warren,  was  born  where  he  now  resides  July  9,  1838,  a  son  of 
Henry  A.  and  Fanny  (Rasbach)  Helmer.  His  grandfather  was  Adam  F.,  a  son  of 
Frederick  A.,  who  was  a  son  of  Lendert,  who  came  from  Palatinate,  Germany,  in  1710, 
and  located  first  on  the  Hudson,  and  later  came  to  Canajoharie.  In  the  winter  and 
spring  of  1723  he  located  in  Herkimer  county,  and  received  a  deed  of  100  acres  in 
1825,  where  he  lived  and  died.  Frederick  A.  Helmer  was  born  m  Herkimer  August 
16,  1725,  and  died  March  5,  1804.  His  wife  was  Barbara  Elizabeth  Homan,  born  in 
Holland,  and  came  to  America  in  1754.  They  had  three  children,  Conrad,  Margaret 
and  Adam  F.  Adam  F.  Helmer  was  born  at  Herkimer  July  7,  1770,  and  located  on  100 
acres,  where  our  subject  resides,  in  Warren,  which  he  cleared  and  improved.  His  wife 
was  Anna  Margaret  Harter.  born  near  Fort  Herkimer  January  28,  1773,  a  daughter  of 
Captain  Henry  and  Catharine  (Piper)  Harter,  both  born  in  Herkimer  county.  Captain 
Harter  was  born  February  17,  1730,  and  served  as  captain  in  the  French  and  Indian 
War.  In  1757  he  and  his  wife  were  taken  prisoners  to  Canada  for  one  year.  Their 
first  child  was  born  while  in  captivity.  Adam  F.  Helmer  raised  eight  children:  Han- 
nah, Henry  A.,  Barbara  E.,  Laurence,  Catharine,  Frederick  A,,  Peter  H.  and  Anna  M. 
Adam  F.  Helmer  died  December  30,  1854.  His  wife  died  December  1,  1859,  where 
subject  resides.  Henry  A.  Helmer  was  born  September  7,  1797,  on  the  farm  (where 
subject  resides)  in  the  town   of  Warren,  and  where  he  died   September  2,  1868.     He 


FAMILY   SKETCHES.  143 

owned  220  acres.  He  -was  a  Democrat  until  1856,  when  he  and  his  brothers  all  became 
Republicans.  They  had  eight  children  and  raised  seven :  Adam  H.,  Elizabeth,  John 
R.,  James  H.  (died  at  six),  Mary  C,  Anna  M.,  Henry  J.  and  Harriet  P.,  all  married  ex- 
cept the  oldest  sister.  Subject's  mother  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Nancy  (Moak) 
Rasbaoh,  born  February  19,  1800,  in  the  town  of  Herkimer,  and  died  November  2, 
1872,  in  Warren.  Our  subject  received  a  district  and  seminary  education  and  spent 
four  winters  in  teaching.  After  his  father's  death  he  took  charge  of  the  homestead, 
served  as  justice  and  was  an  active  Republican.  He  married  September  29,  1868, 
Jjucy,  daughter  of  Otis  and  Mary  (Palmer)  Ames,  of  Richfield,  Otsego  county.  He 
was  born  October  15,  1843,  in  Richfield,  Otsego  county.  Subject  had  two  children, 
Fred  A.  and  Ross  D.  Subject  is  a  Mason  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E. 
church. 

Suits,  Hiram,  was  born  in  Minden,  Montgomery  county,  November  14,  1830,  son  of 
Thomas  and  Laura  E.  (Hurlbert)  Suits.  His  grandfather,  Henry,  was  born  near  Stone 
Arabia.  His  father  was  a  pioneer  of  Palatine,  Montgomery  county.  Henry  Suits  came 
to  Minden  about  1828  or  1830,  where  he  died  at  an  advanced  age.  He  served  m  the 
war  of  1812.  Subject  and  wife  had  these  children :  John,  Thomas,  David,  James, 
Henry,  Betsey,  Margaret,  Jane  and  Ann,  Subject's  father  located  in  Minden  about 
1825,  where  he  resided  until  1841,  when  he  located  in  Starkville  as  a  blacksmith,  later 
at  Cramer's  Corners.  In  the  fall  of  1856  he  moved  to  Boone  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  died  in  1871.  His  wife  died  in  Lincoln  county,  Nebraska.  He  raised  six  children: 
Sara  Flint,  widow,  living  in  Nebraska ;  Helen  Miller,  a  widow  living  in  Illinois ;  Hiram, 
Mary  Peck,  of  Illinois ;  Henry,  of  Texas,  who  served  in  the  secret  service  during  the 
war,  and  went  from  Missouri  under  General  Millroy.  John  died  in  Boone  county, 
Illinois,  about  1873,  Hiram  received  a  district  school  education,  and  at  twenty  began 
for  himself  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  ten  years,  when  he  leased  the 
farm  where  he  lives  of  sixty-three  acres,  which  he  now  owns.  He  has  another  farm 
of  126  acres.  He  served  as  justice  and  is  an  active  Republican.  He  married  July  4, 
1854,  Margaret,  daughter  of  James  D.  and  Margaret  (Cramer)  Weldon,  by  whom  he 
has  one  child,  James,  born  April  25,  1860,  in  Stark,  who  married  November  5,  1884, 
Libbie  M.,  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Marinda  (Bronner)  Ward.  They  have  one  child, 
Clark. 

Carrier,  Colonel  David  R.,  Winfield,  was  the  first  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  West  Winfield,  and  held  that  position  until  his  death.  He  was  the  first  post- 
master of  West  Winfield,  and  also  a  merchant  there.  He  married  first  Betsey  Tomp- 
kins, who  died  May  5,  1860.  His  second  wife  is  Hannah,  daughter  of  Simeon  Buck- 
len,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carrier  had  two  children,  the 
eldest,  Bessie  A.,  who  married  H.  T.  Anthony,  of  Leonardsville,  Madison  county,  and 
they  have  one  son,  Rae  C. ;  the  son,  David  R.  Carrier,  is  in  business  in  Chicago,  111. 
Colonel  David  R.  Carrier  was  born  December  27,  1795,  and  died  April  7,  1880. 

Brace,  Frank  L.,  Winfield,  was  born  at  North  Winfield  June  6,  1852,  and  educated 
at  West  Winfield  Academy  and  Whitestown  Seminary,  graduating  from  the  latter  in 
1872.     He  engaged  in  farming  and  fruit-growing  until  1892,  when  he  began  the  pub- 


144  HISTORY  OP  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

lication  of  a  weekly  newspaper  in  West  Winfield  entitled  Tlte  West  Winfield  Star.  Mr. 
Brace  has  always  been  a  staunch  Republican  and  active  in  political  work.  He  was 
justice  of  the  peace  for  two  terms,  supervisor  in  1891,  and  re-elected  in  1892  by  a  ma- 
jority of  105.  lie  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  county  committee  for 
two  years  past.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  First  Congregational  church  here,  and  has 
been  for  many  years  the  superintendent  of  its  Sunday-school.  He  married  in  1876. 
Martha  J.  McDonald,  of  Vernon  Center.  Frank  L.  is  a  son  of  Lucius  F.  Brace,  and  he 
was  a  son  of  Asahel  Brace,  a  native  of  Litchfield  county,  Connecticut,  and  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Winfield.  He  was  a  captain  in  the  war  of  1812,  stationed  at  Sackett's 
Harbor. 

Cooper,  B.  I.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  this  place,  and  has  followed  farming  princi- 
pally all  his  life.  He  owns  two  fine  farms  and  a  herd  of  eighty  cows.  In  189!  he 
came  to  this  village,  and  February  2,  1892,  began  the  manufacture  of  cheese-boxes, 
selling  to  the  factories  in  this  vicinity.  In  1868  he  married  Josephine  Alexander,  and 
they  have  five  children,  four  daughters  and  a  son.  Mr.  Cooper  is  also  interested  in  the 
Eatonville  cheese  factory.     He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

Smith.  George  L.,  Little  Falls,  the  subject  of  this  .sketch,  is  a  son  of  the  head  of  the 
firm  of  Smith  &  Bushnell.  He  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls  and  was  born  in  1864. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  entered  the  mill  with  his  father,  and  in  1887  they  built  their 
own  fine  stone  mill,  in  which  they  manufacture  shoddy  and  wool  extracts.  Mr.  George 
L.  Smith  is  manager  of  the  mill,  while  his  father  looks  after  the  outs'de  business.  He 
is  popular  in  society  and  is  a  member  of  several  organizations  of  this  town. 

Graves,  Solomon,  Russia,  was  born  February  24,  1819,  in  Russia,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of 
John,  who  was  a  son  of  Russell.  John  Graves  was  born  December  22,  1778, 
and  came  from  Stephentown,  Rensselaer  county,  to  Newport,  N.  Y.,  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  with  his  only  property,  an  axe,  on  his  shoulder,  jobbing  it  in  clearing 
land  until  he  bought  land  of  his  own,  which  he  cleared  up  and  paid  for  by 
his  own  efTorts.  He  first  purchased  106  acres  of  land,  on  which  subject  now 
lives,  afterwards  adding  144  acres,  making  250  in  all.  September  30,  1800, 
he  married  Abigail  Munn,  born  December  27,  1780,  by  whom  he  had  three 
sons:  Crosby,  Ezra  and  John  R.  She  died  December  27,  1816,  and  in  1818 
he  married  Esther  Smith,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born  December  19,  1784,  by  whom 
he  had  two  sons  and  a  daughter.  Mr.  Graves  was  sheriff  of  Herkimer  county  one 
term,  justice  of  the  peace,  school  commissioner,  supervisor,  and  was  twice  elected 
member  of  tlie  Assembly.  He  died  in  1865  and  his  wife  in  1860.  Solomon  Graves 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Russia,  in  Clinton  Liberal  Institute  and  Union 
College,  graduating  from  the  latter  in  1842.  April  27,  1842,  he  married  Margaret 
Smith,  a  native  of  Williamsville,  Erie  county,  born  February  27,  1821,  a  daughter  of 
Oziel  Smith,  of  Clarendon,  Kutland  county,  Vt.,  born  April  14,  1784,  and  Phoebe 
Norton,  born  October  22,  1789,  in  Berkshire,  Richmond  county,  Mass.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Smith  had  four  daughters  and  one  son.  He  died  January  3,  1836,  and  his 
wife,  March  13,  1890,  at  the  age  of  100  years.  .  To  Mr.  Graves  and  wife  were  born  five 
children :    Edward  0.,  Crosby  J.,  Charles  A.,  William  H.  and   Jessie,  the  latter  two 


Family  sketches.  145 

deceased.  Mr.  Graves  taught  school  a  short  time,  then  engaged  in  farming  on  the  old 
homestead,  until  1850.  He  next  purchased  property  in  Geneva  and  resided  there  a 
short  time,  but  soon  returned  to  the  old  home,  where  he  remained  until  1873  when  he 
sold  out,  and  in  1876  went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
ornamental  and  architectural  terra  cotta  work  and  sewer  pipe  for  four  years.  In  1889 
he  bought  back  the  old  homestead,  on  which  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  an  early 
and  earnest  Republican  and  has  been  school  commissioner  a  number  of  years  and 
supervisor  five  years.  In  1859  he  represented  the  First  district  of  Herkimer  county  in 
the  Assembly.     He  is  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge,  No.  455.  F.  &  A.  M. 

Weeks,  Levi,  Stark,  was  born  at  Ford's  Bush,  Montgomery  county,  September  9, 
1799.  In  1820  he  was  married  to  Jane  Hollenbeck.  When  twenty-one  years  old  he 
began  farming  at  Amsterdam,  In  1833  he  located  where  his  son  Willard  now  lives. 
He  died  February  3,  1890,  and  his  wife  about  five  years  earlier,  aged  eighty-five  years. 
He  served  as  supervisor  several  terms,  and  as  justice  several  terms.  He  was  a  Demo- 
crat. In  1856  he  became  a  Republican.  He  raised  thiiteen  children :  David  H.,  Dr. 
Benedict  A.,  Hiram,  John,  Solomon,  Willard  and  Albert,  who  served  in  the  First  N. 
y.  Light  Artillery,  and  died,  aged  nineteen,  about  three  weeks  after  being  mustered 
out  of  service;  Louisa,  Jane,  Anna,  Marion,  Laura  and  Maria,  the  three  latter  living. 
Willard  Weeks  was  born  where  he  now  lives,  December  11,  1842.  He  received  a 
common  school  education  and  owns  his  father's  homestead  of  120  acres,  also  another 
farm  adjoining  of  110  acres.  He  served  as  supervisor  two  terms  and  justice  one  term. 
He  is  a  Republican.  He  married,  August  29,  1882,  Samantha  Whited,  who  was  born 
in  West  Troy,  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Eleanor  (Lyon)  Whited.  They  have  two 
children  living :  George  L.  and  Clara  A.     They  are  members  of  the  M.  B,  churcli. 

Fit'/gerald.  John  W.,  Little  Falls,  was  born- June  24,  1857,  in  the  town  of  Fairfield. 
In  March,  1874,  he  entered  FairfieJ,d  Seminary,  and  graduated  with  honors  in  1879, 
taking  a  three  years'  classical  course.  December  15,  1880,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Arphaxed  Loomis  and  "Watts  T.  Loomis,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  April,  1882,  and  has  continued  his  connection  with  that  office  ever  since. 
In  1884  he  commenced  the  business  of  insurance  in  connection  with  law.  In  1891  he 
bought  out  the  interests  of  the  late  Philo  Reed,  in  connection  with  W.  S.  Reed,  uniting 
these  two  agencies  under  the  firm  name  of  Fitzgerald  &  Reed.  The  agency  now 
represents  the  largest  insurance  companies  doing  bu.siness,  and  more  actual  assets  than 
any  other  agency  in  New  York  State.  The  interest  of  Mr.  Reed  in  the  agency  was 
purchased  by  Mr.  Fitzgerald,  January  1,  1893. 

Geywits,  Adam,  Warren,  wa.s  born  near  Van  Hornesville,  town  of  Stark,  Decem- 
ber 18,  1846,  was  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Lana  (Springer)  Geywits.  The  grandfather, 
John,  was  born  in  Stark.  His  fatlier  came  from  Germany  in  colonial  days,  and  settled 
about  a  mile  north  of  Van  Hornesville,  where  he  died.  He  owned  580  acres  in 
Stark.  He  died  in  1813.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Fish,  by  whom  he  had  these  chil- 
dren :  John,  Adam,  Isaac,  Susan,  Irena  and  Margaret.  Isaac  was  born  in  Stark, 
December  19,  1813.  a  carpenter  and  builder  by  trade.  He  and  C.  T.  B.  Van  Home  built 
the  saw-mill  at  Van  Hornesville  in   1859.     He  died  there  May  27,  1887.     He  was  a 


146  niSTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Whig  and  Republican,  and  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  bore  liim  nine  children, 
four  of  whom  survive:  Adam,  George,  who  died,  aged  twenty-one;  David  and  Eliza- 
beth Miller.  His  wife  died  in  1861.  His  second  wife  was  Elizabeth  (Chappel)  Fort. 
Subject's  mother  was  born  in  Stark,  a  daughter  of  Loadwick  Springer,  whose  wife  was 
a  Miss  Coon.  Adam  was  raised  in  Van  Hornesville,  and  received  a  common  school 
education,  and  at  eighteen  he  began  for  himself,  working  for  0.  A.  Shipman  &  Son.  At 
twenty-one  he  engaged  in  the  cheese  box  business,  with  D.  S.  Tilyon,  one  year.  He 
rented  the  saw-mill  of  his  father  for  four  years;  then,  in  1875,  he  engaged  in  furniture 
manufacture  at  Van  Hornesville,  continuing  some  ten  years,  the  first  and  only  factory 
of  its  kind  in  the  village.  In  1885  he  located  on  112  acres,  where  he  now  resides?.  He 
is  a  Republican.  On  December  30,  1878,  he  married  Angeline,  daughter  of  Cornelius 
J.  and  Rachel  (Druse)  Connine,  natives  of  Springfield.  Mr  Connine  was  a  son  of  Cor- 
nelius Connine,  who  early  came  to  Springfield,  and  whose  father  came  from  Holland. 
Subject  has  three  children :  George  C,  Charles  W.  and  Calista  E. 

Walrath,  Levi,  Stark,  was  born  where  he  resides,  September  19,  1827,  a  son  of  Adol- 
phus  H.  and  Sophia  (Moyer)  Walrath.  The  grandfather  was  a  pioneer  of  Minden, 
Montgomery  county,  and  raised  two  sons :  Adolphus  and  Peter.  Subject's  father  was 
born  in  Minden,  and  finally  settled  in  Stark,  where  he  owned  400  acres  before  his  death. 
He  died  in  November,  1863,  aged  eighty  years.  His  wife  died  February  20,  1864,  aged 
seventy -.seven  years ;  they  had  ten  children:  John  A.,  Jerry,  Charity,  Mary,  Nancy, 
Sally,  Joanna,  Moses,  Levi  and  Betsey,  three  now  living-  Levi  Walrath  owns  350 
acres  of  land.  He  cared  for  his  parents  until  their  death.  He  runs  a  large  dairy  and 
has  served  in  various  town  offices,  being  an  active  Republican.  He  married  March  16, 
1862,  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Pamelia  (Hann)  ZoUer,  and  she  died  Septem- 
ber 16,  1862.  He  married  second,  March  25,  1865,  Anna,  a  sister  of  h's  first  wife,  by 
whom  he  had  two  children :  John  A.  and  Levi.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walrath  are  members 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  * 

McMillan,  J.  L.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Washington  county,  April 
8,  1859.  He  taught  a  year  in  the  Putnam  Institute,  then  was  clerk  for  a  time  and  sub- 
sequently engaged  in  manufacturing.  He  is  the  inventor  of  the  type-setting  machine 
and  is  manager  of  a  company  manufacturing  them  in  Ilion.  He  has  also  invented  a 
type- distributer.  In  1889  Mr.  McMillan  married  Miss  Martha  E.  Weaver  and  they  have 
one  daughter.     Mr.  McMillan  has  been  nine  years  in  Ilion. 

Walrath,  Marvin,  Danube,  was  born  in  Danube,  April  9,  1845,  and  comes  of  old  Rev- 
olutionary stock.  A  gran'father  of  Marvin  was  a  captain  in  the  patriot  army,  and  was 
killed  at  Herkimer.  Henry  1.,  father  of  the  subject,  was  a  native  of  Minden,  and  fol- 
lowed his  trade  of  merchant  tailoring,  combined  with  agricultural  pursuits,  until  his 
death.  Marvin  owns  a  farm  of  137  acres  in  Danube,  is  engaged  in  the  wholesale  bot- 
tling business,  putting  up  cider,  lager  and  cider  vinegar,  for  a  trade  which  extends 
throughout  Herkimer  county,  St.  Johnsville,  etc.  Mr.  Walrath  married  Cordelia  Inger- 
soll,  and  they  have  five  children,  four  sons  and  a  daughter.  He  has  served  his  district 
nine  years  as  trustee,  etc.,  and  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  Royal  Ar- 
canum, etc. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  I47 

Helligas,  E.  B.,  Fairfield,  a  native  of  St.  Johnsville,  Montgomery  county,  name  to 
Fairfield  at  the  age  of  seven.  He  owns  a  fine  dairy  farm  of  fifty-three  acres,  and  raises 
thoroughbred  Jersey  cattle,  the  only  farmer  in  the  town  making  a  specialty  of  this 
breed.  In  1873  he  married  Ada  V.  Willard,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
the  town.  They  now  occupy  a  portion  of  the  farm  cleared  by  her  ancestors,  and  have 
four  children :  Mary  T.,  Ward  W.,  Charles  J.  and  Clara  A.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Helli- 
gas was  a  native  of  Manheim,  and  his  father  was  born  in  Jefferson  county. 

Way,  William  H.,  Schuyler,  was  born  in  Amsterdam,  Montgomery  county,  August 
20,  1827.  He  moved  to  West  Schuyler  when  a  small  boy,  where  he  has  resided  over 
fifty  years.  In  1855  he  married  Margaret  A.  McGraw,  who  died  in  1868.  They  had 
five  children :  Hiram  A.,  William  C,  Herbert  C,  Frank  A.  and  Cora  A.,  who  died  July 
8,  1871.  June  21,  1870,  he  married  Mrs.  Julia  E.  Way,  of  llion.  He  is  commissioner 
of  highways  and  has  been  school  trustee,  and  is  one  of  the  representative  men  of 
Schuyler. 

Flansburg,  John  V.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Ohio,  May  16,  1838.  His  father  was  Barthol- 
omew, a  son  of  Richard  Flansburg,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  who  was  a  boatman  from 
Albany  to  Fort  Stanwix.  Joseph  Flansburg  was  a  re.sident  of  Mayfield,  Fulton  county 
and  at  an  early  day  came  to  Russia,  and  afterwards  went  to  Hasenclever  Hills,  Herki- 
mer county,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  was  in  the  war  of  1812.  Bar- 
tholomew Flansburg  was  born  in  Mayfield  in  1809.  He  married  Angeline  Stephens  of 
Russia,  by  whom  he  had  six  sons  and  four  daughter.?.  In  1824  Mr.  Flansbur"  came  to 
Ohio  and  purchased  a  farm,  where  he  lived  and  died  May  3,  1882.  He  was  a  Whio-  and 
later  a  Republican.  He  and  his  wife  were  Methodists.  The  latter  is  now  living  with 
her  son,  Francis,  in  Wilmurt,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two.  John  V.  Flansburg  was  reared 
on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Ohio,  where  he  has  always  lived.  In 
1861  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Ninety-seventh  regiment,  N.Y.  Volunteers,  and  was  in 
service  eighteen  months.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Cedar  Mountain,  Rappahannock 
Station,  Thoroughfare  Gap  and  the  Second  Bull  Run.  At  the  latter  battle  he  was 
wounded  and  held  prisoner  on  the  field  eight  days,  when  he  made  his  escape  andjoined 
the  hospital  corps,  where  "he  remained  from  September  9,  1862,  to  January  30,  1863, 
being  then  discharged.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Ohio,  and 
has  since  followed  farming.  October  17,  1868,  he  married  Sarah  E.  Conklin,  daughter 
of  Henry  S.  and  Annie  (Edick)  Conklin,  of  Columbia  county.  Mr.  Conklin  and  wife 
were  early  settlers  of  Ohio,  where  both  died.  Subject  and  wife  have  one  child.  Dean 
R.  August  6,  1871,  Mrs.  Flansburg  died,  and  February  19,  1874,  he  married  second, 
Ann  Gumming  She  died  September  29,  1877,  and  in  1878  he  married  Jane  Boyce,  of 
Saratoga,  daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth  Boyce.  By  his  third  marriage  he  has  four 
children  :  Earl  G.,  Edna  A.,  Edith  M.  and  Fred.     Mr.  Flansburg  is  a  Republican. 

Beals,  Rev.  Oliver  B.,  Litchfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  July  25, 
1832,  and  is  an  ordained  minister  of  the  Unitarian  church.  He  was  school  commis- 
sioner of  the  second  district  of  Herkimer  county,  which  position  he  held  nine  years. 
He  was  associated  with  Judge  Graves,  of  Herkimer,  and  they  were  delegates  to  the 
New  York  Constitutional  Con\'eatioa  from  this  district.     Mr.  Beals  was  on  the  com- 


148  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

mittee  on  ediication,  he  being  the  only  school  commissioner  in  the  convention.  His 
theory  in  relation  to  the  enlargement  of  the  canals  was  adopted  by  the  finance  com- 
mittee and  by  the  convention.  He  married  Emma  Champion,  and  they  have  four 
children  :  Mrs.  I.  K.  Fish,  Oliver  W.  and  John  D.,  who  are  lawyers  in  New  York  city, 
and  Morell  B.,  who  is  a  practicing  physician  in  New  York  city. 

Myers,  J.  H.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  German  Flats  April  16,  1831,  and  has  been 
a  farmer  all  his  life,  though  he  has  also  been  engaged  in  other  pursuits.  He  was  in  the 
brick  business  with  T.  E.  Coe  for  some  time,  and  for  seven  or  eight  years  was  a  cheese 
seller.  He  ha.<  a  dairy  of  about  forty  cows.  In  1865  Mr.  Myers  married  Anna  E. 
Shull,  an'!  they  have  a  son,  John  H.  Myers,  jr.,  and  a  daughter,  Florence  A.  Mr. 
Myers's  father  was  John  H.  and  his  grandfather  Henry  J.,  a  native  of  Herkimer.  His 
mother  was  Maria  Bellinger. 

Alexander,  Mrs.  James,  Fairfield,  widow  of  James  Alexander,  is  a  native  of  Sali.s- 
bury.  Her  father  was  Rodolphus  Gillette  In  1847  .«he  married  James  Alexander, 
who  died  May  24,  1889.  She  has  three  children  living:  Mrs.  B.  I.  Cooper,  Mrs.  James 
B.  Hart  and  Miss  Jennie  Alexander.  Mrs.  Alexander  owns  140  acres  of  land,  which 
she  rents  out.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church  and  is  a  most  estimable 
lady. 

Andrews,  George  F.,  carriage  manufacturer.  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Cooperstown, 
Otsego  county,  and  was  born  in  1851.  He  has  been  in  the  carriage  business  all  his  life, 
but  commenced  his  pres_ent  enterprise  February  1,  1882.  His  business  life  extends 
over  twenty-three  years  and  has  been  successful.  He  is  highly  esteemed  in  this  town, 
and  at  present  holds  the  ofSce  of  exciseman.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, the  Royal  Arcanum  and  other  social  organizations. 

Alvord,  John  M.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Frankfort  October  11,  1835,  he  being  one  of 
three  children  of  Joseph  M.  and  Desire  (Hakes)  Alvord,  of  Frankfort.  His  grand- 
father, Medad  Alvord,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  came  to  New  York  State  when 
quite  a  young  man.  Desire  Hakes,  the  mother,  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Catherine 
Hakes,  of  Little  Falls.  He  married  Eliza  Elmer,  of  Sauquoit,  by  whom  he  had 
three  children  :  Mary  L.  (Mrs.  David  F.  Davis),  Rosa  D  (Mrs.  Edward  Brigham),  and 
Ha  riet  C.  (Mrs.  Robert  Salisbury),  their  mother  dying  when  they  were  young.  He 
subsequently  married  Angeline  Woodbridge,  of  Gulph,  Frankfort.  He  has  always  lived 
in  Frankfort,  running  his  farm  as  a  dairy.  He  has  been  postmaster  of  Gulph  post- 
ort'ice  since  the  office  was  first  established  six  years  ago. 

Avery,  Sanford,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  this  town  April  20,  1825.  His  father,  John 
S.,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  town.  Sanford  Avery  married  Clara  Davis, 
who  died,  leaving  two  children,  Ella  M.  and  Albert  F.  He  married  second  Harriet  E. 
True.  Mr.  Avery  has  a  dairy  and  fruit  farm,  and  ships  berries  to  different  markets  and 
to  New  York. 

Allen,  W.  D.,  Frankfort,  one  of  six  children  of  James  K.  and  Nancy  E.  (Sherwood) 
Allen,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Norwich,  N.  Y.,  November  25,  1857.  Isaac  Allen,  the 
grandfather,  was  born  in  New  York  city ;  Nancy  E.  Sherwood,  the  mother,  was  born 


i 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  »9 

at  Guilford,  N.  T.,  her  father,  William  Sherwood,  having  been  born  in  Connecticut. 
William  D.  Allen  left  his  native  town  when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  going  into  the 
railroad  business,  first  with  the  New  York,  Ontario  and  Western  Railroad,  coming  from 
there  to  the  West  Shore  Railroad  shops  office  at  Frankfort.  He  advanced  to  the  posi- 
tion of  chief  clerk  of  motive  power  and  rolling  stock,  and  has  occupied  that  position 
to  the  present  time. 

Avery,  William  W.  Litchfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  November 
9,  1818,  a  son  of  John  S.,  who  came  from  Preston,  Conn.,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  this  town.  He  married  Apphia  P.  Remington.  John  S.  Avery  died  De- 
cember 28,  1878,  aged  eighty-seven  years.  He  left  eight  children,  of  whom  seven  are 
living.  William  W.  married  Bmeline  Hopson,  and  they  have  ten  children  living  : 
Apphia  J.,  Elva  F.,  Frances  E.,  Erford  H.,  William  M.,  Edward  H.,  Annette  L.,  John 
S.,  Nellie  M.  and  Dollie  N.  John  S.  married  Cora  B.  Doremus,  and  they  reside  on  the 
old  homestead. 

Abeel,  J.  W.,  Ohio,  was  born  December  7,  1855,  in  Ohio,  N.  Y.  His  father  was  Al- 
bert, a  son  of  David  Abeel,  a  native  of  Greene  county,  born  in  1795.  The  wife  of 
David  Abeel  was  Gertrude  Myers,  and  they  had  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Mr. 
Abeel  came  to  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1844,  and  his  wife  in  1867  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five  years.  Albert  Abeel  was  born  in  Greene  county  in  1812  and  came  to  Ohio  with 
his  parents.  September  16,  1841,  he  married  Mary  Snyder,  a  native  of  Greene  county, 
born  in  1820.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Jonas  and  Rhoda  Snyder.  To  Albert  and  wife 
were  born  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  He  was  a  farmer  and  hotel  proprietor,  and 
for  many  years  he  also  carried  on  the  mercantile  business.  He  was  a  Republican  in 
politics,  supervisor  sixteen  years,  justice  of  peace  twelve  years  and  assessor  a  number 
of  years.  He  died  December  18,  1891,  and  his  wife  resides  with  J.  W.  The  latter 
was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  in  Utica  Business  Col- 
lege. In  1890  he  married  Viola,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Catherine  Richards,  of  Ohio. 
Mr.  Abeel  is  a  farmer  and  continues  his  father's  mercantile  business.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  was  supervisor  three  years  in  succession.  He  is  a  member  of  Ohio  Grange, 
No.  686,  and  is  a  supporter  of  the  Methodist  church.  Jonas  Snyder  came  to  Ohio  and 
resided  a  short  time,  then  went  to  Greene  county,  where  his  wife  died.  He  then  went 
to  live  with  his  daughter,  and  there  died.  They  had  one  son  and  two  daughters.  Mr. 
Snyder  was  in  the  war  of  1812. 

Ackler,  John  A.,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Columbia  July  29,  1853,  and  settled  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives  m  1867.  He  married  Belle,  daughter  of  Elijah  Manning,  of 
Columbia.  John  A.  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Ackler,  a  native  of  Columbia,  and  he  was  a  son 
of  Jacob,  who  came  to  Columbia  from  Danube  with  his  father,  Leonard  Ackler,  who 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  entering  the  army  »t  the  age  of  sixteen.  His  parents 
were  German  and  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Danube.  Jacob  Ackler,  grandfather 
of  John  A.,  had  seven  children:  Jacob  jr.,  David,  Deborah,  Dorathy,  Mary,  Phillip 
and  Emily  Ackler.     All  are  living  in  this  county. 

Angell,  M.  D.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Otsego  county  Stptcmber  7,  1848,  and 
spent  the  first  twelve  years  of  his  life  on  the  farm.     He  came  to  Ilion,  and  after  fol- 


150  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

lowing  various  pursuits  established  himself  in  the  undertaking  business  in  1888.  He 
was  chief  of  police  in  Ilion  for  one  year  and  is  a  Republ'can  in  politics.  His  father 
was  F.  C.  Angell,  an  artist,  and  his  grandfather  came  from  Connecticut. 

Blatchley,  James  W.,  Warren,  was  born  where  he  now  lives  May  20,  1842,  and  is  a 
son  of  Seeley  and  Anna  (Webb^  Blatchley.  His  grandfather  was  James  and  his  great- 
grandfather Seele)'  Blatchley,  who  came  from  Connecticut.  The  subject's  grandfather  was 
born  in  Saratoga  county  and  came  to  Warren  with  his  parents.  He  evened  six  or  seven 
hundred  acres  of  land.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Keeler,  who  bore  him  six  children. 
The  subject's  father  was  born  in  Warren  in  1808,  where  he  died  in  July,  1889;  his 
widow  survives.  She  was  born  March  16,  1816,  and  bore  him  three  children:  James 
W.,  Ceylon  E.  and  Francis  M.  He  left  a  farm  of  300  acres.  James  W.  Blatchley  re- 
ceived an  academic  education,  and  has  carried  on  dairying  and  hop  raising  as  a  special 
feature.  He  has  also  been  engaged  for  ten  years  in  the  agricultural  implement  busines.x. 
He  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  .supervisor  and  justice  in  a  Democratic  town.  He 
married,  February  25,  1876,  Ella,  daughter  of  John  and  Polly  (Shaul)  Wickoff,  who 
bore  him  one  child,  Ella,  who  died  at  fourteen.  Mrs.  Blatchley  died  March  IG,  1877. 
She  was  a  Baptist. 

Bloorafield,  Charles  W.,  Warren,  was  born  where  he  now  resides  December  25,  1851, 
a  son  of  Allen  and  Rosalinda  (Bell")  Bloomfield.  His  grandfather  was  Joseph  and  his 
great-grandfather  Jonathan,  who  came  from  Connecticut  and  settled  on  the  farm  where 
our  subject  now  lives,  and  which  has  been  in  the  possession  of  the  family  since.  Joseph 
Bloomfield  was  born  July  10,  1790,  married  Hannah  Abbott,  and  died  July  26,  1862  ; 
she  died  December  17,  1887.  Allen  Bloomfield  was  born  April  24,  1821,  and  received 
an  academic  education.  He  followed  farming  until  1872,  when  he  moved  to  Richfield 
Springs,  where  he  has  been  prominently  engaged  in  important  business  enterprises. 
He  was  twice  married.  Charles  W.  Bloorafield  received  an  academic  education  and  in 
1876  settled  upon  the  homestead.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has  held  town  offices.  He 
married,  October  12,  1876,  Libbie,  daughter  of  John  and  Caroline  (Filkins)  McReady 
of  Stark.  They  have  two  children :  Allen  J.  and  Russell  W.  Mrs.  Bloomfield  is  a 
Universal  ist. 

Bennett,  William,  Norway,  was  born  in  Newport  July  23,  1834.  His  father  was 
Hiram  Bennett,  a  son  of  Joshua  Bennett,  who  came  from  New  England  at  an  early 
date  and  settled  in  Ohio  where  he  died.  Hiram  Bennett  came  with  his  father  to  Ohio 
and  here  his  life  was  spent.  He  married  Almira  Churchill  of  Deerfield.  She  bore  him 
six  children.  By  his  second  wife,  Lydia  Cavenaugh  he  had  five.  The  death  of  Mr. 
Bennett  occurred  in  1861,  and  that  of  his  wife  in  1891.  Wm.  Bennett  married  Emily 
I.  Warner,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  by  whom  he  had  six  children,  two  of  whom  are 
living,  Gary  and  Olie.  Mr.  Bennett  is  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  runs  a  saw-mill.  He 
has  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Ohio,  but  during  the  last  eight  years  has  resided  in  Norway. 
In  1884  he  purchased  the  Black  Creek  Western  Mill.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has  been 
clerk  of  Ohio  three  years.     He  and  wife  are  Methodists. 

Brooks,  Fred,  Ohio,  a  native  of  England,  was  born  April  10,  1845.  His  father, 
Charles  Brook-i,  was  a  manufacturer  of  woolen  goods,  and  his  wife  was  Ann  Pugson,  by 


Family  sketches.  i5i 

whom  he  had  six  sons  and  seven  daughters.  In  1849  Mr.  Brool<s  caire  to  America  and 
settled  in  Vermont,  where  he  remained  a  short  time,  then  went  to  Massachusetts.  He 
soon  returned  to  Vermont  ancf  there  remained  until  1855,  when  he  moved  to  Utica. 
In  1857  he  went  to  Little  Falls,  and  was  foreman  in  one  department  of  the  Mohawk 
Woolen  Mills,  He  went  to  Ohio  and  lived  three  years,  and  then  went  to  New  Albany, 
Ind.,  where  he  died  December  23,  1891,  and  his  wife  died  February  7,  1890.  Fred 
Brooks  was  raised  in  Utica  and  in  Little  Fall.=,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools. 
February  3,  1864,  he  enlisted  ni  the  Second  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania  and  the  Wilderness,  and  was 
wounded  and  in  the  hospital  six  weeks.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Brooks  returned 
to  Ohio,  where  he  has  since  resided.  July  3,  1869,  he  married  Annie  Ashman  of  Ohio, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mary  Ashman,  natives  of  Germany.  Mrs.  Ashman  died  Febru- 
ary IG,  1870.  Mr.  Ashman  now  resides  at  Cold  Brook.  Fred  Brooks  and  wife  have 
two  children  :  Cora  L.,  who  married  James  P.  Nellis;  and  Everett  W.  Mr.  Brooks  is 
a  Democrat  and  has  been  coUeolor,  overseer  of  the  poor,  and  highway  commissioner. 
He  is  a  member  of  Ohio  Grange  No.  686. 

Bellinger.  John,  Norway,  was  born  in  Remsen  September  15,  1820.  He  is  a  son  of 
Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Ingersoll)  Bellinger,  who  reared  three  children.  Mrs.  Bellinger 
died  and  Mr.  Bellinger  married  Julia  Dibble,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children.  Jacob 
Bellinger  was  born  in  Oppenheim.  and  afterwards  settled  in  Bellingertown,  in  Remsen, 
the  former  named  in  honor  of  his  uncle  and  father.  During  the  latter  years  of  his  life, 
Mr.  Bellinger  lived  with  the  subject  in  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1874.  John  Bellinger 
was  reared  on  a  farm.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  six  years  of  age,  and  since  the 
age  of  nine  years  he  has  supported  himself.  In  1848  he  married  Lydia  Anthony,  by 
whom  he  has  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mr.  Bellinger  owns  130  acres  of  land.  He 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  In  1884  Mrs.  Bellinger  died  and  he  married  Lizzie  Mullen  of 
Crogan,  Jefferson  county.     He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

Brown,  Edward  A.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  at  Turin,  Lewis  county,  N.  Y.,  October 
30,  1848.  He  received  an  academic  education  and  studied  law  with  his  father,  the 
Hon.  E.  A.  Brown,  county  judge  of  Lewis  county,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  law 
by  the  first  general  term  which  sat  at  Rochester,  September  3,  1871.  After  practicing 
his  profession  in  Lowville  for  some  time,  he  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Samuel 
Earl  and  Judge  George  W.  Smith,  of  Herkimer,  the  firm  being  known  as  Earl,  Smith 
&  Brown.  This  firm  continued  till  July  1,  1876,  and  did  a  very  large  business.  Then 
Mr.  Brown  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Judge  Mitchell,  of  Herkimer,  which  continued 
till  the  spring  of  1887.  Mr.  Brown  came  to  Dolgeville  in  1890.  He  does  a  large  busi- 
ness here,  having  charge  of  Alfred  Dolge's  transactions  in  this  line.  In  1888  Mr. 
Brown  was  a  presidential  elector  for  Harrison  and  Morton. 

Budlong,  Capt.  A.  J.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  December  2, 
1844,  but  removed  to  Frankfort,  Herkimer  county,  at  an  early  age.  He  was  in  the 
'bus  business  seven  years,  after  which  he  was  conductor  on  a  Wagner  car  for  some 
time.  He  then  bought  a  steam  packet  and  has  run  it  on  the  canal  ever  since.  In  1863 
he  married  Minerva  J.  Harris,  of  Frankfort.     He  has  been  captain  of  the  Thirty-first 


152  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

Separate  Company  N.  G.  S.  N.  Y.  since  1884.     Captain  Budlong  is  a  prominent  Mason 
and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Birmingham. 

Baker,  Albert,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Spring6eld,  Mass.,  October  15,  1818.  He 
learned  his  trade  in  Chicopee  Falls  and  came  to  Ilion  in  1847.  He  has  been  a  contrac- 
tor in  the  Armory  for  over  forty  years  and  has  charge  of  the  forging  done  in  the  works. 
Mr.  Baker  married  Julia  Mannmg,  by  whom  he  had  one  son,  Franklin  A.,  who  married 
a  Miss  Davenport.  Franklin  A.  Baker  died  in  1888,  leaving  four  sons.  Mr.  Baker  is 
largely  interested  in  orange  groves  in  Florida, 

Burton,  David,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Deerfield,  October  12,  1811,  and  was  a 
farmer  all  his  life,  till  he  retired  a  few  years  ago.  He  lived  forty  years  in  Frankfort. 
His  father  was  Nathan  Burton.  In  1841  Mr.  Burton  married  Rosina  Whitney,  and 
has  one  son,  Nathan.  His  wife  died  about  forty  years  ago.  Mr.  Burton  is  one  of  the 
sterling  old  men  of  Herkimer  county  and  holds  the  highest  esteem  and  fullest  con- 
fidence of  all  classes. 

Ball,  Howard  H.,  a  farmer,  also  town  clerk  of  Litchfield  for  the  second  term,  was 
born  on  the  farm,  where  he  now  live.s,  May  12,  1856,  and  married  Elisabeth  Fish,  of 
Frankfort.  They  have  two  children  :  Florence  A.  and  Felda.  Howard  H.  Ball,  a  son 
of  Hartley  Ball,  was  also  town  clerk,  and  was  born  on  the  farm  occupied  and  owned 
by  his  son,  Howard  H.  Hartley  Ball  was  a  son  of  Captain  Joseph  Ball,  who  came  from 
one  of  the  Eastern  States  when  a  boy  with  his  father,  who  settled  on  this  farm  when 
the  country  was  new.  He  was  appointed  captain  and  served  in  a  military  company. 
He  died  in  1872,  aged  ninety-four  years.  Elisabeth  Ball  was  a  daughter  of  Samuel  P. 
Fish,  formerly  a  resident  of  this  town,  and  supervisor  of  Litchfield. 

Ball,  Elias  B.,  Litchfield,  a  farmer  and  grocer,  has  been  overseer  of  the  poor,  county 
commissioner  of  highways,  collector,  and  assessor  of  the  town  of  Litchfield,  where  he 
was  born  February  23,  1808.  He  is  a  son  John  Ball,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  ;  he 
was  one  of  four  brothers,  Nathaniel,  David,  Joseph  and  John  A.,  who  came  here  the 
next  year  after  the  first  settler,  Elijah  Snow,  who  settled  this  town  in  178G.  Elias  B. 
Ball  married  first  Fanny,  daughter  of  Kellup  Holden.  She  died  leaving  four  children  : 
Horatio  G.,  Varnum,  Adelia,  and  Celioe  L.  He  married  second  Mary  Ann  Wilken,son, 
by  whom  he  has  four  sons  and  one  daughter  living,  Ira  E.,  Alfred  J.,  Sarah  D.,  Eli 
J.  and  Daniel  E.  Mrs.  Ball  is  a  daughter  of  Ira  Wilkenson,  one  of  the  prominent  men 
of  this  town. 

Barne.s,  Deacon  Charles,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Ghent,  Columbia  county,  March  26, 
1802,  and  February  18,  1830,  married  Maria  Ludlow  in  the  town  of  Austerlitz,  Colum- 
bia county,  N.  Y.  April,  1831,  they  removed  to  Jerusalem  Hill,  Herkimer  county,  and 
in  1837  he  settled  on  the  farm  where  his  son  George  now  resides.  When  he  came  to 
Litchfield  his  brother,  David  Barnes,  was  pastor  of  the  church  at  Norwich  Corners  from 
1830  to  1835,  and  in  1836  David  removed  to  Oneida  Lake,  Madison  county,  where  he 
died  September  5,  1890,  aged  ninety-three  years.  Charles  Barnes  had  four  sons: 
James,  Richard,  Charles  and  George,  all  living.  The  oldest,  James  L.,  was  a  member 
of  Company  E.,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  New  York  Volunteers,  enlisting  Sep- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  153 

tember  C,  1862.  He  was  discharged  June  15,  18G5,  having  attained  the  rank  of  ser- 
geant. He  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Spotsylvania  Court-house.  May  12, 
1864  ;  was  crippled  for  life.  Two  of  the  sons,  James  and  George,  live  in  Litchfield. 
Richard  resides  at  Fowler,  Neb.  Charles  lives  at  Sauquoit,  Oneida  county.  Charles 
Barnes  was  appointed  deacon  of  the  Norwich  Corners  Congregational  Church  in  1838. 
His  first  wife,  Maria  Ludlow,  died  October  31,  18.57,  and  on  July  13,  1859,  he  married 
Mrs.  Maria  Strong,  of  Lenox,  Madison  county,  N.  T.  Deacon  Charles  Barnes  died  June 
28,  1883.  His  second  wife,  Maria  Strong,  died  January  28,  1888.  Two  of  the  sons 
are  married.  Charles  married  Flora  Johnson,  of  Sauquoit,  January  18,  1863,  they 
have  four  children.  George  married  Ellen  Chappell,  of  Schuyler's  Lake,  September 
20,  1871.     They  have  one  daughter,  Ida. 

Brown,  Philip  H.,  Winfield,  is  president  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  West 
Winfield  school  and  academy,  also  trustee  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  president 
of  the  West  Winfield  Cemetery  Association.  He  was  supervisor  for  the  years  1884, 
1885  and  1886.  He  was  born  in  this  town  January  15,  1848,  married  Nettie  L. 
Green,  and  they  have  three  children :  Daisy  P.,  Goldie  M.  and  Harry  P.  They  lost 
one  son,  Fred  J.,  who  died  April  17,  1879.  Philip  H.  is  a  son  of  James  Brown,  who 
was  born  in  this  town,  a  son  of  Philip  Brown,  who  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  settled  here  at  an  early  day.  Mrs.  Nettie  L.  Brown  was  a  daughter  of  James 
P.  Green,  a  native  here,  and  a  son  of  William,  who  came  to  this  town  soon  after  his 
marriage  and  settled.  His  original  homestead  is  owned  by  his  grandchildren:  Will- 
iam J.  Green  and  Mrs.  Nettie  L    Brown. 

Beckwith,  E.  D.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Columbia  and  educated  in  the 
district  schools  and  prepared  to  enter  college  in  the  Winfield  and  Little  Falls  academies. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-six  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  afterwards  was  school 
commissioner  for  Herkimer  county.  He  followed  farming  until  the  age  of  thirty,  then 
through  endorsing  paper  became  interested  in  the  tannery  business,  which  he  has  since 
conducted.  He  employs  about  fifty  hand.s.  He  is  a  popular  speaker  in  presidential 
campaigns.  Mi-.  Beckwith's  ancestors  are  of  Revolutionary  fame  and  have  been  for 
several  generations  successively  members  of  the  Legislature,  besides  holding  other  pub 
lie  ofilces  of  note.  His  grandfather,  Alijah  Beckwith,  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  served 
three  terms  in  the  Legislature  and  was  from  six  to  eight  years  in  the  Senate.  His 
father  was  also  in  the  Legislature  and  was  presidential  elector  at  the  time  of  Lincoln's 
nomination.  Mr.  Beckwith  is  at  present  one  of  the  Cleveland  delegates  to  Chicago. 
He  married  Miss  E.  Robinson  of  this  State,  by  whom  he  has  had  three  children,  one  of 
whom,  J.  D.  Beckwith,  is  a  graduate  of  Cornell  University  and  a  now  prominent  law- 
yer of  this  village.     The  other  two  are  daughters. 

Bliss,  Alvin,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Cortland  county,  February  24,  1828,  and  came  to 
Winfield  at  eight  years  of  age,  where  he  has  since  lived  ;  excepting  two  years  spent  in 
Australia.  He  came  to  his  present  farm  in  1862.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  Bliss,  who 
married  Martha  daughter  of  Captain  Lawton.  Alvin  Bliss  married  Sarah  A.,  daughter 
of  Edward  and  Pamelia  (Curtis)  Wilcox,  January  9.  1802.  They  have  one  son,  Henry 
E.,  born  November  12,  1862,  who  married  September  6,  1883,  Josephine,  daughter  of 
Welcome  and  Deborah  (Peck)  Manchester,  who  was  born  May  3,  1863. 


154  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Brown,  Arthur  T.,  Litchfield,  is  a  farmer  and  owns  and  works  about  150  acres.  He 
was  born  in  the  house  in  which  he  now  lives,  July  15,  1857.  He  married  Lilhe  M. 
Day  of  Frankfort  and  they  have  one  child,  Barl  W.  Arthur  T.  Brown,  is  a  member  of 
Sauquoit  Lodge,  No.  150,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  of  the  North  Litchfield  Grange,  and  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Litchfield.  For  two  years  was  su{erintendent  of  the  (Jtica  Dairy 
Farm.  His  father  was  Emerson,  and  he  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Brown,  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, who  settled  his  farm  about  1791,  the  deed  being  in  the  possession  of  Arthur 
T.  Brown. 

Brown,  H.  Clark,  Winfield,  operates  a  gri.-Jt-mill  and  is  a  dealer  in  feed,  flour  and 
grain.  He  was  born  in  this  town  April  20,  1828  a  son  of  Hiram  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  this  town,  and  a  son  of  Eleazer,  one  of  the  first  settlers  here.  The  latter 
was  a  native  of  Plainfield,  Conn.,  and  a  son  of  Peleg  Brown  of  Connecticut.  H. 
Clark  Brown  married  Alice  A.,  daughter  of  William  Stewart  of  this  town,  and 
they  have  three  children  :  Alice  L.,  Charles  H.  and  Sherman  W.  Alice  L.  was  edu- 
cated at  West  Winfield  Academy  and  Houghton  Seminary  at  Clinton.  She  iDar- 
ried  J.  A.  Rafter,  M.  D.,  of  Holton,  Kan.,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Lodema  A. 
Charles  H.  Brown  was  educated  at  the  Winfield  Academy,  and  then  at  the  Hunger- 
ford  Collegiate  Institute  at  Adams,  N.  Y.  He  read  law  with  Mills  &  Palmer  of  Little 
Falls,  and  is  now  practicing  law  at  Belmont.  He  is  serving  his  second  term  as  district 
attorney  of  Allegany  county.  He  married  Alice  Smith  of  Adams,  and  they  have  two 
sons,  Charles  H.  Jr.,  and  Harold  S.  Sherman  W.  Brown  was  educated  at  Winfield 
Academy  and  at  Hamilton  College.  He  graduated  at  the  latter  place  and  spent  three 
years  at  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  and  is  in  his  third  year  in  the  University  of  Ber- 
lin, Germany. 

Bardin,  Park  M.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Plainfield,  June  13,  1848,  and  settled  in 
Winfield  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  in  1856.  It  consists  of  150  acres.  It  is  a 
dairy  and  grain  farm  and  is  part  of  that  formerly  owned  by  Col.  Newton  A.  Wilcox, 
who  was  the  largest  dairy  farmer  of  his  time,  keeping  one  hundred  cows.  He  was 
born  on  this  farm  where  his  father,  John  Wilcox,  settled.  Mr.  Bardin  married, 
October  Ki,  18G9,  Fannie  S.  Brigham,  of  Westmoreland,  Oneida  county.  They  have 
three  children  :  Edith  L.,  Earl  C.  and  Ward  N.  Park  M.  Bardin  is  a  son  of  Seth 
Bardin,  who  was  born  in  Plainfield  but  settled  on  this  farm  in  1856,  and  he  was  a 
son  of  Seth  Bardin  also. 

Baker,  Herbert  E.,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler,  and  was  born  August  15,  1852. 
He  married  Agnes  Wilraot  in  1878,  and  they  have  three  sons  and  a  daughter.  Mr. 
Baker  was  educated  in  Whitestown  and  Fulton  Seminary.  His  father  was  Albert  and 
his  grandfather  was  Hiram  Baker. 

Barrett,  Murtis  A.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Oppenheim  September  4,  1868.  He  was 
educated  in  the  Oppenheim  ."(chool  and  the  Fairfield  Academy,  and  worked  with  his 
father,  Patrick  Barrett,  on  the  farm  in  Oppenheim  until  1889,  then  for  two  years  he 
worked  at  the  brick  business  in  the  east.  In  November,  1891,  he  established  his  pres- 
ent liquor  business  in  Dolgeville,  which  he  has  since  successfully  conducted. 


FAMILY   SKETCHES.  155 

Baker,  Hiram  V.,  Schuyler,  was  born  on  the  farm  he  now  owns,  October  26,  1822. 
His  father,  Hiram  Baker,  was  born  February  21,  1800,  and  died  in  1887.  His  grand- 
father, George  Baker,  came  from  Ireland  in  the  last  century  and  his  grandmother 
from  Rhode  Island,  In  1847  Mr.  Baker  married  M.  E  Bridenbecker,  daughter  of 
Jacob  Bridenbecker,  a  descendant  of  an  old  Mohawk  Dutch  family.  Mr.  Baker  is 
one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Schuyler  and  has  been  highway  commissioner  and 
assessor  of  the  town.  His  father  was  school  commissioner  and  clerk  of  the  dis- 
trict for  many  years. 

Burch,  Frederick,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler,  born  February  9,  1830.  He 
owns  a  farm  of  138  acres  and  raises  grass  and  dry  stock.  He  has  been  town  clerk 
three  terras  and  exc'se  commissioner.  In  1860  Mr.  Burch  married  Mary  Sterling,  and 
they  have  four  children,  one  son  and  three  daughters.  Lovell,  father  of  Frederick, 
was  a  native  of  Massachusetts. 

Brown,  William,  Russia,  was  born  in  Whitesboro,  Oneida  county,  in  October,  1839. 
He  was  reared  by  Elias  Stanton,  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Gravesville,  N,  T.  In 
1859  he  married  Martha  Wilkins,  a  native  of  England,  born  in  1842,  and  a  daughter  of 
Matthew  and  Elizabeth  (Howell)  Wilkins,  natives  of  England.  They  had  four  daugh- 
ters and  two  sons.  In  1847  Mr.  Wilkins  and  family  came  to  America,  settling  in  Utica, 
N.  Y.  Mr.  Wilkins  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  died  in  1888.  His  wife  died  in 
1877.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  had  four  children,  Cora,  Ida,  Frederick  and  Fannie, 
all  of  whom  are  living.  Cora  married  Stephen  Agne,  of  Utica,  and  Ida  married  Will- 
lam  Robinson,  of  Russia.  When  young,  Mr.  Brown  worked  on  a  farm  and  attended 
the  public  schools.  For  eleven  years  he  worked  on  the  New  York  Central  Railroad, 
and  afterwards  for  six  years  he  worked  in  the  oil  wells  of  Franklin,  Pa.  He  now 
works  on  a  farm  in  Russia.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Russia  Grange  and 
of  the  Baptist  church  of  Russia.     Mr.  Brown  is  a  Democrat. 

Bennett,  Howard  M.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  this  town,  in  the  village  of  Deck,  in 
1840.  His  father,  Michael  Lockwood  Bennett,  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  seven 
of  whom  are  living.  Howard  M.  Bennett  went  West  early  in  life  and  was  engaged  in 
farming  for  some  time.  In  1864  he  returned  to  Salisbury  Center,  and  afterward  fol- 
lawed  his  trade  in  Ilion  for  ten  years.  About  fifteen  years  ago  he  entered  the  employ 
of  A.  Dolge,  and  is  now  foreman  of  the  planing-mill  and  box  shop.  Mr.  Bennett  is  a 
skillful  workman  and  is  identified  with  various  local  societies. 

Burns,  M.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Fairfield  September  20,  1868.  After  living  on 
his  father's  farm  at  Shell's  Bush  for  some  time  he  came  to  Mohawk  and  spent  seven 
seven  years  in  the  livery  business  there.  He  then  came  to  Ilion  and  bought  out  the 
leading  livery  stable  in  1892,  which  he  now  conducts.     He  is  an  active  Democrat. 

Baker,  J.  C,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Sheffield,  England,  December  9,  1836.  He 
came  to  America  in  1845  and  learned  his  trade  in  Waterville,  Conn.,  afterwards  moving 
to  Winsted,  Conn.  He  came  to  Ilion  in  1861,  and  has  been  in  the  armory  ever  since, 
having  been  contractor  for  several  years,  and  latterly  being  with  the  typewriter  works. 
In  1855  he  married  Augusta  Truman,  and  their  children  are:  John  T.  Baker, jr.,  Mrs. 
I.  A.  Chatteway,  and  Annette,  who  is  at  home. 


156  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Bronson,  0.  W.,  G-erman  Flats,  was  born  in  Warren,  Herkimer  county,  April  12, 
1818,  and  was  at  first  a  carriage-maker  and  then  a  farmer.  He  is  now  interested  in 
the  Mohawk  Knitting  Mills,  and  was  president  o(  the  street  railways  for  ten  years. 
He  now  live«  retired.  In  1851  he  married  Miss  E.  G.  Harter,  and  they  have  two 
children,  Arthur  W.  and  Mrs.  Rev.  J.  B.  Brundell.  Mr.  Bronson  has  been  justice  of 
the  peace  and  justice  of  th<^  sessions  many  years. 

Briggs,  Nathan,  German  Flats,  popularly  kiiown  as  Nate  Briggs,  was  born  in  Gal- 
way,  Saratoga  county,  July  8,  1832.  He  has  been  prominently  identified  with  leading 
hotels  for  many  years,  and  is  the  present  proprietor  of  the  Briggs  House.  Hion.  He  is 
and  has  been  United  States  marshal  for  many  years.  He  has  been  deputy  sheriff  and 
postmaster  at  Sprakers,  N.  Y.,  and  filled  other  responsible  positions.  Mr.  Briggs  mar- 
ried Urella  Krouse,  and  by  her  had  a  son,  Fernando  C,  and  a  daughter,  now  Mrs.  J. 
H.  Gammond.     Mr.  Briggs  married  second  in  1886  Agnes  C.  Bevens. 

Boyce,  John,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Ohio  March  10,  1858.  His  father  was  David  Boyce, 
and  he  was  a  son  of  Henry  Boyce,  whose  father  was  Elias.  Henry  was  born  in  Co- 
lumbia county,  where  he  lived  and  died.  He  was  drafted  in  the  war  of  1812.  His 
wife  was  Catharine  Rowe,  by  whom  he  had  two  children.  David  Boyce  was  born  in 
Columbia  founty  in  1818,  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  has  always  followed  farming.  His 
wife  was  Betsey  Garrison,  of  Columbia  county,  and  they  had  four  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. Three  of  the  sons  were  in  the  late  war,  Henry,  David  E.  and  George.  Henry 
enlisted  in  the  Eighty-first  New  York  Volunteers,  Company  C,  in  1861,  serving  a  short 
time.  David  E.  enlisted  in  the  same  company  in  1862  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  was  in  Salisbury  prison  about  one  year,  which  caused  his  death  in  1865. 
George  enlisted  in  1863  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  wounded  in 
one  leg  while  doing  picket  duty.  John  Boyce  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in 
the  common  schools.  In  1889  he  married  Ilattie  Well.s,  of  Ohio,  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Rebecca  Wells,  of  Wilmurt,  and  they  have  two  children.  Mr.  Boyce  has  always 
been  a  farmer,  and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat. 

BelHnger,  Steward,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  and  academy  here,  and  has  devoted  his  entire  time  and  attention  since 
that  time  to  his  dairy  farm,  which  contains  193  acres.  He  has  about  forty  head  of 
cattle,  besides  other  stock.  Mr.  Bellinger  is  an  active  and  enthusiastic  member  of  the 
Grange.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  is  identified  with  local,  social 
and  benevolent  institutions.  He  married  Elizabeth  Sponable,  and  they  have  one  child, 
a  son,  living. 

Barse,  Charles  I.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls,  and  although  a  young,  un- 
married man,  represents  substantial  agricultural  interests.  His  father,  Charles  Barse. 
was  also  a  native  and  life-long  resident  of  Little  Falls.  His  mother  is  still  living.  Mr. 
Barse  has  175  acres  of  land  and  a  herd  of  forty  milch  cows.  He  is  a  member  of  ihe 
Grange  and  enterprising  farmer.  The  family  consists  of  four  brothers  and  one  sifter, 
and  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  in  the  county,  the  grandfather  having  settled 
here  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century. 


I 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  167 

Bellinger,  P.  S.,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls  and  has  passed  his  entire  life  here,  being 
now  seventy-three  years  of  age.  He  owns  234  acres  of  land,  all  used  for  dairy  pur- 
poses and  hay.  He  comes  of  an  old  and  well  known  family  of  historic  fame,  his 
grandfather  on  his  mother's  side  having  served  in  the  Revolution,  and  his  father  in  the 
war  of  1812.  Mr.  Bellinger  is  well  known  throughout  this  part  of  the  State,  and  is  a 
Mason,  a  member  of  the  Grange  and  of  the  Royal  Arcanum.  He  has  been  commis- 
sioner of  highways  for  three  years  and  was  assessor  for  three  years.  He  cast  his  first 
vote  against  the  first  Harrison,  and  has  been  a  Democrat  ever  since,  and  has  never 
missed  but  one  town  meeting. 

Broat,  Henry,  Manheim,  was  born  January  9,  1821,  on  the  old  farm  located  on  the 
Salisbury  Plank  Road  in  the  township  of  Manheim,  which  he  still  owns.  His  farm 
contains  200  acres  of  fine  dairy  land,  upon  which  he  keeps  about  forty-five  cows,  twelve 
head  of  horses,  besides  other  stock.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Mary  Doxtater,  and  some 
time  after  her  death  he  married  his  present  wife,  Miss  Margaret  Keller,  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  Keller.  He  has  four  children  living,  all  of  whom  are  married.  Henry  Broat's 
father  served  in  the  war  of  1812  at  Sackett  8  Harbor,  and  his  brother,  Squire  Broat, 
has  settled  on  the  Salisbury  road  not  far  from  the  old  homestead. 

Brockett,  Calvin,  Dolgeville,  was  born  at  Dolgeville,  formerly  called  Brockett's 
Bridge,  July  15,  1854.  His  family  have  been  prominent  here  since  the  War  of  the 
Revolution.  Calvin  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  followed  farming  until 
he  sold  his  farm  to  Alfred  Dolge.  He  married  lone  Kible  and  they  have  three  daugh- 
ters. Mr.  Brockett  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  education,  and  is  identified  with  va- 
rious social  and  benevolent  institutions,  the  Masonic  brotherhood,  etc.  He  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  hard  and  soft  wood  traffic,  and  is  erecting  a  saw-mill  for  the  convenience 
of  his  trade. 

Burney,  J.  Gr.,  Little  Falls.  Before  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  broke  out  there  dwelt 
in  St.  Lawrence  county,  this  State,  a  family  typical  in  every  way  of  the  best  social  and 
national  elements.  Here  were  the  father  and  mother,  and  four  sons  and  two  daughters. 
The  truest  family  t'es  and  sentiments  united  them,  but  when  the  war  broke  out  the 
spirit  of  patriotism  led  the  father  and  eldest  son  to  the  front.  The  son,  then  only 
eighteen  years  of  age,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  His  father,  Thomas  Burney,  took 
sick  at  New  Orleans  and  returned  home  to  die  in  the  forty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  leav- 
ing the  mother  with  the  care  and  support  of  five  young  children.  The  men  and  women 
into  which  these  children  have  grown  are  the  highest  meed  of  praise  that  can  be  given 
her,  but  she  is  a  type  of  the  most  suffering  mothers  of  the  war  times,  whose  names 
shou'd  be  forever  perpetuated.  J.  G.  Burney  enlisted  in  December,  18C3.  and  was  mus- 
tered in  January,  1864,  in  Company  M,  Eighteenth  New  York  Cavalry.  His  regiment 
operated  in  Louisiana  and  Texas,  and  was  kept  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Orleans  for  a  con- 
siderable time.  They  were  paid  off  and  honorably  discharged  at  Galveston,  Texas,  in 
1866.  He  was  mustered  out  as  sergeant.  After  the  war  Mr.  Burney  worked  at  his 
trade  of  wagon-making  for  some  years  and  then  traveled  for  about  ten  years;  two  for 
the  Warrior  Mower  company,  then  for  a  Utica  firm  for  a  time  and  finally  settled  in  Lit- 
tle Falls  in  1885,  and  on  January  1,    1891,  became  a  partner  in   the  firm  of  Buiuey 


156  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Brothers.  Mr.  Burney  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  of  the  Grand  Army. 
He  helped  to  oiganixe  Thomas  Post,  at  Prospect,  and  was  its  commander  for  several 
years.  He  is  a  man  much  esteemed  in  both  social  and  commercial  circles  for  his  many 
qualities  of  head  and  heart. 

Brandon,  Rev.  Peter,  Warren,  came  from  Greene  county,  N.  Y.,  to  a  place  near 
Schuyler's  Lake,  and  thence  to  Cramer's  Corners,  Herkimer  county.  Most  of  his  time 
was  spent  in  Otsego  county.  He  married  Rebecca  Worden,  by  whom  he  had  five  chil- 
dren :  Sally,  Betsey,  Deborah,  Catharine  and  John  W.  Peter  Brandon  and  his  wife 
died  in  Otsego  county.  John  W.  was  born  near  Schuyler's  Lake,  Otsego  county,  Au- 
gust 11,  1810.  He  was  a  carriage-maker  and  undertaker,  and  served  as  justice  thirty- 
two  years.  He  died  in  Otsego  county,  August  21,  1884.  He  married  Catharine  Counine, 
born  in  Springfield,  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Rebecca  Connine,  natives  of  New  Eng- 
land. John  W.  had  ten  children,  several  of  whom  survived :  Rebecca,  Pmckney,  Ada- 
line,  Marshall,  Ida  Young,  John  W.,  Alfred,  Leroy  J.  and  Amelia  Druse.  The  mother 
still  survives.  John  W.  was  born  in  Springfield,  December  31,  1841.  He  received  a  com- 
mon school  education,  and  at  fourteen  began  to  earn  his  own  living.  In  1868  he  located 
in  Warren  on  thirty-seven  acres,  farming  and  running  a  shop.  In  1871  he  located  in 
Jordanville  and  bought  a  building  which  he  now  runs  as  a  hotel.  He  also  carried  on  a 
wagon,  furniture  and  undertaking  business  up  to  1885,  when  he  converted  the  building 
into  a  hotel,  which  he  ran  for  two  years,  then  sold  out.  He  traveled  two  years  for  a 
patent  wood-filler,  which  he  manufactures,  and  which  is  one  of  the  finest  made.  He  is 
a  Mason  and  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  married  January  6,  1866,  Mariah  Van  Home, 
born  in  Stark,  a  daughter  of  Walter  and  Eliza  (Stoughter")  Van  Home,  and  their  chil- 
dren are  as  follows:  Lena  A.,  Emma,  wife  of  Ellis  D.  Elwood,  and  Ralph  Rodney. 
Walter  Van  llorne  was  born  in  Van  Hornesville,  July  10,  1806.  He  lived  forty  years 
on  his  first  farm,  then  moved  to  Columbia,  remaining  eight  years.  Since  March,  1892, 
he  has  lived  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Brandon.  His  wife  died  in  1873.  They  had  seven 
children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters.  Mr.  Van  Home  was  a  son  of  Richard,  who, 
with  his  brother  Daniel,  built  the  first  mill  where  the  stone  furniture  building  now 
stands  at  Van  Hornesville.  The  present  mill  was  built  by  Cornelius  Van  Home  and 
Acre  Fox.  The  wife  of  Richard  was  Cornelia  Ten  Eycke,  by  whom  he  had  nine  chil- 
dren, seven  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  Richard  was  a  son  of  Abram  Van  Home,  who 
came  from  New  Jersey  before  the  Revolution  and  settled  in  Montgomery  county,  and 
later  was  the  first  settler  in  Van  Hornesville.  He  married  a  Miss  Hough,  by  whom  he 
had  eight  children. 

Bronner,  Walter  I.,  Stark,  was  born  where  he  now  resides,  September  29,  1864,  a  son 
of  Isaac  D.  and  Mary  C.  (Harwick)  Bronner.  The  grandfather,  Daniel,  was  bom  in 
Stark  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  Walter  I.  now  resides,  in  1832,  and  there  he  re- 
sided until  his  death,  June  4,  1858,  aged  sixty-three  years.  He  served  in  the  war 
of  1812,  and  his  father.  Christian,  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  his  father, 
Christian  Bronner,  was  a  native  of  Germany.  Daniel's  wife  was  Catharine  Wager, 
who  died  Dscember  28,  1865,  aged  fifty-nine  years.  They  had  eight  children  :  Oliver, 
Barnard,   Isaac  D.,   Daniel,    Anna  M.,  Dorothy  E.  J.,  Lucy  J.  and  Clarissa.     Isaac  D. 


i 


Family  sketches.  159 

Bronner  was  born  where  Walter  I.  now  reside?,  in  1832,  and  lives  with  his  son,  Walter 
I.  He  had  seven  children:  Catha  L.,  Elmer  E.,  Walter  I.,  Carrie  M.,  M.  Enola, 
Harwick  D.,  F.  Fayette,  all  of  which  are  still  living.  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Bronner,  their 
mother,  died  January  19.  1819.  Five  of  the  children  have  been  school  teachers.  Mr. 
Bronner  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Walter  I.  received  his  education  at 
the  common  schools  and  at  Richfield  Springs,  also  at  Herkimer,  and  at  eighteen  he  be- 
gan teaching  and  has  taught  during  the  winter  ever  since.  At  sixteen  he  began  life  for 
himself.  He  has  followed  cheese-making  for  two  years  at  Van  Hornesville.  Mr.  Bron- 
ner is  a  G-ranger  and  a  Good  Templar,  and  is  active  in  the  temperance  cause.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1889,  he  bought  the  old  homestead,  which  consists  of  107  acres  of  land.  He  is  a 
breeder  of  Jersey  cattle.  The  original  stock  was  the  first  Jerseys  ever  owned  in  the 
county,  brought  here  by  his  father  in  1867  from  New  Jersey.  Mr.  Bronner  is  also  the 
only  breeder  of  Dorset  horned  sheep  in  this  county. 

Bellinger,  Joseph  H.,  Herkimer,  was  born  near  the  village  of  Herkimer  and  has  been 
a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  owns  260  acres  of  land  and  has  forty  milch  cows.  His  father 
was  Henry  Bellinger.  In  1849  Mr.  Bellinger  married  Caroline  Christie,  and  they  have 
three  children,  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  married.  The  sons  are  Charles  P.  and 
Joseph  I.  Mr.  Bellinger  is  at  present  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  town,  and  has  been 
collector.     He  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Grange,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

Bronner,  Alonzo,  Warren,  was  born  in  Warren,  January  11,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of 
Peter  and  Catherine  (House)  Bronner.  His  grandfather,  Frederick,  was  born  in  Stark 
and  after  his  marriage  came  to  Warren.  He  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  died  in 
Stark,  aged  ninety-one  ;  his  wife  died  at  the  house  of  Alonzo.  They  had  ten  children, 
six  of  whom  reached  maturity.  Alonzo  Bronner  has  always  lived  in  Warren,  except 
two  years  in  Stark.  At  twenty-one  he  began  for  himself,  working  by  the  month,  and 
now  owns  the  farm  of  120  acres,  where  he  lives.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  as- 
sessor. He  married  January  22,  1861,  Hannah  M.,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Leah  (Bron- 
ner) Maxfield.  They  had  one  son,  Emery  J.,  who  died  August  17,  18S8,  leavmg  a 
widow. 

Beattie,  William,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  March 
20,  1858.  His  father,  William  Beattie,  was  a  native  of  Dumfrieshire,  Scotland,  who 
came  to  this  country  early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  settled  in  Little  Falls,  where 
he  conducted  a  brewery  for  nearly  thirty  years.  William,  jr.,  was  connected  with  his 
father  in  the  business,  and  after  his  death  succeeded  to  the  property,  which  had  been, 
in  1883,  transformed  to  a  hotel,  the  brewery  being  discontinued  at  that  date.  Mr. 
Beattie  is  now  an  extensive  real  estate  owner,  besides  being  the  possessor  of  consider- 
able other  property.  He  owns  the  Beattie  House,  as  well  as  many  desirable  residences; 
also  a  roller  rink,  which  is  situated  upon  very  valuable  land  on  Main  street.  He  mar- 
ried Libbie  M.  Keller. 

Brown,  Jacob  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Oppenheim,  Fulton  county.  May  9,  18-)6. 
His  earlier  years  were  spent  on  a  farm.  He  kept  a  meat  market  m  Dolgeville  for  eight 
years ;  then  for  two  years  he  was  located  at  Ingham's  Mills,  engaged  in  the  sewing 


160  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

machine  business.  Then  for  a  time  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Warren  Machine  Com- 
pany, of  Little  Falls.  Mr.  Brovn  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  Central  Railroad 
company,  with  whom  he  remained  fourteen  years,  filling  many  important  position.";,  such 
as  conductor,  train  dispatcher,  detective,  etc.  Mr.  Brown  is  at  present  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  in  Little  Falls.  He  also  owns  two  dair}'  farms  near  Dolgeville.  He  is 
a  member  of  several  local  .social  and  benevolent  institutions.  Mr.  Brown  has  a  family 
of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

Benedict,  Charles,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  1827  in  German  Flats,  and  for  a  period 
of  fifty  years  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  carriages.  He  began  the 
business  in  1844,  and  located  in  Little  Falls  in  1850.  His  business  life  has  been  a  pro- 
nounced success.  He  owns  the  large  brick  block  on  the  comer  of  Mary  and  JIain 
streets,  where  his  factory  is  located,  as  well  as  a  handsome  residence  on  Mary  street, 
and  other  valuable  property  Jlr.  Benedict  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  public  affairs, 
and  has  served  on  the  school  board  twelve  years  successively,  and  nine  years  on  the  vil- 
lage board.  Mr.  Benedict  began  the  manufacture  of  carriages  twenty-five  years  before 
the  introduction  of  machine-made  vehicles,  and  has  shipped  his  carriages  all  over  the 
Union  and  into  Europe. 

Bailey,  Squire,  superintendent  of  the  Little  Falls  Knitting  Mills,  is  a  native  of  Batley, 
England,  and  a  son  of  the  president  of  these  mills.  He  came  to  America  with  his  father 
when  a  child,  thirty-five  years  ago.  He  was  born  June  8,  1854.  He  learned  the  knit- 
ting trade  in  Utica,  and  came  here  when  the  Little  Falls  mills  were  being  built,  working 
on  them  from  the  foundation  up,  and  then  in  them  ever  since.  In  1886  he  was  appointed 
superintendent.  Mr.  Bailey  is  highly  popular  with  all  classes,  and  has  held  the  office 
of  alderman.     He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Elks,  and  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity. 

Bonsfield,  John  C,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia  November  7,  1867,  and  was  reared 
on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  public  schools.  In  1891  he  married  Minnie  Roberts,  a 
native  of  Russia  and  daughter  of  David  and  Sarah  (Grove)  Roberts.  Mr.  Bonsfield  was 
a  farmer  until  1887,  when  he  engaged  as  clerk  with  French  &  Ross  of  Northwood,  and 
was  with  them  three  years.  He  then  purchased  the  store  and  has  since  been  proprietor 
and  carries  a  general  line  of  groceries,  dry  goods,  drugs,  etc.  He  is  a  Democrat  and 
has  been  justice  of  the  peace  one  year.  John  0.  was  a  son  of  Christopher,  who  was  a 
son  of  John,  a  son  of  William  Bonsfield,  a  native  of  Westmoreland.  His  wife  was  Miss 
Shaw.  John  Bonsfield  was  a  native  of  England  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1832. 
His  wife  was  Sarah  Grove,  a  native  of  Worcester,  England,  and  they  had  three  sons 
and  two  daughters.  He  first  settled  in  Madison  county  and  married  Clara  Ashley,  a 
native  of  Chatham,  and  daughter  of  Russell  D.  and  Sarah  (Gale)  Ashley.  Sarah, 
youngest  daughter  of  John  Bonsfield,  now  resides  on  the  farm  settled  by  her  father. 
She  married  John  D.  Jones,  a  native  of  Wales.  Mr.  Jones  was  thirteen  years  old  when 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  America.  He  died  in  1888.  By  his  first  wife  Mr.  Jones 
had  nine  children. 

Christman,  Nicholas,  Herkimer,  is  probably  the  oldest  resident  of  Herkimer  county. 
He  was  born  September  1,  1803.  He  was  first  a  carpenter  and  joiner  and  afterwards 
a  farmer,  which  he  has  been  for  fifty-six  years.     He  owns  sixty  acres  of  land  and 


I 


I 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  161 

thirteen  milch  cows,  and  does  dairy  farming.  He  has  been  commissioner  of  highways. 
In  1829  he  married  Hannah  WoUver,  and  they  have  eight  children  living,  6ve  of  whom 
are  married  and  three  are  yet  home.  Mr.  Christman's  greatest  pride  is  that  his  family 
has  always  been  most  agreeable  and  congenial.  His  grandfather,  John  Christraan,  took 
an  active  part  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  was  in  the  burning  of  the  old  mill  in 
Little  Falls,  by  the  Indians  and  Tories. 

Coonradt,  A.  B.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Brunswick,  Rensselaer  county,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of 
P.  A.  Coonradt,  a  son  of  George,  a  son  of  Jeremiah,  who  was  a  native  of  Brunswick. 
His  father  with  two  brothers  came  from  Germany  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 
They  paid  their  passage  by  serving  in  the  war.  Jeremiah  settled  in  Troy  and  married 
Miss  Smith,  and  had  twelve  children.  Mr.  Coonradt  was  born  in  Brunswick  in  1800. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Coonradt  and  they  had  five  sons  and  four  daughters.  Mr.  Coonradt 
died  in  Brunswick  in  1867,  and  his  wife  in  1847.  P.  A.  Coonradt  was  born  in  Bruns- 
wick February  19,  1822.  He  followed  teaching  many  years  and  then  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  until  1865,  when  he  came  to  Cold  Brook  and  was  agent  for  the 
Union  store  one  year.  He  then  moved  to  Prospect  and  resided  there  until  1870,  when 
he  went  to  Rockford,  111.,  where  he  is  at  present  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  shoes. 
Mr.  Coonradt  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  John  Coonradt,  who  was  in  the  War  of  1812. 
To  P.  A.  Coonradt  and  wife  were  born  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mr.  Coonradt  was 
supervisor  and  also  town  clerk.  Subject  assisted  his  father,  in  the  mercantile  business 
when  young  and  at  the  age  of  ten  came  with  his  parents  to  Russia.  In  1886  he  married 
Hattie  B.  Moon,  a  native  of  Russia,  and  a  daughter  of  Harriet  and  Cameron  Moon  of 
Rensselaer  and  Herkimer  counties,  respectively.  Mr.  Moon  died  January  25,  1891,  and 
his  wife  still  resides  in  Cold  Brook.  To  subject  and  wife  have  been  born  two  sons : 
Frank  and  Leon,  both  residing  at  home.  In  1870  Mr.  Coonradt  entered  the  mercantile 
business  with  his  son  Frank  and  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Moon.  In  1874  Mr.  Moon  re- 
tired and  Mr.  Coonradt  and  son  continued  until  1883,  since  which  time  subject  has  been 
sole  proprietor.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  town  clerk,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Newport  Lodge  455  F.  &  A.  M. 

Cooper,  Henry  C,  Norway,  was  born  in  Cold  Brook  February  6,  1828.  His  father 
was  Charles  Cooper,  a  son  of  Solomon  Cooper,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  The  wife  of 
Solomon  Cooper  was  Mary  Meacham,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 
Mr.  Cooper  died  in  Russia  in  1861,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  In  1810  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  Russia,  where  he  lived  and  died.  In  1826  he  married  Margaret  Thomp- 
son of  Johnstown,  born  June  17,  1805,  who  bore  him  one  son  and  four  daughters.  Mr. 
Cooper  was  a  Ma^n,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  died  July  5,  1889.  His  wife 
now  resides  in  Cold  Brook  and  is  eighty-eight  years  old.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  in  Fairfield  Academy. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began  teaching  school  and  followed  that  three  years.  May 
4,  1854,  he  married  Jane  M.  Pritchard,  who  bore  him  five  children:  Wendle  P.,  Adel- 
bert  R.,'  who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  Lizzie,  who  died  in  infancy,  Ella  M., 
and  Charles  W.  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  farmer  by  occupaton.  Early  in  life  he  was  a  Gar- 
risonian  Abolitionist,  and  when  the  Republican  party  was  organized  united  with  that 


162  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

party  and  remained  with  them  until  1868.  In  1872  he  voted  for  Horace  Greeley,  «nd 
in  1867  for  Peter  Cooper.  In  1880  he  was  presidential  elector  for  Weaver.  In  1884 
and  1888  he  voted  with  tlie  Democratic  party.  Mr.  Cooper  has  been  justice  of  the 
peace,  highway  commissioner  and  assessor.  He  resided  in  Russia  until  1859  when  he 
went  to  Norway,  where  lie  has  since  lived. 

Crim,  Adam  J.,  Warren,  was  born  where  he  now  lives,  March  5,  1821,  and  is  a  son 
of  Jacob  and  Eve  (Staring)  Crim.  Ilis  grandfather  was  Jacob,  also,  who  married 
Elizabeth  Frank.  Jacob,  Jr.,  was  born  where  Adam  now  lives  Oct.  14,  1787,  and  died 
June  14,  1874.  He  was  a  leading  and  influential  man  in  his  day.  His  wife  died  Dec. 
16,  1878,  leaving  eight  out  of  her  nine  children.  Adam  J.  has  always  lived  on  the 
farm  where  he  was  horn.  With  three  others  he  started  a  cheese  factory  in  1871.  He 
is  a  Republican,  and  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  one  term  as  asi?ociate 
justice.  He  is  a  Mason.  He  married  May  5,  1874,  Martha,  daughter  of  Abram  and 
Lana'  (Thumb)  Veeder,  and  they  have  two  children :  Alma  F.,  and  Ora  B.  F.  His  wife 
and  daughters  are  members  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

Cook,  D.  L.,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Winfield,  and  was  on  the  farm  the  first  twenty 
years  of  his  life.  He  then  spent  three  years  with  the  United  States  Express  Co.  on  the 
railroad,  then  returned  to  farming,  in  which  he  has  retained  an  interest  up  to  the 
present  time.  In  Oct.,  1891,  Mr.  Cook  opened  a  meat  business  in  Herkimer,  which 
now  occupies  his  attention  mainly.  In  Nov.,  1886,  Mr.  Cook  was  elected  sheriff  for  a 
term  of  three  years,  and  he  had  previously  been  supervisor  of  Winfield  for  two  years, 
and  postmaster  for  three  years.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  of  English  descent. 
Nov.  1,  1878,  Mr.  Cook  married  Miss  Martha  Morgan,  and  they  have  one  son  living. 

Gage,  James  E.,  Little  Falls,  one  of  Little  Falls'  most  enterprising  and  prosperous 
business  men,  is  a  native  of  this  village.  He,  after  receiving  a  sound  education  in  the 
schools  and  academy  here,  entered  active  business  operations  in  1861  as  a  clerk,  and 
after  having  been  associated  with  several  prominent  fiiims  in  different  positions  of 
responsibility,  in  1878  inaugurated  his  present  flour  and  feed  establishment,  which  has 
since  its  inception  taken  a  leading  po»ition  among  the  sound  mercantile  concerns  of 
Herkimer  County.  Mr.  Gage  is  identified  both  socially  and  financially  with  Little 
Falls'  best  interests  ;  he  is  a  high-up  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  other 
organizations. 

Conway,  John,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Syracuse,  June  24,  1864.  He  received  a 
good  education  in  the  schools  of  that  city,  after  which  he  learned  the  trade  of  carriage 
trimmer.  He  came  to  this  village,  and  eneaged  with  Mr.  Burdick,  carriage- maker, 
with  whom  he  remained  four  years.  He  then  accepted  a  position  as  bar-tender  at  the 
Seattle  House,  which  he  filled  until  he  resigned  to  establish  his  elegant  saloon  on  Mail 
Street,  Little  Falls,  in  August,  1892.  Mr.  Conway  is  very  popular  in  this  town,  being 
a  fine  ball  plaper,  and  is  identified  with  the  Red  Men,  Erina  Chemical  Engine  Co., 
Celtic  Lyceum,  etc.     He  married  Miss  Kate  McGurty. 

Cavanaugh,  Frank,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  June  17,  1866.  He  received 
a  good  education  in  the  Little  Falls  scIioqI  and  academy,  and  eventually  succeeded  his 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  163 

father  in  the  hotel,  which  had  been  conducted  at  the  corner  of  Ward  and  Loomis 
streets  by  the  elder  Cavanaugh  for  many  years.  Frank  Cavanagh  is  a  staunch  Demo- 
crat in  politics  and  identified  with  th"*  local  social  and  benevolent  institutions  of  the 
town,  such  as  the  Elks,  Red  Men,  Erina  Chemical  Engine  Co.  No.  5,  etc.  He  is  a 
progressive  and  much  esteemed  citizen. 

Champion,  Delano  A.,  Little  Falls,  attorney  at  law,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer  County. 
He  was  educated  in  the  Little  Falls  Academy,  Whitestown  Academy,  and  Cazenovia 
"  Seminary,  and  studied  law  with  Judge  Hardin,  justice  of  the  supreme  court.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1878,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Little  Falls.  Mr.  Champion  is  of  New  England  ancestry,  and  of  revolutionary  ante- 
cedents.    He  married  Clara  C.  Witter,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  T. 

Colcord,  J.  T,,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  South  Berwick,  Maine.  He  began  his 
busmess  career  as  a  clerk,  and  after  spending  some  time  in  the  west,  came  to  Herkimer 
in  1887,  and  opened  his  present  business  of  dry  goods,  fancy  gocds,  etc.  His  ancestors 
resided  in  Maine  for  several  generations.  Mr.  Colcord  married  a  daughter  of  Louis 
Webster,  but  she  died  in  1889.  He  has  one  daughter.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  is  an  independent  in  politics. 

Comstock,  Byron,  Norway,  was  born  in  Ohio,  Dec;  24,  1848.  His  father  was 
Samuel  Comstock,  a  son  of  Stephen,  a  native  of  Mass.,  and  an  early  settler  of  Norway. 
Samuel  Comstock  was  born  in  Norway  in  1799.  He  married  Sybil  Cummings,  by 
whom  he  had  nine  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living  except  the  youngest. 
Mr.  Comstock  was  a  Democrat  and  held  minor  offices  in  Ohio,  where  he  resided  most 
of  his  life  and  where  he  died  in  1891.  Byron  Comstock  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  married  Helen  M.  Nichols,  of  Fairfield,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Caleb  and  Abigail  (Harris)  Nichols.  Mr.  Nichols  survives  his  wife,  and  at 
present  resides  in  Troy.  The  subject  has  one  child,  Mary  F.  He  is  a  farmer.  His 
early  life  was  spent  in  Ohio,  but  for  the  last  eighteen  years  he  has  resided  in  Norway. 
He  has  been  assessor  eight  years  and  commissioner  of  highways  one  year.  He  is  a 
Democrat. 

Cramer,  Addison,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Fulton  county,  N.  Y.,  July  23,  1855.  His 
early  years  were  spent  on  a  farm.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  commenced  to 
drive  the  stage  between  Darew  and  Little  Falls,  which  business  he  continued  in  for 
nine  years.  Then  he  took  the  hotel  at  Salisbury  Corners  for  two  years,  then  the 
Loomer  house  at  Dolgeville  for  four  years,  and  in  the  spring  of  1892  assumed  charge 
of  the  Cottage  hotel,  Dolgeville.  Mr.  Cramer,  when  in  Salisbury,  filled  the  position 
of  collector  for  three  years.     He  married  Miss  Maggie  Kelly.     They  have  no  children. 

Casler,  George,  Little  Palls,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Little  Falls,  June  19,  1828,  and 
has  resided  here  all  his  life.  In  1859  he  married  Julia  Campbell,  and  they  have  one 
daughter,  who  married  Harvey  Rankin  in  188C.  Mr.  Casler  is  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  Little  Falls.  He  owns  230  acres  of  land  used  for  dairy  purposes  and  hay. 
He  has  been  eight  times  elected  assessor  of  the  town,  and  so  will  have  held  the  office 
continually  for  twenty-four  years  when  he  completes  his  present  term.  He  is  an  out- 
and-out  Democrat  and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order,  in  which  he  is  a  Knight  Templar. 


164  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Carnwright,  J.  L ,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Ulster  county,  N.  Y.,  October  14,  1843. 
He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  in  1861  enlisted  in  the  Sixty-fifth  N.  Y.  Infantry,  serv- 
ing throughout  the  war.  He  participated  in  the  following  battles':  Yorktown,  Fair 
Oaks,  Turkey  Bend,  Malvern  Hill,  Antietam,  Fredericksburgh,  Mar3'e's  Heights,  Get- 
tysburgh,  Rappahannock,  Mine  River,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Po  River,  Cold 
Harbor,  Fort  Stevens,  Cedar  Creek,  Fort  Fish;r,  Sailor's  Creek,  besides  fourteen  other 
engagements.  He  was  severely  wounded  at  Cedar  Creek.  At  the  close  of  the  war 
he  engaged  in  the  millwright's  business,  since  which  time  he  has  spent  ten  years  in 
the  service  of  Alfred  Dolge.  In  February,  1892,  he  established  his  present  drug  and 
grocery  business,  in  which  he  has  a  fine  trade.  Mr.  Carnwright  married  Eliza  Hodge, 
and  they  have  one  son.  Mr.  Carnwright  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  education, 
which  position  he  resigned. 

Case.  Herman,  Fairfi  Id,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls.  He  was  born  August  16,  1834. 
He  came  to  Fairfield  many  years  ago  and  bought  his  farm,  consisting  of  ninety-six 
acres.  His  father  was  Morgan  E.  Case  and  his  grandfather  Case  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Case  owns  the  old  Houghton  farm.  He  is  a  Mason  and  has 
been  a  master  of  the  Grange,  of  which  he  is  a  charter  member.     He  has  never  married. 

Cox,  William  S.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  May  15,  1843,  and  studied 
law  for  some  time,  but  subsequently  went  into  the  armory  in  Newark.  He  came  to 
Ilion  in  1862  and  enlisted  in  the  Third  New  York  Light  Artillery  in  1863.  In  1865  he 
returned  here,  and  after  spending  eighteen  months  with  the  Winchester  Arms  com- 
pany and  thirteen  years  with  the  Remingtons  he  went  to  the  typewriter,  when  that 
company  started.  Mr.  Cox  is  an  active  Democrat,  and  has  been  chairman  of  the  elec- 
tion board.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post,  and  has  been  a  delegate  to 
congressional  conventions.  In  1868  he  married  Mary  Clapsaddle  and  they  have  three 
children,  Ada,  a  teacher,  Anna,  a  music  teacher,  and  Marietta,  a  singer. 

Chismore,  Edward,  German  Flats,  was  born  December  28,  1849.  His  father,  Jacob 
Chismore,  was  a  gunsmith,  and  he  learned  the  same  trade,  and  has  passed  all  his  busi- 
ness life  here  in  the  Armory.  He  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  Red  Man.  In  1874  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Sullivan,  of  Mohawk,  a  daughter  of  Matthew  Sullivan.  Mr.  Chismore 
is  manager  of  the  I'ion  Driving  Park,  and  one  of  the  finest  horsemen  in  the  State. 

Crossett,  James,  proprietor  of  the  Nelson  house,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer, 
a  farmer's  son,  and  lived  on  a  farm  until  twenty-two  years  old.  He  then  embarked 
in  the  meat  business  for  five  years,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in  the  hotel  business. 
He  conducted  the  Waverly  house,  Herkimer,  a  leading  hotel  in  Middleville.  and  the 
Nelson  house  has  cow  been  owned  by  him  for  eight  years.  He  is  a  Mason  and  a 
strong  Republican.  His  people  have  lived  in  this  State  for  generations,  and  his  father, 
still  living,  is  a  leading  farmer  of  the  town.  Mr.  James  Crossett  married  Helen 
Hawkins,  and  has  three  daughters,  the  oldest  of  whom  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  B.  Waters, 
of  Little  Falls. 

Coe,  S.  E.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Granville,  Mass.,  July  9,  1827.  He  taught 
school  eight  years  and  then  went  into  the  jewelry  business.     He  has  been  twenty-one 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  165 

years  in  the  brick  and  insurance  in  Mohawk.  He  is  a  Mason  and  a  strong  Democrat. 
In  1858  Mr.  Coe  married  Miss  Catherine  Myers  and  they  have  a  son  Frederick  and  a 
daughter  Clara,  who  is  a  teacher.  Mr.  Coe  manufactures  about  2,000,000  bricks 
annually  in  his  yards  at  Ilion,  N.  Y. 

Casey,  Dr.  I.  E.,  Mohawk,  is  a  native  of  Schoharie  county,  N.  Y.,  and  was  born  on 
November  23,  1837.  After  receiving  an  excellent  education  he  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  G.  Snell  and  eventually  graduated  from  the  Albany  Medical 
college  in  1852,  after  which  he  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Mohawk, 
where  he  still  continues  in  active  practice,  having  been  here  over  forty  years.  Dr. 
Casey  has  served  as  supervisor,  etc.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Bellinger,  a  daughter  of 
Fred  Bellinger,  and  has  two  sons,  Fred.  B.  Casey  and  J.  Irving  Casey,  who  are  study- 
ing law  and  medicine,  respectively.  Dr.  Casey  has  been  a  member  of  the  Albany 
Medical  society  for  over  fifty-three  years  and  of  the  State  Medical  society  since  1864. 
He  was  identified  with  the  late  war. 

The  Cramer  family  settled  in  Danube  early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  the  land 
has  descended  from  father  to  son  for  four  generations.  John  Cramer  was  the  original 
settler  in  this  neighborhood,  and  was  the  great-grandfather  of  Zenas.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  Abraham  A.,  who  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Abraham, 
father  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  who,  together  with  his  brother,  owns  two  farms, 
one  containing  201  acres,  called  the  Homestead  farm,  and  the  other  containing  147 
acres.  They  keep  about  sixty  head  of  stock  and  do  a  thriving  business,  employing  a 
tenant  on  the  smaller  farm.  Zenas  has  served  as  inspector  of  elections,  etc.,  and  is  a 
thorough  and  practical  farmer. 

Caldwell,  J.  Minott,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler,  and  was  born  November  20, 
1852.  His  father  was  James  Mead  Caldwell,  and  his  mother  was  Louisa  Minott.  In 
1880  Mr.  Caldwell  married  Harriet  Cramer,  and  they  have  one  son,  Adair  Caldwell. 
James  Minott,  maternal  grandfather  of' Mr.  Caldwell,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in 
this  section  of  the  county.  Mr.  Caldwell  owns  a  fine  farm  at  Minott's  Corners  in 
Schuyler,  but  he  resides  in  Herkimer. 

Clemens,  Michael,  Schuyler,  is  one  of  the  old  and  honored  residents  of  Schuyler. 
He  was  born  February  14,  1815,  and  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  hfe.  His  father  was 
Michael  Clemens,  and  his  grandfather  Jacob  Clemens.  The  latter  participated  in  the 
Revolutionary  war  and  came  from  Germany  over  a  century  ago.  Mr.  Clemens  mar- 
ried Rachael  Oyer,  a  most  estimable  lady,  who  died  July  18,  1889.  They  had  one 
daughter,  now  the  wife  of  George  Storms. 

Cooper,  Charles  F.,  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Litchfield,  owning  a  dairy  and 
grain  farm  of  100  acres  of  land.  He  was  born  at  Norwich  Corners,  January  20,  1834, 
a  son  of  William  Cooper,  who  was  constable  and  collector  of  the  town  of  Litchfield 
for  many  years,  who  was  a  son  of  James  Cooper.  Charles  F.  Cooper  married  Mary 
A,  Smithson,  a  daughter  of  Milton  Smithson,  of  Sauquoit,  Oneida  county.  They  have 
three  children,  Char'es  Henry,  Clarence  Edmond  and  Earl. 


166  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Collins,  Rev.  Dennis  B.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Ireland,  November  7,  1861.  A  part 
of  his  education  was  received  at  the  Jesuit  school,  in  Limerick.  He  worked  in  a  news- 
paper office  in  Cork,  and  while  yet  n  his  boyliood  he  came  to  America,  where  ambi- 
tion has  a  greater  field  and  labor  a  greater  reward.  He  came  to  Boston,  where  he 
worked  and  studied  until  1882,  when  he  took  a  year's  rest  in  St.  Laurence  College, 
Montreal.  In  1883  he  entered  St.  Charles  College,  Baltimore,  Md.,  to  complete  his 
knowledge  of  Latin,  and  in  1884  was  admitted  to  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Troy, 
where  he  was  ordained  priest  in  December,  1888.  He  was  assistant  priest  at  St.  Pat- 
rick's Church,  West  Troy,  until  January  1,  1892,  since  which  time  he  has  been  priest 
of  the  St.  Joseph's  Church  at  West  Winfield, 

Collins,  William  H.,  Winfield,  proprietor  of  the  Cottage  Hotel,  was  born  in  Brook- 
field,  Madison  county,  July  15,  1860.  He  married  Minnie  E..  daughter  of  Byron  Fisk, 
of  Syracuse,  December  5,  1880,  and  they  have  one  son,  Lewis  W.  William  H.  is  a 
son  of  Stephen  H.  Collins,  of  Brookfield,  who  was  a  son  of  Hoxie  Collins. 

Crist,  Hezekiah  H.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  June  15,  1817.  Came  to  Win- 
field in  1850,  and  settled  on  the  farm,  where  lie  now  lives,  in  1852.  He  was  a,s.sessor 
of  this  town  three  years.  He  was  a  son  of  Stephen  Crist,  who  was  born  in  1777,  and 
came  from  Orange  county  to  Fairfield  at  the  age  of  eighteen  with  his  father,  Abraham 
Crist,  among  the  first  settlers.  He  hired  one  hundred  acres,  which  he  cleared  the  first 
year,  and  erected  the  first  farm  house  and  barn  built  in  Fairfield,  and  a  portion  of  that 
barn  is  still  standing  in  good  repair.  Hezekiah  H.  Crist  married  Elisabeth  Ellison, 
January  1,  1846,  and  they  have  had  five  children:  Martha  M.,  Alice  E.,  Mary  E., 
George  B.,  and  Arthur  H.  Hezekiah  Crist  has  lived  forty  years  on  his  present  farm. 
Elisabeth  C.  Crist  was  born  in  Essex,  Mass.,  July  8,  1824,  a  daughter  of  Stephen 
Elli.son. 

Congdon,  William  E.,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  this  town  October  8,  1838.  He  has 
been  assessor  and  inspector  of  election,  and  is  a  farmer,  owning  a  dairy,  grain,  and  fruit 
farm,  and  makes  both  butter  and  cheese.  He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Isaac  Sted- 
man,  and  they  have  two  children :  Merritt  J.,  of  Utica,  and  Jessie  M.  Rider,  of  Michi- 
gan. William  E.  Congdon  is  a  son  of  Thomas  J.  Congdon,  who  was  born  in  this  town, 
and  he  was  a  son  of  James  Congdon,  who  came  from  Rhode  Island,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  the  town. 

Gomes,  Addison  C,  Litchfield,  is  a  farmer,  and  has  been  assessor  of  this  town.  He 
sent  a  substitute  to  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  He  was  born  in  this  town  January  17, 
1827,  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  in  March,  1876.  He  married  Mi- 
randa Joslyn,  and  they  have  two  children  :  Ruth,  who  married  James  Donahue,  and 
Irving,  who  married  Julia  F.  Loomis,  and  has  two  children :  Cecil  May  and  Ruth  B. 
Addison  C.  is  a  .son  of  Bbenezer,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  early  settled  here. 
Martha  Conies  was  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Ball,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  who 
settled  in  this  town  in  1788. 

Conklin,  Silas  H.,  Warren,  was  born  near  Little  Lakes,  March  10,  1863,  a  son  of 
Hicks  and  Hannah  (Weeks)  Conklin.  The  grandfather,  Harry  W.,  was  a  son  of  Silas, 
who  was  a  son  of  Jacob,  who  came  from  Wales,  and  settled  at  Bast  Hampton,  L.  I. 


\ 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  1G7 

After  the  Revolution  he  came  to  Stark,  Herkimer  county.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Skel- 
inger.  He  died  in  Monroe  county.  Silas  was  born  on  Long  Island,  Septtmber  15, 
1772.  After  the  war  he  came  to  Springfield,  Otsego  county,  where  he  died.  His  wife 
was  Emmiliza  Hicks,  born  in  1776,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  He 
died  aged  eighty-three,  and  his  wife  died  in  1857,  aged  eighty-two.  Henry  Conklin 
married  Phoebe  Cook,  and  their  children  were:  Richard,  Silas,  Hicks,  Catharine  and 
Elija.  Hicks  Conklin  was  born  in  Warren.  He  began  life  as  a  farmer.  Later  he 
kept  a  meat  market  at  Little  Lakes.  He  was  two  years  in  a  hotel  at  Springfield  Cen- 
tre, and  died  in  1882,  his  widow  survives  him,  and  was  born  in  Warren,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Martha  (McChesney)  Weeks.  Our  subject  was  the  only  child.  He  re- 
ceived a  district  school  education,  also  attended  a  seminary.  At  nineteen  he  began 
life  as  a  clerk  at  Springfield  Center.  February  15,  1385,  he  opened  a  general  store  at 
Little  Lakes,  which  he  has  operated  successfully  since.  Has  been  twice  elected  clerk 
of  Warren  as  a  Democrat.  He  has  been  deputy  postmaster  since  188.5.  October,  1882, 
he  married  Edith,  daughter  of  David  and  Anna  (Dunn)  Baird,  and  they  have  two 
children  :  Anna  B,  and  Silas  H. 

Coakley,  John,  jr.,  Warren,  was  born  in  County  Cork,  Ireland,  December  5,  1834,  a 
son  of  Jolm  and  Jane  (McCarthy)  Coakley.  The  grandparents  died  in  Ireland,  and 
raised  seven  children  :  John,  Jeremiah,  Dennis,  Daniel,  Mary,  Joanna  and  Harry,  all 
of  whom  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  New  York,  except  Dennis.  John, 
father,  was  born  in  Ireland,  whence  he  came  to  United  States  and  settled  three  miles 
west  of  Little  Falls.  He  died  in  German  Flats,  aged  ninety  years.  His  wife  died 
about  four  months  later.  They  had  nine  children,  all  died  childless  except  John  and 
David.  Our  subject  received  a  common  school  education,  and  at  twelve  began  to  earn 
his  own  living.  About  1867  he  bought  130  acres  in  German  Flats.  In  1873  he  sold 
and  located  on  144  acres,  where  he  resides.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  enlisted  in  Company 
B,  Tenth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in  June,  1865, 
returning  to  Herkimer  county,  where  he  resumed  farming.  Has  always  Hved  in  the 
county  except  two  years  in  Vermont.  He  has  been  a  Republican  all  his  life.  He 
married  December  4,  1861,  Hannah  A.,  daughter  of  Alanson  and  Mary  A.  (Thomas) 
Mason.     They  have  two  children  :  Florence  M.,  wife  of  Chauncy  Brown,  and  Jennie. 

Deimel,  A.,  one  of  the  leading  coal  dealers  of  Little  Falls,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  was  formerly  engaged  in  manufacturing  operations  and  for  thel  ast  ten  years  has 
been  connected  with  the  coal  business.  He  has  spacious  yards  here  which  have  a 
capacity  for  storing  two  thousand  tons  of  coal,  and  his  enterprise  and  fair  dealing  have 
attracted  a  large  patronage  to  his  estabhshment.  Mr  Deimel  is  well  known  and  very 
popular  socially,  and  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Red  Men,  the  Elks,  Odd  Fellows,  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.     In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

ODwyer,  Thomas,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Oneida  county  and  reared  on  a  farm. 
He  came  to  Little  Falls  and  became  connected  with  the  variety  business  for  nearly  six 
years.  Disposing  of  this  he  assumed  proprietorship  of  the  Farmer's  Hotel,  which  he 
is  refitting  and  refurnishing.  This  hotel  will  accomodate  twenty  guests.  Mr.  O'Dwyer 
married  Miss  Mary  Dccharty,  and  they  have  one  child.  He  was  game  constable  for 
the  town  of  Marcy  for  several  years  and  is  a  member  of  the  Red  Men. 


168  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTV. 

Dolge,  Charles,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Dessau,  Germany.  He  received  a  good  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  his  native  country  and  then  went  to  England,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  hotel  business,  then  in  Scotland.  In  1885  he  came  to  America,  and  after  travel- 
ing extensively  throughout  all  the  States  in  the  Union,  decided  to  settle  in  Dolgeville, 
where  he  now  conducts  a  leadmg  hotel,  which  is  patronized  by  societies  and  clubs,  as 
well  as  by  the  general  public.  Mr.  Dolge  is  a  most  popular  caterer,  and  thoroughly 
understands  the  requirements  of  his  patrons.     He  bought  the  hotel  in  February,  1892. 

Dolge,  Carl  0.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Leipsic,  Germany,  August-  29,  1859.  He 
secured  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  that  town,  and  after  serving  three  years  in 
the  German  army  came  here  in  1879,  and  entered  the  employ  of  Alfred  Dolge,  to  whom 
he  is  related.  By  faithful  and  thorough  service  he  was  rapidly  promoted,  eventually 
reaching  the  position  of  chief  clerk.  After  remaining  with  Mr.  Do'ge  for  ten  years  he 
started  a  grocery  store  in  Dolgeville,  which  has  proved  a  success,  and  to  which  he  now 
devotes  his  entire  attention. 

Dygert,  Daniel,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  in  1847  and  has  been  in 
Ilion  for  twenty-two  years,  fourteen  of  which  have  been  spent  in  the  grocery  business 
which  he  still  is  successfully  conducting.  Before  embarking  in  trade  for  himself  Mr. 
Dj'gert  was  occupied  in  clerking  for  some  time.  He  has  been  six  years  in  one  stand 
and  has  a  large  and  high  class  trade.  Mr.  Dygert  is  a  Mason  of  high  standing,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Iroquois  Chapter  and  the  Little  Falls  Commandery.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Honor  and  was  a  member  of  the  Ilion  School  for  six  years,  being  its  presi- 
dent one  year.  In  1872  he  married  Miss  Grace  W.  Butts  and  has  a  family  of  one  son 
and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Dygert's  father  was  Harvey  Dygert,  also  a  native  of  Little 
Falls,  and  his  grandfather,  Daniel  Dygert,  came  from  Canajoharie.  He  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Ilion,  being  highly  respected  everynhere. 

Davy,  William  F.,  Danube,  was  born  at  Davy's  Corners,  Danube,  February  12, 1857. 
His  ancestors  located  here  early  in  the  sixteenth  century  and  participated  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war.  William  H.  Davy  received  a  good  education  and  has  been  engaged  in 
farming  all  of  his  life.  He  owns  143  acres  of  fine  dairy  farm  land,  located  between 
Davy's  Corners  and  Newville.  He  married  Libbie  A.  Klock ;  they  have  two  children, 
both  sons.  He  has  served  as  commissioner  of  highways,  etc.,  upon  the  Republican 
ticket,  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  and  is  a  thoroughly  representative  farmer  of  this 
county. 

Dady,  William  J.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Canajoharie  where  he  lived  until  nineteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Frankfort  and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  His  house 
was  burned  in  1892  and  the  present  hotel,  "  The  Grand  Union  "  built  in  its  place.  It 
is  a  large  fine  building,  containing  eighteen  sleeping  rooms,  and  is  fitted  up  in  good 
style.  It  adjoins  the  offices  of  the  West  Shore  railroad.  Mr.  Dady  married,  April  15, 
1891,  Maria  T.  Spellman  of  Newport,  N.  Y.,  one  of  six  children  of  James  and  Theresa 
(Riley)  Spellman. 

De  Long,  Richard,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  district  and  village  schools  of  Herkimer  county,  and  took  one  term  at  the  Syra- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  169 

cuse  University.  Since  leaving  school  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  managing  his 
extensive  dairy  farm  of  284  acres.  He  keeps  forty  head  of  cattle  and  eleven  horses  and 
is  one  of  Herkimer's  most  energetic  and  enterprising  farmers.  Mr.  De  Long  is  a 
member  of  the  Grange,  the  Masons,  and  of  other  social  organizations  of  the  town. 
Several  of  his  ancestors  were  soldiers  in  the  Revolution,  and  at  Sackett's  Harbor  in 
the  war  of  1812.  Four  generations  of  the  family  have  resided  on  the  farm.  Mr. 
De  Long's  family  consists  of  a  wife  and  one  daughter. 

Davis,  Albert,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  and  a  prosperous  farmer,  owning  270 
acres  of  fine  dairy  farm  and  eighty  acres  of  timber  land.  He  lias  a  herd  of  seventy- 
two  milch  cows  and  cuts  about  125  tons  of  hay  annually.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  representa- 
tive of  the  old  and  well-known  Davis  family  of  Fairfield.  His  father  died  leaving  a' 
comfortable  estate  which  Albert  and  his  brother  Charles  inherited  and  own. 

Daniels,  Ira  W.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Syracuse,  January  1,  1844,  and  is  a  sil- 
ver plater  by  trade.  He  came  to  Ilion  from  the  Springfield  armory  in  1836,  and  entered 
the  Armory  here.  He  remained  until  the  failure  of  the  Remingtons,  and  has  since  been 
with  Typewriter  Company.  Mr.  Daniels  married  Susie  Winnie  in  1889.  He  is  a  Ma- 
son, a  member  of  the  Iroquois  Chapter,  and  Little  Falls  Commandery.  His  father  was 
William  Daniels,  a  native  of  Boston. 

Deimel,  H.  A.,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Bohemia,  Austria,  and  came  to  this  country 
in  1854;  after  keeping  a  store  at  Herkimer  until  1860  he  became  identified  with  the 
lumber  traffic  with  which  he  has  since  been  engaged.  He  has  also  been  identified  with 
other  leading  corporations  here.  He  furnishes  employment  to  about  two  hundred  hands. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  trustee  of  the  village  several  terms,  supervisor  three  terms, 
overseer  of  the  poor,  and  delegate  to  the  State  convention  twice.  He  has  four  chil- 
dren. Mr.  Deimel  is  identified  with  leading  social  and  benevolent  institutions,  as  well 
as  political,  with  which  he  exerts  marked  influence. 

De  Long,  L.  M.,  German  Flats,  was  born  January  9,  1823,  in  Dutchess  county.  His 
father  was  Enoch  De  Long,  and  his  grandfather  Reuben  De  Long.  The  family  came 
from  France  originally.  In  1856  Mr.  De  Long  came  to  his  present  farm  in  German 
Flats.  In  1850  he  married  Lucy  M.  Paddock,  and  they  have  three  children.  Mr. 
De  Long  has  been  assessor  for  six  years,  .and  has  filled  other  responsible  positions. 

Davy,  John  W.,  Danube,  was  born  October  17,  1832  ;  he  received  a  good  common 
school  education  and  has  always  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  His  great-grand- 
father, Thomas  Davy,  who  settled  here  early  in  the  seventeenth  century  was  killed  by 
the  Indians  while  liberating  some  cattle  belonging  to  a  neighbor,  which  were  stolen  and 
fenced  in  a  wood  by  these  Indians.  His  grandfather,  John  Davy,  and  his  fathe-, 
Wilham  Davy,  both  lived  honored  lives  and  died  in  this  county.  He  owns  about  330 
acres  of  fine  dairy  land.  He  has  been  elected  to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  and 
other  oflSces,  but  would  not  qualify,  preferring  the  "  even  tenor  of  his  way  "  and  having 
his  hands  full  managing  his  own  farms.     He  is  much  esteemed  and  respected  by  all. 

Donahue,  Michael,  one  of  the  farmers  of  Litchfield,  was  born  April  21,  1825,  and 
settled  in  this  town  in  1853.     He  married  Ann  Paules,  and  they  have  had  six  children. 


170  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

of  whom  five  are  living.  The  oldest  is  Rev.  John  F.  Douahue,  who  was  educated  first 
at  Manhattan  College,  New  York,  then  Grand  Seminary  at  Montreal,  Canada,  and  his 
education  was  completed  at  St.  Mary's  Seminary  at  Baltimore.  He  was  ordained  priest 
March  30,  1883.  He  was  sent  one"year  to  the  Cathedral  at  Albany,  N.  Y.;  then  to  the 
parish  of  Rock  City  Falls  of  Saratoga  county,  where  he  remained  about  two  years  ; 
then  he  was  sent  to  Salem,  Washington  county,  in  1887,  where  he  still  remains-  The 
next  son  is  Thomas  P.,  who  resides  in  Chicago.  The  third  son,  Edward,  and  fourth. 
Joseph  P ,  are  both  residents  of  Chicago.  The  youngest  is  William,  who  is  at  home. 
The  mother  of  this  family,  Ann  Donahue,  died  July  23,  1880,  aged  fifty- two  years. 
The  only  daughter,  Julia  A.  Donahue,  died  December  8,  1878,  aged  twenty-three 
years. 

Dixon  &  Lewis,  Litchfield,  lime  manufacturers.  The  stone  is  taken  out  of  the  quarry 
near  the  kiln,  and  there  are  about  100  acres  in  the  farm  in  connection  with  the  kiln. 
They  make  about  20,000  bushels  per  year.  Charles  R.  Dixon  was  born  July  15,  1857, 
in  Paris,  Oneida  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Clarissa  Dixon,  natives  of  Paris, 
Oneida  county.  Charles  R.  Dixon  married  first  Cora  Barnes,  who  died.  He  married 
second  Sarah  P.  Burdick,  and  they  have  three  children,  Harry  A.,  Helen  B.  and  Ruth. 
Fred  Lewis  was  born  in  New  Hartford,  Oneida  county,  November  23,  1867.  He  mar- 
ried Edna  Foss.     He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Christiana  Lewis. 

Davis,  George  H.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Winfield  January  9,  1835,  a  son  of  Jeremiah 
Davi.s,  who  came  from  Rhode  Island  when  he  was  a  young  man  and  worked  as  a  black- 
smith. He  married  Amy,  daughter  of  Hawkins  Bennett,  who  was  among  the  first  set- 
tlers of  this  town.  George  H.  Davis  married  Harriet  M.,  daughter  of  Stephen  How- 
land,  both  natives  of  Rhode  Island.  Mrs.  Davis  died  September  26,  1888.  and  he  mar- 
ried second  Ruth,  widow  of  Ira  Dayger.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Stephen  Howland  and 
a  sister  of  Judge  Howland,  of  Auburn. 

Dodge,  Ira,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Frankfort  February  17,  1817.  He  has  a  dairy 
and  grain  farm  of  122  acres.  He  was  collector  two  years,  constable  seven  years,  and 
was  also  assessor  and  justice  of  the  peace.  He  married  Hannah  Kellogg,  of  Litchfield, 
and  they  have  two  children,  Charles  M.,  of  Auburn  Theological  School,  who  preached 
in  Sennett  last  year,  and  returns  there  in  June ;  and  Frank  L.,  assessor  of  the  town  of 
Litchfield.  Ira  Dodge  is  one  of  the  sons  of  John  Dodge,  a  sergeant  in  the  Revolution- 
ary War.  He  planted  the  United  States  flag  on  the  wall  of  a  fort  and  did  not  receive 
a  wound,  and  from  that  incident  it  was  said  that  he  was  bullet  proof. 

Day,  Almond,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Winfield  March  6,  1819,  son  of  Eli  and  Aurilla 
(Toms)  Day.  His  father,  Eli,  was  born  in  Winfield  December  2,  1791,  and  died  No- 
vember 30,  1870.  Aurilla  Day  was  born  April  8,  1788.  Noah  Day,  father  of  Eli,  came 
here  by  marked  trees  and  settled  near  West  Winfield,  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  Winfield.  He  died  October  3,  1845.  He  married  January  27,  1791,  Willia  Graves, 
who  was  born  May  27,  1773,  and  died  August  26,  1854.  Eli  Day  left  three  children, 
Pamelia,  Alvin  G.  and  Almond.  The  latter  is  the  only  one  living,  and  married  first 
Clarissa  Hosford,  who  died  September  12,  1854,  aged  twenty-five  years.  She  left  one 
daughter,  Ella  F.,  who  married  Delos  M.  White  January  19, 1875,  and  they  have  one 


FAMILY   SKETCHES.  171 

son,  Arthur  D.  White.  Almond  Day  married  second  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  Chester 
and  Nancy  Parke,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Cora  E,,  who  married  Horace  H.  Park- 
hurst.  They  have  one  son,  H.  Day  Parkhurst.  John  Burge.os,  one  of  the  sixth  gener- 
ation from  the  Pilgrims,  was  among  the  first  settlers  of  WinBeld.  He  married  Urania 
Morey,  and  they  have  eleven  children,  one  of  whom,  Nancy,  married  Chester  Parke 
and  Ihey  had  five  children.  Of  these  children  Sarah  A.  married  Almond  Day,  who  is 
now  a  retired  farmer  of  Winfield. 

Dennison,  Allen  W.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Warren  December  2,  1841,  a  son  of  Abisha 
and  Elizabeth  (Weaver)  Denison.  Subject's  father  died  in  Jordanville  in  1846.  His 
wife  died  in  March,  1870,  in  German  Fla's.  They  had  two  children,  Allen  W.  and  a 
daughter,  who  died,  aged  three.  Allen  W.  was  raised  on  a  farm  and  has  made  his  own 
way  through  life.  He  had  a  district  and  select  school  education,  and  at  seventeen  be- 
gan the  trade  of  painter,  which  he  followed  until  about  1875.  In  April,  1861,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  E.,  Fourteenth  New  York  Infantry,  and  was  in  the  quartermaster's 
service.  He  was  discharged  from  the  hospital  at  Georgetown  in  April,  1862.  Return- 
ing home  he  resumed  his  trade  and  worked  in  German  Flats  for  five  years,  when  he 
came  to  Warren  and  remained  five  years.  In  March,  1877  he  bought  sixty  acres,  where 
he  now  resides.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  hops,  has  served  as  collector,  and  for  six 
years  was  assessor,  also  deputy  sheriff  six  years.  He  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of 
F.  &  A.  M.  at  Richfield  Chapter.  He  married  December  13,  1867,  Sarah  Loftus,  born 
in  Little  Falls,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Jane  (Ferguson)  Loftus,  both  born  in  New  York. 
He  was  a  manufacturer  of  plaster,  and  had  one  son,  Jolin,  and  six  daughters.  Subject 
and  wife  are  of  the  Universalist  faith. 

Des.s,  Louis,  Ilion,  was  born  in  Alsace  May  1,  1846.  He  came  to  America  in  1849. 
He  began  the  gun  tiade  with  his  father,  and  was  subsequently  in  the  army.  He  was 
with  the  Hammond  Typewriter  for  some  time,  and  has  been  three  years  with  the  Type- 
writer company,  for  which  he  has  been  superintendent  this  long  time.  He  is  the  in- 
ventor of  an  aligner  of  great  utility,  performing  what  was  long  contended  could  be 
done  only  by  hand.  Several  other  devices  and  improvements  on  typewriters  are  to  be 
credited  to  him. 

Elwood,  Jacob,  a  native  of  Holland,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Warren  when  he 
died.  He  had  six  children :  Jacob,  Benjamin,  Joseph,  John,  Catharine  and  Elizabeth. 
Joseph  was  born  in  Warren  January  27,  1803,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  wagon- 
maker.  He  married  Betsey  Cook  and  settled  in  Springfield,  Otsego  county.  He  died 
January  10,  1890.  He  had  four  children:  Theodore,  Delevan, Caroline  and  Emeline. 
His  wife  died  January  10,  1892,  aged  eighty-two.  She  was  born  in  Springfield,  a 
daughter  of  Peabody  and  Mary  (Pickard)  Cook.  Delevan  Elwood  was  born  August 
29,  1835,  in  Springfield.  At  sixteen  he  began  for  himself,  working  by  the  month  on  a 
farm.  He  worked  in  a  machine  shop  in  Van  Hornesville  for  about  ten  years,  then  en- 
gaged in  teaming.  For  the  past  fourteen  years  he  has  been  farming.  For  two  years 
he°ran  the  Hotel  American  at  Van  Hornesville  about  1854.  He  has  served  as  deputy 
sheriff  six  years,  town  clerk  two  terms  and  has  been  supervisor.  He  is  a  Republican 
and  a  Mason.  He  married  September  24,  1854,  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Catharine  (Bachus)  Snider,  of  Stark. 


172  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Ellis,  AlansoQ,  Russia,  was  born  in  Rome,  Oneida  county,  July  22,  1828,  and  is  a  son 
of  Daniel  and  Sallie  (Coy)  Ellis.  The  grandfather  of  Alanson  was  Asa,  a  son  of  Daniel 
Ellis,  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Asa  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and 
came  to  Madison  county,  N.  Y..  where  he  lived  and  died  in  1838.  His  wife  was  La- 
vina  Ellis,  who  died  in  1838,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Ellis 
was  in  the  war  of  1812.  Alanson  Ellis  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  received  a  common 
school  education.  In  1850  Sarah  Cow,  a  native  of  Ireland,  became  his  wife,  and  they 
had  one  son  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  two  are  living,  Francis  and  Mary.  Mrs.  Ellis 
died  m  1866,  and  in  1867  Mr.  Ellis  married  Ruth  Wheaton,  of  Rome,  N.  Y.,  by  whom 
he  had  two  children,  Jennie  and  Emma.  Mrs.  Ellis  died  in  1879,  and  in  1882  he  mar- 
ried Louisa  Hazelton,  of  Middleville.  For  thirty-two  seasons,  beginning  with  1847, 
Mr.  Ellis  was  a  boatman  on  the  Erie  Canal.  In  1877  he  went  to  Ohio,  Herkimer 
county,  where  he  and  a  brother  bought  a  saw-mill,  in  which  they  were  engaged  six 
years.  Mr.  Ellis  then  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  followed  butchering  and  farming.  From 
1880  to  1881  he  resided  in  Newport  and  then  became  a  farmer  of  Poland.  In  1886  he 
commenced  bntchering  in  Poland,  which  he  has  since  followed.     He  is  a  Democrat. 

Ely,  Lester,  Warren,  was  born  in  Theresa,  Feb.  15,  1834,  a  son  of  Alva  and  Harriet 
(Davidson)  Ely.  His  grandfather  was  Samuel  Ely,  who  was  a  son  of  vSimeon,  whose 
father  came  from  England  and  settled  in  Mass.  Simeon  Ely  was  born  in  Mass.  and 
came  to  Warren  ;  his  wife  was  Ruth,  who  bore  him  five  children.  Samuel  Ely  was 
also  born  in  Mass.,  and  died  in  Warren  in  1851,  aged  seventy-seven;  his  wife  was 
Fannie  Cooley,  who  bore  him  five  children;  she  died  in  1861,  aged  eighty-nine.  Alva 
Ely  was  born  in  Warren,  Dec.  2,  1802,  and  married  Harriet  Davidson.  He  died  in 
1885,  and  his  wife  five  years  earlier.  They  had  eleven  children.  Lester  Ely  was  raised 
in  Jefferson  and  came  to  Warren  when  nineteen.  In  1862  he  bought  126  acres  of  land 
where  he  now  resides,  and  now  owns  187  acres.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been 
assessor.  He  married  Jan.  1,  1861,  Msry,  daughter  of  John  and  Susan  Onsterhout, 
and  has  had  five  children,  Alice,  wife  of  Rnfus  Backus;  Mary,  wife  of  Rev.  D.  D. 
O'Dell,  a  Baptist  minister ;  George,  of  Omaha,  William,  of  Omaha,  Opal. 

Edick,  John  C,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Columb'a,  upon  the  old  homestead  of  180 
acres,  which  is  yet  in  his  possession  and  upon  which  his  son,  William  Edick,  resides. 
Mr.  Edick  married  Miss  Margaret  Hewnerand,  has  a  family  of  five  daughters  and  two 
sons,  all  living.  He  is  of  Mohawk  Dutch  descent,  liis  ancestors  being  identified  with 
the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  that  of  1812.  This  family  is  well  and  favorably  known 
in  Columbia,  with  whose  best  interests  they  have  been  associated  for  generations.  Mr. 
Edick  retired  from  active  agricultural  pursuits  some  months  since,  and  is  now  proprietor 
of  the  Edick  House. 

Edick,  Henry,  jr.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Columbia.  His  family  are  of  German  de- 
scent, but  located  here  over  one  hundred  years  ago,  where  they  have  since  continued  to 
live,  taking  an  active  part  in  local  business  and  political  circles.  In  1889  Mr.  Edick 
assumed  charge  of  the  Tower  House  in  Herkimer,  changing  the  name  to  fhe  Edick  House, 
which  he  and  his  father  continued  to  run  until  they  purchased  the  Waverly  House  in 
this  village,  and  disposed  of  their  interests  in  the  Edick  House.     Mr.  Henry  Edick,  jr., 


I 

FAMILY  SKETCHES.  173 

has  held  the  office  of  constable,  to  which  office  he  was  appointed  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  deputy.  shenfF  for  three  years,  and  collector  of  the  town  (Columbia)  for 
one  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  associated  with  local  social 
organizations.  His  wife  was  Miss  Libbie  Barber,  of  Columbia,  and  they  have  two 
daughters.  His  new  hotel,  the  Waverly,  has  accommodation  for  from  fifty  to  sixty 
guests. 

Eckel,  Fred.  W.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Syracuse.  After  receiving  a  good  common 
school  education,  he  learned  the  machinist  trade,  at  which  he  afterwards  worked  for 
thirteen  years,  traveling  during  this  time  extensively.  Among  the  many  States  that  he 
visited  we  may  mention  Texas.  Kansas,  Colorado,  California,  Washington,  Oregon. 
Louisiana,  etc.  He  followed  mining  for  some  time  in  California.  Mr.  Eckel  took 
charge  of  the  Mansion  House,  Herkimer,  about  two  years  ago.  This  hotel  can  accom- 
modate about  fifty  guests,  although  as  many  as  IGO  have  been  provided  for  on  especial 
occasions.  Mr.  Eckel's  uncle,  Philip  Eckel,  was  chief  of  the  Fire  Department  of 
Syracuse  for  twenty-five  years,  and  was  killed  on  duty.  The  family  has  served  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  has  been  identified  with  the  best  interests  of  the  locality. 

Eaton,  Irving,  farmer,  of  Little  Falls,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
lives  November  15,  1833,  and  his  father  before  him  was  also  born  on  this  farm. 
He  is  one  of  the  recognized  leading  farmers  of  the  county,  liberal-minded  and  intelli- 
gent, and  in  addition  to  farming  200  acres  of  land — his  own  property — also  gives 
considerable  attention  to  bees,  of  which  he  has  about  forty  hives.  In  1870  he  married 
Amy  Keyser,  aad  they  have  two  children.  Belle  L.  and  Grace  L.,  the  former  nineteen, 
and  the  latter  fourteen  years  of  age.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Universalist 
Church.     Mr.  Eaton  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  liberal  in  his  views. 

Bggleston,  Oscar  B.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Winfield  January  12,  1837,  and  married 
October  16,  1861,  Hannah  E.,  daughter  of  William  and  Lucinda  (Smith)  McLaughton. 
Her  father  was  a  son  of  David,  who  was  the  only  child  of  William  McLaughton,  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  this  town,  and  a  thoroughly  representative  man,  religious,  public- 
spirited  and  upright.  His  life  as  a  man  and  citizen  is  worthy  of  imitation.  He  had 
three  children :  William  Milton,  David  L.,  and  Hannah  E.,  all  living  at  the  present 
time.  Oscar  Eggleston  and  wife  have  one  child,  William  Seymour.  Subject  owns  the 
old  McLaughton  farm.  He  has  a  combination  of  twelve  cheese  factories,  which  he 
runs ;  also  is  breeder  of  fine  horses. 

Ellsworth,  Sylvester,  Stark,  was  born  near  PennTan,  where  his  father  was  a  pioneer, 
and  came  to  Stark,  where  he  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Jacob  Hawick,  of 
Ohio,  about  1820,  and  settled  at  Richmond,  Ohio,  where  he  ran  a  hotel  and  gro- 
cery business.  Owing  to  failing  health  he  came  back  to  Stark,  leaving  his  family, 
and  he  went  out  to  Saratoga,  where  he  died  in  1826,  leaving  a  widow  and  five  chil- 
dren :  Edith,  Mulberry,  Judiah,  Sylvester  H.  and  Nelson.  Edith  and  Sylvester  H. 
survive.  His  wife  died  here  in  1864,  aged  sixty-seven.  Sylvester  Ellsworth'  was 
born  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  November  17,  1822,  and  came  to  Staik,  with  his  niollier, 
at  the  age  of  fourteen.     He  began  working  by  the  month  on  a  farm  at  twenty-two 


174  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

with  his  mother.  He  bought  si.xty  acres  of  land  in  town  and  began  farming,  adding  to 
this  160  acres  adjoining.  He  still  owns  100  acres  here.  In  1864  he  bought  and  located 
on  200  acres  one  mile  east  of  Starkville,  where  he  now  resides,  owning  one-third  of  a 
farm  of  100  acres.  He  served  as  supervisor  five  terms  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  is  a 
leading  Mason,  and  a  member  of  TJtica  Commandery,  Mystic  Shrine.-  Mr.  Ellsworth 
married  February  1,  1848,  Betsey  M.,  daughter  of  Warner  and  Margaret  (G-uyts)  Nel- 
lis.  They  have  five  children  :  Ellen,  wife  of  Anthony  Roof;  Clark,  Charles,  Frank  and 
Martha,  wife  of  Charles  Ward.     Charles  and  Frank  are  in  San  Francisco. 

Eckler,  Jeremiah,  Warren,  was  born  in  Little  Lakes.  April  2,  1824,  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Lydia  (Conklin)  Eckler.  The  grandfather  was  Peter,  who  came  from  Germany 
prior  to  the  Revolution  and  settled  on  Otsquago  Creek  in  Warren  and  served  in  the  war 
as  captain.  He  had  many  an  interesting  experience  with  the  Indians,  once  having  a 
wrestle  with  one  of  their  chiefs.  He  also  served  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  was  twice 
married  and  had  a  large  family.  One  son,  Henry,  was  born  in  Warren  and  served  in 
the  war  of  1812.  He  died,  aged  sixty-five,  before  the  Rebellion.  His  wife  did  in  1889. 
She  was  born  in  August,  1803,  and  they  had  ten  children,  nine  of  whom  survived : 
William,  of  Iowa ;  Hannah,  deceased ;  Jerry,  Henry,  of  Stark ;  Jacob,  of  Otsego  county ; 
Lydia,  Nancy,  deceased  ;  Thomas,  Mary,  deceased ;  Mahlon.  Jeremiah  was  reared  on 
a  farm  and  received  a  district  school  education.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  began  for 
himself  on  a  farm  and  at  the  same  time  assisted  his  family.  In  1851  he  located  where 
he  now  resides,  and  rented  2.50  acres.  In  1861  he  bought  the  place,  to  which  he  has 
added  many  improvements  and  fine  buildings,  and  he  now  owns  280  acres.  In  1872 
he  built  a  cheese  factory,  which  burned  in  1882,  which  he  rebuilt,  and  now  makes  about 
2,500  pounds  per  week,  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  His  wife  was  Delia  Osterhout, 
born  in  Warren,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Polly  M.  (Devoe)  Osterhout,  who  were  early 
pioneers.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eckler  have  had  six  children,  five  of  whom  survive:  Isaiah,  of 
Mohawk ;  Delilah,  wife  of  Horatio  Mayer ;  Irvin,  of  Little  Lakes ;  William,  of  Spring- 
field ;  Esther,  who  died  young,  and  Harvey. 

Fleming,  G-.  C,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  and  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  and  academy  here.  He  established  himself  in  the  present  business  in  1871, 
prior  to  which  time  he  had  been  engaged  in  clerking  here.  He  is  of  Irish- American 
descent,  and  identified  with  local  Democratic  politics.  He  served  as  assessor  for  six 
years.  His  business  consists  of  the  retail  of  fine  groceries,  fruit,  confectionery  and 
oysters.  He  married  Miss  McCormick,  of  Little  Falls,  and  has  three  children.  His 
establishment  is  located  at  No.  307  Second  street,  in  which  he  furnishes  employment 
to  several  clerks  and  keeps  two  delivery  wagons  constantly  on  the  roads. 

Forest,  John  W.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  September  19,  1853,  a  son  of  Mark, 
whose  parents  were  John,  born  December  23,  1774,  and  Martha,  born  November  9, 
1773,  natives  of  Ireland,  who  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Poland.  Their  children 
were:  Mary,  Betsey,  William,  John  and  Mark,  James,  Martha,  Betsey  and  Sallie.  Mr. 
Forest  died  April  14,  1855,  and  his  wife  August  29,  1854.  Mark  Forest  was  born  in 
Russia,  July  20,  1818,  and  married  Angeline  Hunter,  a  native  of  Hamilton  county,  born 
May  20,  1824,  and  daughter  of  David  Hunter,  a  native  of  Massachusetts.     The  children 


Family  sketches.  175 

of  Mark  Forest  and  wife  were :  Ethel,  George,  deceased ;  John,  Alvira,  deceased  ; 
Frank,  Ida,  deceased.  He  died  Novennber  7,  1869,  and  his  wife  now  resides  with  John 
W.  Forest.  The  latter  married  February  22,  1888,  Hattie  Simpson,  born  March  5,  1866, 
a  daughter  of  William  Simpson,  a  son  of  Abel  Simpson,  a  son  of  Abram  Simpson,  of 
Revolutionary  fame.  Mr.  Simpson  was  born  October  17,  1830.  In  1851  he  married 
Mary  Hine,  of  Norway,  and  had  four  children.  He  married  second, 'Susan  C.  Plumb, 
by  whom  he  had  one  daughter,  Hattie,  the  wife  of  subject.  Mr.  Forest  has  manufac- 
tured cheese  about  two  years,  but  his  principal  occupation  is  that  of  a  general  farmer. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

Flansburg,  Jerry,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Ohio,  December  12,  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  Bar- 
tholomew and  Angeline  (Stephens)  Flansburg.  and  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated 
in  the  p\iblic  schools.  July  29,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  152d  N.  Y.  Volunteers,  Com- 
pany B,  and  was  discharged  at  Munson  Hill,  Va.,  in  1865.  He  served  at  the  battles  of 
the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Mine  Run  and  North  Anna  River.  At  the  latter  place 
he  was  wounded  in  the  right  arm  and  taken  to  the  hospital  at  Washington  (Mt.  Pleas- 
ant). After  his  recovery,  by  request  he  returned  to  his  regiment,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  war  returned  to  Ohio.  In  1867  he  married  Mary  J.  Potter,  of  Ohio,  daughter  of 
Chauncey  and  Margaret  Potter.  January  12,  1876,  Mr.  Flansburg  lost  his  wife,  and  he 
married  second,  lola  Hess,  of  Ohio,  daughter  of  Adam  and  Helen  J.  Hes.s.  By  his  first 
wife  he  had  one  son,  Egbert;  his  second  wife  bore  him  two  children,  Helen  M.  and  H. 
Lee.  Mr.  Flansburg  is  a  Republican,  has  been  supervisor  one  year,  assessor  nine  years, 
justice  of  the  peace  one  term,  town  clerk,  collector  and  auditor.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R.,  Helmer  Post,  at  Herkimer,  and  he  and  his  wife  attend  the  M.  E.  church. 

Flansburg,  Philip  J.,  Ohio,  a  native  of  Ohio,  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in 
the  public  schools.  He  is  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  has  always  resided  in  Ohio.  He 
is  a  son  of  Francis  A.  Flansburg,  whose  parents  were  Bartholomew  and  Angeline  (Ste- 
phens) Flan.sburg.  Francis  A.  was  born  in  Ohio,  December  17,  1830.  From  1852  to 
1855  he  worked  for  Hinkley  &  Ballou.  April  28, 1855,  he  married  Casandana  Conklin, 
of  Duanesburg.  Her  parents  were  Samuel  and  Mary  B.  (Curtis)  Conklin,  who  were 
the  parents  of  fourteen  children.  They  came  early  to  Schoharie  county,  in  1843  went 
to  Ohio,  and  in  1862  moved  to  Attica,  Wyoming  county,  where  Mr.  Conklin  died  No- 
vember 19,  1882,  and  Mrs.  Conklin,  July  15,  1879.  Francis  A.  Flansburg  and  wife  had 
four  sons  and  two  daughters:  Mary  C,  Charles  G.,  Bertha  F.,  Philip  J.,  Albert  E.  and 
George  F.,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Mary  G.  is  now  Mrs.  Charles  Wagner.  Charles  D. 
is  a  farmer  at  Erie,  Pa.  Bertha  F.  is  the  wife  of  John  A.  Doonan,  and  resides  in  South 
Dakota.  Philip  J.  resides  in  Wilmurt,  and  Albert  B.  is  guide  at  Honalogue  Lake. 
George  F.  lives  at  home.  Mr.  Flansburg  has  always  been  a  farmer,  except  for  three 
years  spent  at  lumbering,  and  has  held  the  offices  of  justice  of  the  peace,  poormaster, 
highway  commissioner,  clerk,  constable  and  inspector  of  elections. 

Fenner,  John  B.,  Manheim,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
the  schools  of  Norway.  His  family  is  of  New  England  descent,  having  settled  in 
this  State  about  1800.  After  passing  several  years  in  the  employ  of  different  rep- 
resentative firms  of   Little  Falls  and  Dolgeville,    established  his  present  ready-made 


176  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

clothing  and  men's  furnishing  store  about  two  years  ago.     In  February,  1892,  he  was 
elected  town  clerk,  which  position  he  still  most  acceptably  fills.     He  married  a  Miss  i_ 
Jackson,  and  they  have  o^  soas  .  _,_.     L-"  -<-  .^  ,  ^  v"-^.>f  -        ,-j      ->.-'■.,         / 

Ford,  Daniel,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Mohawk,  December  28,  1831.  He  fol- 
lowed boating  until  thirty  years  of  age  on  the  Erie  canal,  and  then  began  the  contract- 
ing busmess  on  State  and  railroad  work,  which  he  has  followed  ever  since.  Mr.  Ford 
is  a  prominent  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Memphis  Shrine,  the  thirty-second  degree, 
Scottish  Rite.  In  1852  he  married  Miss  Ann  E.  Van  Alstine,  and  they  have  two  daugh- 
ters, both  married,  Mrs.  Dr.  Rasbach  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Small,  of  Topeka,  Kansas, 

Ford,  C.  T.,  mason  and  contractor  of  Middleville,  was  born  in  Fairfield  May  28, 1829. 
He  began  his  trade  at  the  age  of  fifteen  with  his  father,  and  has  followed  it  continu- 
ously and  successfully  all  his  life.  He  has  erected  a  good  many  important  buildings 
be.sides  doing  all  kinds  of  contract  work  throughout  this  part  of  the  county,  in  fact 
about  all  of  it  and  has  a  high  reputation  as  a  business  man  and  a  reliable  contractor. 
In  1863  Mr.  Ford  married  Mi«s  Margaret  Davis.  Mr.  Ford  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  his  father  served  at  Sackett's  Harbor  in  the  War  of  1812.  -' 

Ferguson,  Thomas  D.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  February  2,  1866.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and  Little  Foils  Academy,  after  which  he 
clerked  for  about  six  years.  In  1888  he  bought  out  the  grocery  and  meat  market  of 
M.  Craske  &  Company,  which  he  has  since  most  successfully  conducted.  He  employs 
about  four  clerks  and  delivers  about  Little  Falls  and  vicinity.  Mr.  Ferguson  was  nom- 
inated for  corporation  treasurer  upon  the  Republican  ticket,  and  ran  far  ahead  of  his 
ticket,  but  this  being  a  strong  Democratic  town  he  was  not  elected.  He  married  Laura 
B.  Staley,  of  Michigan.    They  have  no  children. 

Foley,  Daniel,  German  Flats,  chief  of  police  of  Ilion,  was  born  in  Ireland  but  has 
been  in  America  since  1849.  He  settled  in  Little  Falls.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany H,  121st  N.  Y.  Regiment  and  was  in  some  of  the  most  important  battles.  He 
was  wounded  at  Spottsylvania  and  was  honorably  discharged  March  28,  1865.  He 
took  up  blacksmithing  after  the  war  and  has  followed  it  ever  since.  He  came  to  Ilion 
in  1875  and  was  appointed  chief  in  1892.  Chief  Foley  married  Miss  Catherine  Mul- 
queen  and  they  have  five  children.     He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Fallis,  Theodore,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Fultonville,  Montgomery  county,  August 
22  1855.  He  received  an  excellent  education  in  the  schools  of  Johnstown,  after  which 
he  learned  the  trade  of  cigar-making.  Mr.  Fallis  then  traveled  extensively  throughout 
this  country,  working  at  his  trade.  In  1876  he  decided  to  settle  in  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.i 
starting  a  business  for  himself,  which  proved  a  success,  and  which  he  still  conducts. 
He  manufactures  cigars  for  wholesale  and  retail  trade  and  also  deals  in  tobacco  and 
smokers'  goods.  He  employs  a  corps  of  skilled  as.sistants.  Mr.  Fallis  is  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  R.  M.,  Elks,  etc.,  and  has  served  as  treasurer  of  the  poor  fund,  collector,  etc. 
He  is  a  staunch  Democrat.     He  married  Mary  Pierce,  by  whom  he  has  five  children. 

Foster,  Aaron  Stiles,  Dolgesville,  a  nephew  of  Matt  Foster,  of  sharpshooting  fame, 
was  born  in  Salisbury  April  1,  1822.     He  received  a  common  school  education  in  the 


fAMILY  SKETCHES.  177 

schools  of  this  vicinity  and  assisted  his  father  until  his  seventeenth  year.  After  this  he 
worked  at  the  carpentry  trade  until  1847,  when  he  became  engaged  in  the  lumber 
traffic  until  1879.  He  then  moved  to  Dolgeville  to  build  the  wool  factory  of  Alfred 
Dolge.  Mr.  Foster  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Peter  Getman,  and  they  have  two 
sons  and  two  daughters  living,  having  lost  a  son  and  a  daughter.  A.  S.  Foster  was  him- 
self in  his  youth  a  noted  dead  shot,  being  able  to  bring  down  game  with  his  rifle  when  on 
the  wing.  He  has  served  in  Fulton  county  as  highway  commissioner  and  justice  of  the 
peace.  His  ancestors  participated  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  and  the  War  of  1812. 
On  his  mother's  side  he  is  a  descendant  of  the  Talcotts. 

Fenner,  A.  G.,  Fairfield,  was  born  in  Fairfield  December  24,  1823,  and  has  been  a 
farmer  all  his  life.  His  grandfather,  Daniel  Fenner,  settled  here  from  Massachusetts, 
and  his  father,  George  Fenner,  was  also  a  native  of  the  place.  The  farm  consists  of 
100  acres  (old  survey)  and  a  dairy  of  twenty-six  cows.  Mr.  Fenner  married  M.  A 
Wetherwax  in  1848,  and  they  have  five  children  living.  Mr.  Fenner  is  an  independent 
in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  grange. 

Fenner,  Calvin,  Fairfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  August  4,  1804, 
and  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  His  father  came  from  Massachusetts  in  1792.  In 
1829  Mr.  Fenner  married  Rhoda  Ann  Harvey,  and  they  had  five  children,  three  of 
whom  survive.  Mrs.  Fenner  died  in  1882.  Mr.  Fenner  is  the  oldest  living  resident  of 
Fairfield,  and  has  voted  at  every  presidential  election  since  1825.  His  brother,  Joseph 
FennerJ^  was  a  soldier  at  Saclcett's  Harbor,  and  in  the  War  of  1812.  Our  subject  is  the 
owner  of  a  farm  of  200  acres  and  a  herd  of  forty-five  cows. 

Fields,  John,  supervisor  of  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Westmoreland,  Oneida  county,  and 
has  been  a  farmer  all  his  hfe.  He  has  resided  on  his  present  place  for  nine  years.  In 
1873  he  married  Adeline  Todd.  His  father  and  mother  both  came  from  England.  Mr. 
Fields  is  an  active  and  influential  Democrat,  and  was  elected  supervisor  of  Fairfield  in 
the  spring  of  1892.  He  was  assessor  when  living  in  Newport,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
grange  and  Royal  Arcanum. 

Fowler,  D.  R.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  East  Springfield,  Otsego  county,  N.  T.  He 
received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  and  academy  of  this  vicinity,  and  afterwards 
clerked  for  a  few  years.  In  1887  he  came  to  Dolgeville  and  established  his  present 
general  mercantile  concern.  Mr.  Fowler's  family  is  of  New  England  descent  (Connect- 
icut), and  his  father  and  mother  are  both  living  at  the  old  home  in  East  Springfield. 
D,  R.  Fowler  married  Miss  Ella  Vandusen.  They  have  one  child,  a  girl.  He  is  a  suc- 
cessful and  enterprising  business  man,  and  a  reliable  and  progressive  citizen. 

French,  Morris  F.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Warren,  September  22,  1850,  a  son  of 
Luther  L.  and  Isabel  (Culver)  French.  He  was  educated  in  the  district,  select  and 
higher  schools,  also  attended  the  Winfield  academy.  He  taught  school  six  terms.  At 
twenty-one  years  of  age  he  began  for  himself,  working  with  his  father  six  years.  He 
then  purchased  thirty-five  acres  of  his  grandfather's  homestead  in  Warren,  and  in 
March,  1881,  bought  and  located  on  170  acres,  where  he  now  resides.  He  now  owns 
205  acres,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.     September  .18,  1878,  he  married  Mary  E. 


178  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Ingalls,  born  in  Haitwick,  Otsego  county,  a  daughter  of  Allen  and  Hulda  ("Windsor) 
Ingalls,  now  residing  in  Middlefield.  Subject  had  three  children  :  Harry  D.,  Leonard 
I.  and  Robert  L.  Luther  L  French  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Litch6eld  county.  Conn., 
August  23,  1810,  a  son  of  Ebenezer  W.  and  Lucy  (Darrow)  French,  both  of  Connecti- 
cut. In  181-1  E.  W.  French  moved  to  Galway,  Saratoga  county,  then  to  Oneida 
county,  and  in  1830  located  on  the  farm  where  our  subject  now  resides,  where  he  died 
July  1,  1865.  He  was  a  Whig  and  a  Republican,  and  a  deacon  in  the  Presbyterian 
church.  He  was  three  times  married.  His  first  wife  was  Sarah  Bassett,  by  whom  he 
had  four  children :  Prosper,  George  Roxanna  and  Sarah.  His  wife  was  born  May 
30,  1774,  and  died  October  26,  1804.  His  second  wife  was  Lucy  Darrow,  born  March 
12,  1781,  who  died  June  16,  1842,  leaving  seven  children  :  Lucy,  Marj',  Luther  L., 
Amond  J.,  Elizabeth  J.,  David  W.  and  Julia  A.  His  third  wife  was  Mariah  Bairdsley. 
She  died  November  18,  1882,  and  was  born  February  8,  1794,  in  New  York.  Luther 
L.  French  received  a  district  school  education,  and  being  the  oldest  son  had  to  help  his 
father.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  hired  out  for  $12.50  per  month,  which  was  consid- 
ered extra  wages.  In  the  spring  of  1840  he  bought  fifty  acres,  where  he  resided  until 
1890,  when  he  let  the  farm  to  his  son,  Eseck  W.,  and  moved  on  his  father's  old  liome- 
stead.  February  27,  1839,  he  married  Isabel!  Culver,  born  in  Westfield,  Chautauqua 
county,  July  15,  1817,  a  daughter  of  Harmon  and  Elizabeth  (Campbell)  Culver  of  Eng- 
lish and  Scotch  origin.  Subject  and  wife  have  had  eight  children,  three  of  whom  died 
in  childhood,  Orton  G.,  Lucelia  J.  and  Edward  0.  The  other  five  are  as  follows: 
Samuel  D.,  Mary  E.,  Morris  F.,  Louisa  C,  wife^of  Fenmore  R.  Stratton,  and  Eseck  W. 
Luther  L.  and  wife  have  been  life  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  French  is 
a  strong  Republican.  Samuel  D  French  enlisted  in  Company  F,  121st  regiment,  in 
1861,  serving  through  the  war.  Six  months  after  enlistment  he  was  transferred  to 
signal  corps,  in  which  he  was  a  lieutenant.     He  resides  in  Iowa. 

Green,  William  J.,  Winfield,  a  farmer  and  feed  merchant,  was  born  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  lives,  April  2,  1847,  a  son  of  Jared  J.,  who  was  born  in  Winfield,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1804,  and  died  May  20,  1878.  He  was  a  son  of  William  Green,  who  came 
from  Connecticut,  and  settled  in  Winfield  at  an  early  day.  The  mother  of  William  J. 
Green  was  Lucy  P.  (Randall)  Green,  who  was  born  April  17,  1809,  and  died  October 
27,  1891.  William  J.  married  Florence  L.  Jones,  January  2,  1878.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  Jones,  of  Brookfield,  Madison  county.  They  have  one  son,  Fred  J.  The 
farm  first  settled  by  William  Green  is  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  town  and  is  now 
owned  by  two  of  his  grandchildren,  William  J.  Green  and  Nettie  L.  Brown. 

Goodier,  Henry  W.,  Litchfield,  owns  a  grain  and  dairy  farm  of  120  acres,  and  has 
been  one  of  the  assessors  of  this  town  for  five  years  past.  He  is  a  member  of  Sauquoit 
Lodge,  No.  150,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Oneida  Chapter,  No.  57,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  Fort  Schuyler 
Council,  No,  404  Royal  Arcanum,  also  a  member  of  the  Litchfield  Grange,  No.  664. 
He  was  born  in  the  same  house  in  which  he  now  lives,  July  18,  1854,  and  married 
September  18,  1881,  Xena  V.  Prior.  They  have  two  sons,  L.  Raymond,  born  Sep- 
tember 7,  1887,  and  Harold  Prior,  born  November  15,  1892.  Henry  W.  was  a  son  of 
Henry  Goodier,  who  was  born  on  the  farm  north  of  this,  which  was  settled  by  his 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  179 

father,  Aaron  Goodier,  the  first  settler  on  that  farm  and  one  of  the  first  of  the  town. 
Xena  V.  Goodier  was  born  in  Paris,  Oneida  county,  September  25,  1864.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Philo  Prior,  who  died  at  Cedar  Lake,  December  31,  1892,  aged  fifty-three 
years. 

Gird,  Emma  L.,  Litchfield,  a  native  of  this  town,  born  on  the  farm  where  she  now 
I'ves,  is  a  daughter  of  John  Gird,  who  was  a  native  of  Trenton.  He  came  here  about 
1812,  with  his  mother,  from  New  York  city.  He  was  a  son  of  Henry  Gird,  who  was 
publisher  of  a  newspaper  in  New  York  city,  who  came  from  Wesford,  Ireland,  and  was 
a  colonel  in  the  English  army.  He  settled  in  Warrington,  and  bought  a  place  of 
George  Washington,  which  is  still  in  the  family  and  occupied  by  his  granddaughter, 
Mrs.  Frankland.  The  mother  of  John  Gird,  was  Mary,  daughter  of  Richard  Smith, 
who  settled  at  Cedar  Lake  farm,  now  owned  by  the  Sewell  Morgan  estate.  The 
mother  of  Emma  L.  Gird  was  Laura,  daughter  of  Sylvanius  Eing,  a  native  of  Monson, 
Massachusetts.  He  was  a  descendant  of  William  King,  who  came  over  in  the 
Mayflower.  William  King,  one  of  that  family,  was  the  first  Governor  of  the  State 
of  Maine.  There  are  now  living  seven  children  of  John  and  Laura  Gird  :  Henry 
S.,  Mary  H.,  Richard,  Mrs.  H.  P.  Martin,  L.  John,  William  K.,  and  Emma  L.  Gird, 
the  last  of  whom  occupies  and  conducts  the  farm  for  the  estate. 

Garline,  Charles,  Warren,  was  born  in  Verona.  Oneida  county,  December  5,  1850,  a 
son  of  Nicholas  and  Mary  A.  Garline,  natives  of  Germany.  The  former  came  to  the 
United  States  about  1843,  and  located  in  Oneida  county,  where  he  resided  until  his 
death,  in  the  spring  of  1883,  aged  seventy-three  years.  He  is  of  Catholic  faith,  and  a 
Republican  in  politics.  He  was  twice  married  and  had  three  children:  Seaman, 
Charles  and  Mary.  The  latter  died  at  nine  years  of  age.  His  wife  died  in  1854.  She 
was  born  in  Germany  and  her  father  was  a  Mr.  Miller,  who  came  to  the  United  States 
about  1835.  Nicholas  Garline  married  for  his  second  wife  Margaret  Shoemaker,  who 
came  from  Germany.  Charles  Garline  received  a  common  school  education  and  has 
made  his  own  way  in  life  since  fifteen  years  of  age.  At  twenty  he  began  for  himself 
on  the  canal,  which  he  followed  for  two  years.  In  1873  he  came  to  Warren,  and  in 
1874  began  as  cheese  maker,  which 'he  continued  four  years.  In  the  spring  of  1879 
he  bought  the  Cullen  cheese  factory,  which  he  has  operated  since,  making  on  an 
average  100,000  pounds  a  year.  He  is  now  assessor,  and  has  also  served  as  collector 
and  constable.  He  is  an  active  Democrat,  and  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum 
and  the  Grange.  He  married  in  1876,  Alice  C.  Ball,  who  was  born  in  Lilchficld. 
daughter  of  Horatio  and  Roxie  (Manning)  Ball,  natives  of  Herkimer  county.  Sub- 
ject has  three  children :   William  S.,  Leon  F.  and  Charleg  H. 

Green,  Nelson  L.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Danube,  January  14,  1853,  a  son  of  Herki- 
mer and  Emily  T.  (Wolcott)  Green.  The  grandfather.  Dr.  Felix  Green  was  a  son  of 
Ambrose,  and  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  a  pioneer  of  Danube,  where  he  lived  nearly 
all  his  life.  He  married  Elma  Lester,  and  had  seven  children :  John,  William,  Felix, 
Anna,  Polly,  Elizabeth  and  Ruth.  He  held  various  town  offices.  Fehx  lived  on  the 
Hudson  river  near  Albany,  and  early  came  to  Danube.  He  was  an  active  Whig  and 
Republican  and  served  in  nearly  all  the  town  offices.     He  was  a  Free  Mason,  and  died 


180  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

July  18,  1857,  ageJ  eightj'-one.  His  wife  died  in  1859.  She  was  Lana  Herkimer? 
and  was  born  in  Danube,  a  daughter  of  George  Herkimer,  who  was  a  brother  of  Gen- 
eral Nicholas  Herkimer,  whose  wife  w-as  a  daughter  of  General  Schuyler.  Of  thirteen 
children  Felix  reared  ten  :  Alida,  o'ane,  Mary,  Helen,  James,  George,  Charles,  Herki- 
mer, Augustus,  John.  Herkimer  Green  was  born  in  Danube,  November  20,  1811.  In 
1870  he  moved  to  Cayuga  county,  and  in  1882  removed  to  his  present  home  in  western 
Warren,  on  a  farm  of  248  acre.  He  has  reared  two  children  :  John  H.,  who  was  born  in 
Danube  in  August,  1846,  married  Nellie  Wartraan.  Subject's  mother  was  born  in 
Shoreham,  Vermont,  daughter  of  Seamon  and  Huldah  (Kellogg)  Wolcott.  Nelson  K. 
Green  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  received  a  common  school  education  supplemented 
by  a  co'ir.se  in  the  Academy  at  Little  Falls.  He  has  followed  farming,  is  an  active 
Republican,  and  married  Mary  0.,  daughter  of  John  N.  and  Rebecca  (Soule)  Smith. 
They  had  three  children  :  George  II.,  Elma  R.,  and  Emily  E.  John  H.  Green  received 
his  education  at  Little  Falls  academy,  and  then  at  Hamilton  college,  graduating  in  the 
class  of  '74.  He  has  taught  school,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Cayuga  county. 
He  has  served  in  town  offices  as  a  Republican,  and  is  now  a  farmer  in  Warren.  He 
has  the  old  lock  of  the  door  of  General  Herkim^j-'s  house,  also  a  chair  of  his,  and 
other  pieces  of  furniture  which  belonged  to  the  general.  George  Green,  brother  of 
Herkimer,  is  a  physician  at  St.  Johnsville,  and  John  Green  is  a  prominent  physician 
at  Sharon  Springs. 

Goodier,  James  G.,  Frankfort,  one  of  eleven  children  of  Aaron  and  Abigail  (Kendall) 
Goodier.  both  of  Litchfield.  The  grandfather.  Rev.  Aaron  Goodier,  clergyman,  was 
born  in  England  and  educated  for  the  ministry,  preaching  there  for  several  years.  He 
came  to  this  country  when  thirty-five  years  of  age  and  was  during  his  active  life  a  minister 
of  the  Gospel,  living  in  the  town  of  Litchfield,  where  he  was  a  large  land  owner.  Abigail 
Kendall,  the  mother,  was  a  daughter  of  Amrai  Kendall,  contractor,  a  native  of  Ma.ssa- 
chusetts.  James  G.  was  married  May  1,  1872,  to  Mary  A.  Slaughter  of  Litchfield. 
Until  1888  he  lived  in  Litchfield  when  he  moved  to  the  village  of  Frankfort  where  he 
now  lives.     He  is  justice  of  the  peace  and  does  a  real  estate  and  collecting  business. 

Goodale,  G.  A.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Mohawk,  May  26,  1846.  He  first  started  in 
the  grocery  business  in  Richfield  and  was  afterwards  assistant  shipper  in  the  agricultu- 
ral works  in  Ilion  for  fifteen  years.  He  spent  five  years  in  the  painting  trade  and 
conducted  a  meat  market  for  four  years.  He  has  been  in  his  present  grocery  and 
confectionery  business  in  Mohawk  about  a  year.  In  1868  he  married  Anna  M. 
Dodge.  Mr.  Goodale  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  in  politics  a  Prohibition- 
ist. 

Guiney,  John  &  Company,  Little  Falls.  This  firm  consists  of  John  Guiney  and  Benja- 
min O.  Sullivan,  and  was  established  in  1859,  for  the  purpo.se  of  retailing  liquors  in 
Little  Falls.  Both  members  of  the  firm  were  born  in  Ireland  and  have,  since  es- 
tablishing business  here,  made  a  host  of  friends  and  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative 
trade.     They  are  influential  members  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W. 

Golden,  D.  N.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Columbia,  April  14,  1830.  His  father, 
Benjamin,    was  a  trunk    maker.      Mr.     Golden    was    connected   with    variout    hotels 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  181 

during  the  many  years  of  his  life  and  had  government  contracts  on  the  canal,  of 
which  he  was  at  one  time  section  superintendent.  He  has  of  late  acted  a<"  travel- 
ing salesman.  His  marriage  occurred  in  1858,  and  he  has  three  children:  Cora  E. 
Hilts,  Harvey  M.  Golden,  assistant  cashier  in  the  Mohawk  bank,  and  Frank  M.,  who 
resides  in  Chicago,  111. 

Greene,  Willis,  Danube,  was  born  on  the  old  farm  in  Danube,  September  17,  1846. 
He  received  a  liberal  education  in  Fairfield  Seminary  and  at  Fort  Edward,  Mr.  Greene 
owns  fifty-four  acres  of  land  on  the  river  road,  Danute,  and  follows  the  occupation  of 
market  gardening,  in  which  he  has  been  very  successful.  His  wife  was  Margaret  Le 
Row,  and  they  have  one  child,  a  son.  This  branch  of  the  Greene  family  descent  is 
traced  from  General  Greene  of  Revolutionary  fame. 

Gardinier,  Albert,  Danube,  was  born  on  the  old  farm  upon  which  he  still  lives  and 
owns,  April  19,  1834.  This  land  was  bought  by  his  grandfather  who  lived  and  died 
upon  it  and  is  buried  in  the  old  burying  ground  on  the  farm.  His  father,  John  Gardin- 
ier, also  lived,  died  and  is  buried  here.  Albert  Gardinier  received  a  good  education  in 
the  schools  of  this  vicinity  and  has  served  the  town  of  Danube  as  assessor  several  terms. 
He  married  Fanny  Burrell  of  Herkimer  county  and  they  have  three  sons  and  three 
daughters.  He  is  a  successful  farmer  and  has  about  two  hundred  acres  of  fine  dairy 
land  and  keeps  on  an  average  fifty  head  of  cattle  besides  other  stock. 

Griswold,  G.  W.,  Fairfield,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  August  3,  1806,  and  has  been  a 
farmer  all  his  life.  His  ancestors  came  from  Saybrook,  Conn.,  in  1780,  and  have  resided 
in  these  parts  ever  since.  His  grandfather  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  In  1835 
Mr.  Griswold  went  to  Newport,  and  fifteen  years  ago  settled  in  Middleville.  He  has 
taken  great  interest  in  public  and  educational  affairs  all  his  life,  and  is  a  very  intelli- 
gent and  highly  esteemed  citizen.     He  is  one  of  the  oldest  men  in  Herkimer  county. 

Getman,  Sanford,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  German  Flats,  March  23,  1833,  a  son 
of  Jacob  Getman,  a  farmer.  At  the  age  of  ten  years  Mr.  Getman  entered  the  Armory, 
at  the  old  shop,  and  five  years  later  he  started  the  first  bus  line  here.  This  he  sold  at 
the  opening  of  the  war  and  went  into  the  flour  and  feed  business.  In  1860  he  married 
Julia  B.  Lyman.  He  has  always  been  an  ardent  Democrat,  and  has  served  as  super- 
visor and  assessor  nine  years. 

Gerhart,  Louis,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Germany,  June  28,  1852.  He  received  a 
good  education  in  the  schools  of  Germany,  and  in  1870  came  to  this  country.  After 
working  on  a  farm  for  some  time,  Mr.  Gerhart  learned  the  mason  trade,  and  worked  in 
this  industry  for  seventeen  years,  after  which  he  purchased  a  very  desirable  property 
in  Dolgeville,  opposite  the  Cottage  Hotel,  and  established  his  present  liquor  business, 
which  he  has  since  most  successfully  conducted.  Mr.  Gerhart  married  Miss  Wagner. 
Tliey  have  two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl. 

Gibson,  Burr,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Ohio,  September  1,  1865.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Susan  Gibson,  whom  we  have  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  was  reared 
on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  public  schools.  In  1867  he  married  Addie  Case,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  Case,  of  Ohio.     To  Mr.  Gibson  and  wife 


182  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

two  children  have  been  born,  Willie  and  Nora,  both  living.     Mr.  Gibson  ia  a  farmer 
and  Democrat. 

Guenther,  George,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Germany,  November  18,  1848.  After 
securing  a  good  education  in  the  schools  there  he  learned  the  machinist  trade  in  Saxony, 
at  which  trade  he  worked  for  some  years.  In  1877  he  came  to  America  and  entered 
the  employ  of  Alfred  Dolge  as  superintendent  of  the  machinist  department,  which  posi- 
tion he  sti'l  holds.  Mr.  Guenther  married  Miss  Annie  Dolge,  a  sister  of  Alfred  Dolge. 
They  have  one  child,  a  boy.  Mr.  Guenther  is  a  member  of  the  school  board,  aid  society, 
Royal  Arcanum,  Building  and  Loan  Association,  Odd  Fellows,  etc. 

Gray,  C.  B.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Norway,  March  29,  1845,  a  son  of  Lathan,  who  was 
a  son  of  Lathan  Gray,  of  Connecticut.  The  latter  married  Amy  Brown  in  1791  and 
had  seven  daughters  and  two  sons.  Lathan,  jr.,  was  born  in  Lebanon,  Conn.,  April 
21,  1800.  His  wife  was  Julia  A.  Pendleton,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons.  Id  1828  he 
went  to  Norway,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  a  manufacturer 
of  lumber  and  furniture.  In  1831  Mrs.  Gray  died  and  in  1836  he  married  Catherine, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah  Bensley,  early  settlers  of  Newport.  Mr.  Gray  and 
wife  had  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mr.  Gray's  second  wife  died  in  1855,  and  he 
married  third,  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Asa  Vickery,  of  Russia.  Mr.  Gray  was  a  Demo- 
crat and  a  Free  Mason,  and  was  supervisor.  The  village  of  Gray  was  named  in  his 
honor.  He  died  in  1884  and  his  last  wife  died  in  1890.  Subject  received  a  common 
school  education.  In  October,  1890,  he  married  Melissa  E.  Figert.  daughter  of  William 
and  Jane  (Elsie)  Burberry,  natives  of  England,  who  had  eight  children.  In  1854  Mr. 
Burberry  and  wife  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Ohio,  N.  Y.,  where  Mrs.  Burberry 
died  on  May  9,  1887.  Mr.  Burberry  was  a  manufacturer  of  brick  and  tile,  and  died 
in  Norway  in  1870.  The  first  husband  of  Mrs.  Gray  was  Charles  Figert,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  by  whom  she  had  one  child,  Charlotta.  Mr.  Figert  died  November  10,  1887.  In 
1890  Mrs.  Figert  graduated  from  the  Cortland  Normal  school.  Mr.  Gray  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  has  been  supervisor  three  years.  He  is  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge,  No. 
458,  F.  and  A.  M.,  of  Little  Falls,  Commandery  No.  26,  Ilion  Chapter,  No.  236. 

Harter,  Aaron,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  New  Herkimer,  October  29, 1816.  His  father, 
Nicholas  Harter,  settled  here  m  1812.  Mr.  Harter  owns  255  acres  of  farm  land,  be- 
sides a  large  amount  of  other  property.  He  ha«  fifty-five  head  of  stock  and  conducts 
a  dairy  farm.  Mr.  Harter  has  been  a  very  successful  farmer.  He  has  served  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  and  is  a  staunch  Democrat.  His  wife,  who  is  seventy»>four  years  of 
age,  is  an  energetic  and  most  careful  lady  and  has  aided  him  most  materially  in  his 
successful  transactions  in  life.     They  live  on  the  old  farm  on  the  Steuben  road. 

Helmer,  Samuel,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Manheim,  February  8,  1820, 
and  has  always  lived  on  the  farm  which  he  purchased  from  his  father.  It  contains  150 
acres  of  fine  dairy  land  and  upon  it  he  keeps  about  twenty-five  head  of  cattle  besides 
other  stock.  Mr.  Helmer  has  four  children  living,  two  boys,  Hannibel  and  Dwight, 
and  two  girls,  Mrs.  Annie  Bracket,  and  Mrs.  Eugene  Snell.  Helmer's  ancestry  is  of 
German  descent.  His  grandfather  was  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  his  father  in 
that  of  1812  at  Sackett's  Harbor.     His  son,  Dwight   Helmer,  assists  him  on  the  farm. 


Family  sketches.  m 

and  his  other  son,  Eannibel  Helmer,  is  engaged  in  the  meat  business  in  Dolgeville. 
Both  sons  have  received  an  academic  education. 

Hyer,  Otis  H.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Rensselaer,  N.  Y.  He  has  been  in  the  woolen 
manufacturing  line  for  thirteen  years  and  is  an  expert.  He  was  five  years  in  Pittsfield, 
Mass.,  and  after  three  years'  absence  returned  to  the  same  firm.  He  was  two  years  in 
Woonsocket  and  four  years  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  then  with  the  Rhode  Island  Knitting 
Company  in  Berwick  three  years.  After  a  short  stay  in  Fonda,  N.  Y.,  he  returned  to 
Little  Falls  and  is  one  of  the  superintendents  of  MacKinnon's  Mill.  Mr.  Hyer  served 
his  country  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  in  Company  K,  Thirty-fourth  Massachusetts 
Regiment  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Petersburg,  Lynchburg  and  Piedmont,  in 
the  last  of  which  he  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  and  passed  eleven  months  in 
Andersonville  prison.  He  was  under  fifteen  years  old  when  he  enlisted.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

Hall,  Dr.  Horace,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Princeton,  Ind.  His  father  was  chief 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Indiana  and  also  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State. 
Horace  enlisted  as  private  in  the  Fifty-eighth  Indiana  Volunteers,  Company  K.,  and 
after  the  close  of  the  war  was  mustered  out  as  captain  of  the  company.  Dr.  Hall  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  of  dental  surgery  since  his  grad- 
uation about  twenty  years  ago.  He  married  Miss  Hattie  E.  Scutt  of  Almena,  but  has 
no  family.  His  office  is  located  at  No.  596  East  Main  street.  The  doctor  enjoys  a  lead- 
ing patronage  with  the  first  families  of  Little  Falls  and  Herkimer  county. 

Hose,  Wallace,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  St.  Johnsville,  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y., 
receiving  an  excellent  education  in  the  schools  of  this  county  and  the  Cazenovia  Semi- 
nary. His  earlier  business  experience  was  in  mercantile  transactions,  he  having  been 
engaged  in  this  line  in  St.  Johusville  for  two  year.s,  and  at  Fort  Plain ;  after  which  he 
entered  the  employ  of  H.  M.  Burch,  with  whom  he  remained  seven  years.  He  then 
accepted  a  position  with  Titus  Sheard  as  bookkeeper,  eventually  being  admitted  a 
member  of  the  concern  in  which  he  now  holds  the  position  of  secretary  of  the  company. 
Mr.  Hose  is  a  member  of  various  local,  social  and  benevolent  institutions.  He  married 
Edith  I.  Sheard  and  they  have  one  child. 

Hunt,  T.  E.,  of  the  township  of  Little  Falls,  owns  one  of  the  best  farms  near 
the  village  and  is  a  prosperous  and  progressive  farmer.  He  is  also  a  veteran  of 
the  late  war,  having  enlisted  in  the  Tenth  Missouri  Infantry,  but  was  subsequently 
transferred  to  the  Fifteenth  and  then  to  the  Seventeenth  New  York  Regiments,  and 
served  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  is  a  prominent  Grand  Army  man,  and  a 
member  of  the  Grange.  Mrs.  Hunt  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois. 

Plarrid,  George,  Danube,  was  born  in  England,  February  16,  1839:  he  has  lived  in 
this  country  about  thirty-eight  years  and  has  owned  his  farm  of  forty  acres  of  land, 
lying  on  the  Odesa  Creek,  for  nearly  twenty-seven  years.  He  married  Mary  Finale 
and  they  have  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  He  is  an  excellent  farmer 
and  a  thorough  and  honorable  man. 


184  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

House,  Squire,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  this  county  and  received  a  common  school 
education  in  the  Jordanville  district  school.  In  1861  he  enhsted  in  the  Thirty-fourth 
New  York  Volunteers  and  served  two  years  in  the  Rebellion,  participating  in  manv  of 
the  leading  battles  and  engagements  which  occurred  during  this  period.  He  was  en- 
gaged for  two  years  after  the  war  in  cutting  marble,  and  in  1865  he  established  a  gen- 
eral merchandise  store  upon  the  canal.  Mr.  House  gives  employment  to  from  ten  t'> 
twenty  hands  cutting  wood.  He  has  cleared  over  three  hundred  acres  of  wood  in  this 
vicinity.  He  is  of  Mohawk  Dutch  descent  and  of  Revolutionary  antecedents.  His 
wife  was  Cornelia  Orendorf  of  Fort  Herkimer,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  a  son 
and  a  daughter.     His  wife  died  October  28,  1892. 

Hailing,  Theodore  C,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  February  7,  1862.  His 
father  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  this  country  in  his  youth.  He  was  for  many 
years  a  leading  tailor  and  draper  in  this  village  before  his  death.  Theodore  C.  was 
educated  at  Little  Falls  Academy,  and  was  for  many  years  manager  of  a  clothing  store 
in  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  He  married  Rose  Lampman,  and  they  have  one  child.  Mr.  Hailing 
is  now  conducting  a  tobacco,  cigar  and  confectionery  establishment  opposite  the  Met- 
ropolitan Hotel,  Little  Falls. 

Helmer,  Philip,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Manheim,  Augu?t  9,  1823.  He 
received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  has  up  to  the  time  of 
his  retirement  been  a  successful  farmer.  He  married  a  sister  of  Brig.-Gen.  Spoffard, 
Bmeline  SpoiFard.  Mr.  Helmer's  grandfather  participated  in  the  Revolutionary  war, 
and  his  father,  Leonard  Helmer,  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Helmer  sold  his  farm  of  200 
acres  to  Alfred  Dolge,  who  has  located  the  new  depot  of  the  Little  Falls  and  Dolgeville 
railroad  thereon.  Mr.  Helmer  still  retains  the  old  homestead,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  and  pleasantly  located  homes  of  Dolgeville.  They  have  one  adopted 
daughter. 

Hoke,  Charles  D.,  Danube,  was  born  in  Danube  in  1854.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm, 
and  before  his  death  his  father  purchased  a  farm  of  about  fifty  acres,  which  he  pre- 
sented to  Charles,  and  upon  which  the  latter  now  lives.  This  place  is  adjacent  to 
Newville.     Chas.  Hoke  married  Catharine  Matice.     They  have  no  children. 

Hawthorne,  Wilson,  Schuyler,  was  born  in  Oneida  County,  in  the  town  of  Deerfield, 
-Vpril  22,  1825,  and  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  His  father,  William  Hawthorne, 
came  from  Ireland  in  1812,  coming  up  the  Mohawk  valley  on  a  flat-boat.  In  1856  Mr. 
Hawthorne  married  ilary  Ann  Conlin,  of  Deerfield,  and  they  have  six  children : 
Wilson,  Jane,  Charles,  James,  William,  and  Minnie.  Wilson  married  Ruth  Ladd, 
daughter  of  S.  P.  Ladd.  Mr.  Hawthorne  has  been  poormaster,  and  has  held  other 
positions  in  the  town. 

Hofifman,  George,  Danube,  was  born  at  East  Creek,  Herkimer  county,  April  8,  1851. 
He  married  Lizzie  Killingback,  and  their  family  consists  of  five  children:  two  sons  and 
three  daughters.  Mr.  Hoffman's  grandfather,  Isaac  Wheeler,  was  with  Gen.  Herkimer 
at  Oriskany.  Our  subject  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  known  as  the  Herkimer  Farm, 
which  consists  of  163  acres,  and  is  located  in  Danube,  near  the  Mohawk  river.  Mr. 
Hoffman  is  a  member  of  the  A.  0.  TJ.  W.,  etc. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.      ■  185 

Houghton,  "William  L.,  Ingham  Mills,  was  born  in  Fulton  county,  March  14,  1825. 
When  twenty- one  years  of  age  he  came  to  Ingham  Mills,  a  d  was  for  nine  years  en- 
gaged in  saw- mill  business  for  the  Inghams,  after  which  he  established  himself  in  the 
blacksmithing  industry,  which  he  has  carried  on  for  thirty-seven  years  here  in  Ingham 
,  Mills.  Mr.  Houghton  has  lately  retired  from  business,  and  is  succeeded  by  his  son, 
Geo.  M.  Houghton.  Mr.  Houghton  has  served  as  overseer  of  the  poor  for  two  terms, 
justice  of  the  peace,  etc.,  and  is  much  respected  by  all  who  know  him.  He  married 
Miss  L.  La  Due,  and  has  only  one  child  living.  Mr.  Houghton's  father,  Richard  Hough- 
ton, was  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  grandfather  in  the  Revolution. 

Harter,  P.  P.,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer,  and  was  born  August  28.  1826. 
He  has  been  a  farmer  all  of  his  life,  and  has  resided  nearly  all  that  time  on  his  present 
farm.  His  father  and  grandfather  before  him  lived  on  this  farm.  He  married  Miss 
May  Kest,  and  they  have  two  sons,  Edwin  and  Frank.  Mr.  Harter  has  sixty-four 
acres  of  dairy  farm  and  fourteen  cows.  He  has  never  belonged  to  any  organization, 
but  his  son  Frank  is  a  member  of  the  Grange.     They  are  all  Democrats. 

Holmes,  Brainerd  0.,  Wmfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  April  26, 
1847.  He  is  a  son  of  Orange  Holmes,  born  on  the  same  farm,  of  which  this  is  a  part, 
December  25,  1803,  and  died  December  13,  1864.  He  married  Henrietta  Brainerd, 
January  15,  1829,  who  died  March  28,  1891.  Orange  was  a  son  of  Elijah  Holmes,  who 
settled  on  this  farm  at  an  early  date.  The  house  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  WinBeld. 
Brainerd  0.  Holmes  married  Mary  J.  Hadley,  September  21,  1869,  and  they  have  two 
children:  Mabel  M.,  and  Harold  B.  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Holmes  was  a  daughter  Harry  and 
Mary  Hadley,  residents  and  natives  of  Litchfield.  Orange  Holmes  had  six  children: 
Pamela  A.,  Leonidas  B.,  Sarah  R.,  Caroline  E.,  Ellen  C,  and  Brainerd  O.  Deacon 
Ehjah  Holmes  came  from  Connecticut  and  settled  in  Winfield  about  1794.  He  was 
the  first  shoemaker,  and  tanned  his  own  leather,  grinding  the  bark  by  horse  power, 
and  the  ruins  of  his  tannery  are  still  to  be  seen  at  North  Winfield. 

Hull,  Henry  W.,  farmer  and  carpenter  of  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Watertown, 
Jefferson  county.  May  10,  1836,  and  settled  in  Litchfield  in  1878.  He  married  Eliza 
M.  Jones,  of  this  town,  by  whom  he  had  two  children:  Herbert  H.,  and  Walter  A. 
The  former  married  Kittle,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Jane  Richards,  of  Litchfield. 
Henry  Hull  is  a  son  of  Shubel  Hull,  a  native  of  Watertown,  who  married  Sophronia 
Pierce,  of  Lorraine,  Jeff'erson  county,  N.  Y.  Mrs.  Ella  M.  Hull  is  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Elsie  Jones,  of  this  town.  Shubel  Hull  was  a  son  of  John  Hull,  a  mason  con- 
tractor and  builder,  who  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  settled  early  in  Jefferson 
county. 

Huntley,  Jackson  M.,  Litchfield,  was  born  November  9,  1834.  at  Exeter,  Otsego 
county,  and  he  married  Almira  Gitchell.  by  whom  he  has  four  children :  Lester  G., 
Lucy  G.,  Carlson  Le  Grange,  and  Loren  Grant.  Mrs.  Huntley  was  the  only  daughter 
of  Benjamin  and  Palmyra  (Hadley)  Gitchell,  natives  of  Winfield.  Lester  G.  Huntley 
married  Essie  ilcKentry ;  Lucy  G.  married  Gusta  Carlson,  and  they  have  one  son 
named  Harold  G.  Carlson. 


186  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Harwick,  Joseph,  Stark,  came  from  Rensselaer  county  and  feltled  where  our  sul  ject 
resides  about  1790.  He  died  about  1815.  He  was  twice  married,  raised  one  son,  Con- 
rad Harwick,  who  was  born  October  10,  1774,  and  came  with  his  father  to  Stark,  where 
he  died  in  October,  1862.  He  served  in  the  war  of  1812  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  His 
wife  was  Sarah,  daughter  of  Garett  and  Anna  M.  Brower.  Subject's  mollier  died  in  . 
1848.  She  had  five  children,  three  survived:  Christiana  Snel!,  John  P.  and  Anna  M. 
Gaungs.  John  P.  Haiwick  was  born  June  15,  1813,  and  has  always  resided  here,  own- 
ing 107  acres  He  has  been  a  Whig  and  Republican.  He  married  in  February,  1847, 
Julia  A.,  daughter  of  David  and  Luvina  (Brower)  Kingsley,  and  they  had  one  child, 
James  K.,  born  December  26,  1847,  who  lived  with  his  parents  and  ran  the  farm.  He 
married  March  11,  1891,  Effie,  daughter  of  Berry  and  Lucy  (Ward)  Eckler.  They  have 
one  child,  John  H. 

Hall,  John,  Stark,  was  born  in  Stark  June  13,  1838,  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Jane 
(Mount)  Hall.  The  grandfather,  Thomas,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  came  to  the  United 
State.s  after  the  Revolution  and  settled  in  Stark  with  a  brother,  Robert.  Later  he 
moved  to  Onondaga  county,  and  thence  to  California  in  1859,  where  he  died,  over  eighty 
years  of  age.  He  served  as  justice  many  years  and  was  a  Ma,son.  His  wife  was  Louise 
Sprague.  They  raised  four  children  :  Alexander,  John  G.,  Naiicy  and  Martha.  His 
wife  died  in  Onondaga  county.  Alexander  was  born  in  Springfield,  Otsego  county. 
About  1830  he  moved  to  Stark  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  with  his  brother.  In 
1839  he  moved  where  his  son  now  resides  and  bought  and  operated  a  grist  and  saw- 
mill, also  growing  hops  largely.  He  served  as  supervisor  and  died  in  the  fall  of  1885, 
aged  seventy-eight.  His  wife  survives  him.  They  had  three  children:  Martha,  John 
and  Elizabeth.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Mount,  who  came  from  New  Jersey,  and 
was  an  aid  and  captain  under  General  Washington.  At  twenty-one  John  began 
farming  where  he  now  resides,  also  engaging  in  hop  busiress  until  1890.  He  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat and  a  leader  of  Fort  Plain  and  Utica  Commandery.  He  married  August  7,  1861, 
Mariette  Springer,  born  in  Columbia,  daughter  of  Martin  L.  and  Charlotte  (Kinter) 
Springer,  of  Stark.  Martin  L  Springer  was  in  the  142d  N.  Y.  Vols.,  lieutenant.  He 
was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  had  two  children,  Martha  and  Mariette.  Martin  L. 
was  a  son  of  Ludwick,  who  came  from  Rensselaer  county.  Subject  has  had  four 
children,  two  living:  Oliver  and  Jennie  L.  Cora  died,  aged  thirteen,  and  one  died  in 
infancy.     They  attend  the  Universalist  church. 

Houghton,  Clark,  farmer,  of  EatonviUe,  is  a  native  of  Vermont  and  was  born  in  1818. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  came  to  the  town  of  Little  Falls,  where  he  has  lived  ever 
since.  He  was  a  carpenter  for  seventeen  years  prior  to  beginning  his  farm  life.  He 
owns  126  acres  of  land  and  has  a  herd  of  thirty  cows.  His  father  was  also  a  native 
of  Vermont  and  his  grandfather  was  an  Englishman.  His  father  went  to  Canada  with 
the  American  troops  in  1812.  Clark  Houghton  married  Eliza  Arnold,  and  they  have 
one  daughter,  Mrs.  Alexander  Martin.  Mr.  Houghton  is  a  Repubhcan,  and  has  voted 
for  every  president  except  Scott  since  the  election  of  the  first  Harrison  in  1841. 

Hoke,  Solomon,  Warren,  was  born  in  Minden  July  1,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter 
and  Margaret  (Countryman)  Hoke.     Peter  served  in  the  war  of  1812.     He  was  a  Lulh- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  187 

eran  and  a  Democrat  and  died  in  1844.  They  had  four  sons  and  eight  daughters.  Sol- 
omon Hoke,  the  youngest  son,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  began  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  ten  years,  when  he  began  farming  in  JeiFerson  county.  In  1856  he 
sold  out  and  settled  in  Danube,  and  in  1869  moved  to  Warren,  where  he  now  owns  124 
acres  of  land.  In  1854  he  married  Catherine  (Springer)  Walter,  and  they  had  five 
children:  Rosa,  wife  of  Alpha  Ball;  Walter,  died  at  thirteen ;' Carrie,  died  at  two; 
Orville  J.  and  Emma,  wife  of  David  Mixter. 

Hoover,  John  P.,  Fairfield,  was  born  in  Manheim  in  1828  and  has  followed  farming 
all  his  hfe.  His  great-grandfather  came  from  Switzerland.  His  grandfather  was  Jacob 
Hoover  and  his  father  WiUiam  Hoover.  In  1861  Mr.  Hoover  married  Catherine  Ryan, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Ryan,  and  they  have  a  family  of  eleven  children,  five  sons  and  six 
daughters.  Mr.  Hoover  is  a  Democrat.  His  father  was  at  Sackett's  Harbor  in  1812 
and  was  given  a  grant  of  government  land.  Mr.  Hoover  has  132  acres  of  land  and  a 
herd  of  twenty-four  cows. 

Hosford,  William,  Warren,  and  wife,  Theresa  (Jepson),  came  from  North  Adams, 
Mass.,  to  Cedarville,  Oneida  county,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  shoemaker. 
They  had  five  children :  Lorenzo,  Matthew,  William,  Lot  and  Clarissa.  He  died  in 
September,  1853,  aged  sixty-eight,  and  his  wife  July  4,  1861,  aged  seventy-five.  Lo- 
renzo Hosford  was  born  in  Bridgewater,  Oneida  county.  May  22,  1812.  He  married 
Julia  A.,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Christina  Devendorf,  who  bore  him  four  children  : 
Seward,  Alanson  B.,  Israel  and  Frank.  He  died  April  20,  1891,  and  his  wife  Septem- 
ber 29,  1889.  Frank  D.  Hosford  was  born  at  Cedarville  October  13,  1852.  He  received 
an  academic  education,  and  at  twenty-two  left  home  and  began  clerking  at  Hemlock 
Lake,  where  he  passed  three  years,  then  one  year  at  Cedarville,  where  he  began  cheese- 
making  at  the  latter  place.  He  married  March  18,  1885,  Clara  L.,  daughter  of  David 
and  Mary  (Schooley)  Evans,  of  Litchfield,  and  located  where  he  how  lives  and  manu- 
factures cheese.     They  have  one  child,  Mary  E. 

Humphrey,  B.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Holland  Patent  in  1854.  He  was  a 
farmer's  son.  His  father  was  Griffith  Humphrey,  who  died  in  1890.  Mr.  Humphrey 
has  been  in  the  saloon  busine.«s  for  several  years.  He  formerly  worked  in  the  armory. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  the  Red  Men  and  the  Odd  Fellows,  of  the  Mount 
Encampment  and  was  chief  of  police  for  four  years.  In  1879  he  married  Miss  Ehza 
Mahanna,  and  they  have  one  daughter.  Alberta. 

Harrison,  Horace  L.,  Litchfield,  who  has  been  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty  years 
in  succession,  has  also  been  postmaster  of  Norwich  Corners  for  twelve  years.  He  has 
been  president  of  the  Norwich  Corners  Cemetery  Association  for  about  ten  years,  since 
its  organization.  He  was  supervisor  of  this  town  for  five  years  in  succession.  He 
taught  school  in  this  and  adjoining  towns  twenty-four  terms  and  holds  a  State  certifi- 
cate. He  is  now  a  farmer,  owning  about  125  acres.  He  was  born  May  3,  1823,  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives.  His  father.  Captain  Josiah  Harrison,  came  from  North 
Brantford,  Conn.,  about  1809.  He  was  a  captain  of  militia  in  the  war  of  1812  and  was 
stationed  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  He  died  September  14,  18G4,  aged  seventy-eight. 
Horace  L.  Harrison  married  Mary  N.,  daughter  of  James  Groves,  of  New  Hartford, 


188  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Oneida  county,  and  they  have  four  children  :  Jennie  F.,  Hattie  A.,  Henry  E.  and  Gertie 
M.     Lavina  Harrison  died  October  20,  1870,  aged  eighty-seven  years. 

Johnson,  Horace  M.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Schuyler.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  this  counly,  and  early  commenced  actively  the  life  of  a  farmer.  His 
father  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Little  Falls  for  a  number  of  years,  afterwards 
becoming  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The  Johnson  family  are  of  New  England 
descent,  members  of  the  family  having  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  the  great- 
grandfather of  Horace  M.  having  been  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  His  father  was  born  and 
reared  at  Eaton's  Bush.  The  family  now  own  considerable  land  at  Schuyler,  where 
nearly  all  of  them  are  located.  Mr.  Jo'^nson's  wife  was  Margaret  Garry,  and  they  have 
one  daughter,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Robinson. 

Jackson,  W.  R.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Charlestown,  Va.,  and  was  born  November 
26,  1858.  He  came  to  Ilion  in  1868  and  attended  the  school  here  five  years.  He  was 
for  some  lime  a  successful  professional  ball  player  and  has  been  in  the  apiarist's  busi- 
ness for  several  years.  In  1882  he  married  Miss  Helen  E.  Denel.  He  is  a  Republican. 
His  father  was  John  B.  Jackson. 

Jones,  Dennison  S.,  Winfield,  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  Winfield,  owns  a 
dairy  and  hop  farm  of  212  acres.  He  was  born  in  Litchfield  March  8,  1832,  and  settled 
on  this  farm  where  he  now  lives  in  1861.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Jones,  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  Litchfield,  and  his  father  was  from  Nova  Scotia.  Dennison  S.  Jones 
married,  December  8,  1858,  Alvira,  daughter  of  Sewell  Slade  of  Columbia,  and  after- 
wards Litchfield.  Dennison  S.  and  Alvira  Jones  have  two  children  :  Julius  C,  and 
Jessie  E.  • 

Jones.  Henry  D.,  Winfield,  was  the  first  manager  of  the  milk  station  called  Cedsr- 
ville,  and  started  the  business  in  1889.  They  make  both  butter  and  cheese.  The  milk 
is  bought  here  of  the  farmers  and  shipped  to  the  proprietor  in  New  York  city.  Henry 
D.  Jones  married  Lillie  C,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Eliza  Hayes  of  Unadilla  Forks.  Henry 
Jones  makes  both  butter  and  cheese. 

Jones,  Hiram,  Wnifield,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  October  31,  1830, 
a  son  of  Richard  R.  Jones,  who  was  born  in  Danube,  and  died  December  2,  1888,  aged 
eighty-five  years.  His  father  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Danube. 
Hiram  Jones  married,  March  16,  1854,  daughter  of  Conrad  Folts  of  Frankfort.  They 
have  five  children  living:  George  C,  Oliver  R.,  Wallace  H.,  Elva  J.  and  Cora  A.  They 
have  lost  four  children  :  James  F.,  who  died  in  infancy,  October  7,  1857;  Eva  May^ 
died  October  9,  1864,  aged  about  two  years;  Edith  E.,  died  September  9,  1875,  aged 
about  three  years,  and  Mary  E.,  October  17,  1879,  aged  about  twenty-four  years.  Mr. 
Jones  has  served  as  assessor  of  Winfield. 

Jones,  William  E.,  Schuyler,  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Schuyler,  was  born  on 
the  farm  he  now  owns  July  18,  1845.  His  father  was  Richard  Jones,  a  native  of 
Wales.  Mr.  Jones  has  a  large  farm  of  225  acres,  under  dairy  and  timber.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  was  commissioner  of  highways  for  six  years.     He  is  now  serv- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  189 

ing  his  seventh  year  as  assessor  of  the  town.     He  has  also  been  inspector  of  elections. 
Mr.  Jones  has  two  sisters  living,  Jennie  Jones  and  Mrs.  J.  S.  Davis. 

Joslin,  Aaron  V.,  Franlifort,  was  born  in  Franljfort  March  11,  1836.  He  was  one  ot 
nine  children  of  Lewis  F.  and  Harriet  C.  (Vinton)  Joslin,  both  natives  of  this  town. 
The  grandfather  was  Christopher  Jos'in,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  as  was  also  his 
wife,  Abigail  (Hall)  Joslin.  They  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Frankfort.  Aaron 
Joslin  married,  March  20,  1859,  Rachel,  daughter  of  William  and  Maria  (Pruyn) 
Bridenbecker  of  Schuyler.  She  died  March  13,  1874,  leaving  two  children,  Nellie,  wife 
of  R.  C.  Strachan,  and  Lindley  A.  Mr.  Joslin  married  second,  September  16,  1875, 
Sarah  Adams,  of  Frankfort.  In  1858  he  started  in  business  as  a  merchant,  keeping  a 
general  store,  under  the  name  of  L.  F.  Joslin  &  Son.  Since  1884  he  has  kept  a  dry 
goods  and  wall  paper  store. 

Stephens,  Frank  E.,  supervisor  of  Columbia  and  postmaster  of  Cedarville,  is  also 
dealer  in  general  merchandise.  He  was  born  at  Frankfort  Hill  April  5,  1862.  He 
married  Mamie  E.,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Myers.  His  father  was  Stewart  Stephens,  a 
son  of  Roswell,  a  native  of  Stonington,  Conn.,  who  married  Sophie  Connable  about 
1809  and  came  to  Frankfort.  He  died  in  1854.  He  served  in  the  War  of  1812,  was 
wounded  at  Lundy's  Lane  July  12,  1814,  and  was  discharged  that  year. 

Sibel,  George  F.,  blacksmith  at  Cedarville,  was  born  in  Mohawk  in  1848,  and  settled 
here  in  1871,  where  he  has  been  in  business  since.  He  married  Carrie  Shafrock,  and 
they  have  three  children :  Maude  A.,  George  L.  and  Charlie  E.,  all  living  at  hon  e. 
George  P.  is  a  son  of  Charles  Sibel,  a  native  of  Germany.  He  settled  in  Mohawk 
about  1847.  Mrs.  Carrie  Sibel  is  a  daughter  of  Robert  Sharrock,  who  was  a  native 
of  England,  and  settled  in  Cooperstown.  Charles  Sibel  married  Katie  Countryman,  a 
native  of  Minden,  Montgomery  county.  She  was  a  daughter  of  George  Countryman, 
a  descendant  of  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  county. 

Wheeler,  Clarence  J.,  lives  on  the  farm  first  settled  by  Daniel  Devendorf,  being  a 
dairy  and  stock  farm.  He  was  born  in  Cedarville,  April  20,  1849,  and  settled  on  this 
farm  in  1868.  He  married  Jane  L.  Smith,  and  they  have  two  children,  Clara  M.,  and 
MaryL.  Clarence  J.  is  the  only  son  of  Moses  H.  Wheeler,  born  May  31,  1823,  who  was  a 
son  of  Lewis  Wheeler,  whose  children  were :  Marcus  L.,  Moses  H.,  Whitney,  Gaylord, 
Phoebe,  Cornelia,  Maria  and  Eliza.  Lewis  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  a  son  of  Moses 
Wheeler,  one  of  the  first  settlers.  He  came  from  Massachusetts  and  had  six  children  : 
Moses,  Lewis,  Humphrey,  Prentis,  Artemus  and  James.  Mrs.  Jane  L.  Wheeler 
was  born  in  Winfield  in  December,  1845,  a  daughter  of  Ansel,  son  of  Levi  Smith. 
Levi  Smith  came  from  Connecticut  and  early  settled  in  Winfield.  He  died 
April  5,  1855,  aged  eighty-nine  years.  His  children  were :  Henry,  William,  Ansel, 
Levi,  jr.,  Laura,  Sally,  Chloe,  Deliverance  and  Anna.  Ansel  Smith  married  Araminta 
Burdick,  and  they  have  four  children  :  Levi  C,  Ansel  A.,  Jane  L.  and  Sarah.  Levi 
Smith,  jr.,  was  born  in  Winfield  and  settled  on  this  farm,  1834,  and  lived  here  until  his 
death,  May  27.  1881,  aged  91  years.     He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Howard  of  Winfield. 


190  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Ingersoll,  Fred  T.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Ilion,  June  2,  1860.  His  father  was 
John  D.  Ingersoll  and  his  grandfather  John  Ingersoll,  who  came  from  Brookline,  Conn. 
Fred  T.  married  Jennie  Houghton,  daughter  of  Richard  Allen  Houghton,  in  1885,  and 
they  have  a  son.  Palmer.  Mr.  Ingersoll  is  a  prominent  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Chapter 
and  Commandery,  and  is  an  active  Republican. 

Jones.  Hadley,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Danube,  N.  Y.,  and  was  educated  in  the 
Little  Falls  academy  and  the  Albany  Law  school,  from  which  latter  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1850,  and  at  .once  entered  into  active  practice  at  Herkimer. 
He  remained  there  until  1882,  then  removed  to  Little  Falls  and  formed  a  co  partner- 
ship with  the  late  George  F.  Crumby,  which  firm  was  dissolved  by  the  death  of  Mr. 
Crumby,  in  1887.  Mr.  Jones  holds  high  rank  at  tlie  bar,  is  a  Mason  of  high  degree  and 
is  identified  with  leading  social  and  political  organizations.  He  married  Henrietta 
Wilkinson,  a  niece  of  Judge  Robert  Earl  of  Herkimer,  chief  judge  of  the  Court  of  Ap- 
peals of  New  York.  Mr.  Jones  was  elected  supervisor  in  the  spring  of  18S9.  He  has 
been  solicited  to  accept  other  and  more  important  offices  of  public  trust,  but  has  so  far 
declined. 

Johnson,  Gilbert  J.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Watervliet,  Albany  county,  September  23, 
1837,  a  son  of  Henry  J.,  who  was  a  son  of  Peter  F.  Johnson,  a  native  of  Long  Island. 
The  father  of  Peter  F.  came  from  Holland  and  settled  on  Long  Island.  Peter  F.  mar- 
ried Hannah  Ball,  a  native  of  Long  Island,  by  whom  he  had  five  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters. He  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Early  in  life  he  moved  to  Kno.x,  Albany 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  died  at  Knox.  Henry  I.  Johnson  was  born  in  Knox, 
April  17,  1804.  In  1834  he  married  Eliza  Ferguson,  a  native  of  Watervliet,  born 
March,  1811.  They  had  seven  sons  and  three  daughters.  April  2,  1850,  Mr.  Johnson 
went  to  Ohio  and  purchased  a  farm,  where  he  remained  until  1855.  He  then  went  to 
Ashtabula,  Ohio.  Here  he  resided  until  1882,  when  he  moved  to  Muncie,  Ind ,  and 
died  December  23,  1884.  His  wife  is  still  living  in  Muncie,  at  the  age  of  eighty.  Gil- 
bert J.  Johnson  was  educated  in  the  common  and  select  schools  and  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  went  to  California  and  remained  thirty- eight  years,  when  he  returned  to 
Ashtabula,  Ohio.  In  1868  he  went  to  Ohio,  N.  Y.,  and  took  a  contract  mail  route, 
which  he  followed  twenty-four  years.  He  owned  the  grist-mill  and  store  at  Grant 
four  years.  November  1,  1865,  he  married  Emily,  a  daughter  of  Albert  Abeel,  of 
Ohio,  and  they  have  two  children  :  Fred  P.  and  Hattie  M.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  Repub- 
lican, has  been  deputy  sheriff  nine  years  and  was  postmaster  at  Grant  four  years.  He 
has  been  postmaster  of  Ohio  City  since  January,  1892.  He  was  assessor  three  years 
and  notary  public  six  years.  He  and  his  wife  are  Methodists.  He  is  a  member  of 
Ohio  Grange,  No.  686. 

James,  Philip,  Russia,  was  born  in  South  Wales,  December  12,  1832,  a  son  of  Levi 
James,  a  native  of  Wales,  born  in  1802.  The  wife  of  Levi  was  Mary  Evans,  born  in 
Wales  in  1804,  and  by  whom  he  had  nine  sons  and  four  daughters.  In  1840 
Mr.  James  came  to  Russia  and  settled  at  Prospect.  He  resided  in  Oneida 
county  until  his  death,  September  28,  1884.  Philip  was  eight  years  old  when 
his  parents  came  to  Oaeida  county.     For  fourteen  years  he  was  engaged  in   the  mer- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  191 

cantile  business  at  Grant.  In  1859  he  married  Harriet  Flan.eburg,  a  native  of  Ohio,  N.  Y., 
by  whom  he  had  two  daughters,  Minnie  and  Harriet.  Mrs.  James  died  September  28, 
1865,  and  Mr.  James  married  in  1881  Cynthia  M.  (Rust)  Stone.  Her  first  husband 
was  George  Stone,  a  native  of  Oneida  county.  He  enlisted  in  the  H7th  N.  Y.  In- 
fantry, Company  H.  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  before  Richmond,  September  29, 18G4. 
Mr.  Stone  and  wife  had  two  children  :  Clarence,  who  is  a  farmer  in  Russia,  and  Jessie 
who  resides  on  her  farm  in  Russia.  Mrs.  James  was  a  daughter  of  Hiram  Ru.st,  whose 
father,  Abel  Rust,  was  born  in  1759,  in  Connecticut.  He  had  eight  children.  Mr. 
Rust  served  seven  years  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Abel  Rust  came  to  Russia  in  1818 
and  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Jessie  Stone.  He  died  in  1842,  at  the  age 
of  ninety-three.  Hiram  Rust  was  born  July  4,  1794,  in  Kent,  Conn.  October  11, 
1822,  he  married  Mary  Taylor,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  Hiram 
Rust  was  a  farmer  and  geologist.  He  died  February  3,  1886.  He  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Cynthia  Taylor,  early  settlers  in  Russia.  Mrs.  Rust  died 
October  11,  1888.  William  P.  Rust,  the  son  of  Hiram,  was  born  in  1827  and  was  a 
brother-in-law  of  Charles  Wolcott,  of  the  IT.  S.  Geological  department  at  Washington. 
He  was  also  a  geologist  himself,  having  procured  several  of  the  best  individual  cabinets 
in  Central  New  York.  He  sold  a  fine  collection  of  fossils  to  the  State  and  has  sent  a 
great  many  specimens  to  Washington.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican.  He  was 
identified  with  all  movements  for  the  church  and  was  a  liberal  and  earnest  Christian. 
Mr.  Rust  never  married,  but  his  niece.  Miss  Jessie  Stone,  has  been  mistress  of  his 
home  for  several  years. 

Jackson,  James  0.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  this  county.  He  was  liberally  educated 
in  the  Little  Falls  academy  and  the  Academy  at  Fairfield,  after  which  he  engaged  in 
farming  in  Fairfield  and  Manheim  for  several  years,  until  the  age  of  thirty-two  years, 
when  he  sold  his  farm  property  and  moved  to  Little  Falls.  After  dealing  in  cattle 
for  some  time,  he  finally  purchased  the  Grand  Central  Hotel  property  on  Main  street, 
which  he  conducted  until  1887,  when  he  disposed  of  it  to  Daniel  Leahy  and  others. 
After  this  he  purchased  the  Jackson  House,  which  he  has  since  conducted,  on  Albany 
street.  Mr.  Jackson  married  Emma  Timmerman,  and  they  have  one  son  and  two 
daughters.  Mr.  Jackson  also  conducts  a  livery  and  sale  stable  in  connection  with  bis 
hotel. 

Elwood,  David  B.  (deceased)  was  born  May  3,  1831,  a  mile  south  of  Starkville, 
son  of  David  and  Nancy  (Baum)  Elwood.  He  received  a  district  school  education, 
and  was  twice  married,  first,  September  22,  1852,  to  Sarah,  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza 
(Hall)  Smith,  who  died  October  1,  1855.  November  11,  1857,  he  married,  second, 
Martha  Springer,  of  Stark,  born  March  4,  1836,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  L.  and  Mary 
(Dater)  Springer.  The  grandfather  was  Loadwick  Springer.  Jacob  L.  was  born  in 
Stark.  In  early  days  he  was  a  colonel  of  militia,  and  an  active  Whig  and  Republican. 
He  died  in  1843.  They  had  eight  children  :  Louis  H.,  Philip,  Catharine,  Hannah,  Eliza- 
beth, Martha  and  Caroline.  Mrs.  Springer  was  born  in  Brunswick,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Christina  (Fake)  Dater.  She  died  in  1884  in  her  eighty-sixth  year.  Subject's 
second  wife  bore  him  seven  children  :  Edwin,  who  died,  aged  four :  Sarah  (Mrs.  Hale 


l92  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

A.  Mixer;,  Willie  E,,  died,  aged  two;    Ellis  D.,  Mary  E.   (Mrs.  Willis  Davis),  John  S. 
and  Carrie  D.     Subject  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.     David 

B.  lived  and  died  where  his  widow  now  resides  on  225  acres.     His  widow  and  son 
retain  the  homestead. 

Bellinger,  P.  E.,  is  one  of  the  old  residents  of  Little  Falls,  and  was  born 
July  2,  1837.  In  1860  he  married  Lana  Catharine  Uhle  and  has  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  owns  223  acres  of  land  utilized  for  dairying, 
hay  and  grain,  and  has  a  herd  of  thirty-six  milch  cows.  In  politics  he  is  a  liberal- 
minded  Democrat;  his  sons  sharing  the  same  political  faith.  His  youngest  son,  Peter 
A.  ;  his  daughter,  Mamie  M.,  and  youngest  daughter,  Ada  G.,  are  at  home.  His  oldest 
daughter,  Melissa  A.,  and  the  two  oldest  sons,  James  H.  and  Frank  E.,  are  married. 

Tallman,  W.  Akins,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler.  His  father,  Ebenezer  Tallman,  came 
from  Schenectady,  and  was  drafted  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  hired  a  substitute  and  sent 
in  his  place.  In  1871  W.  A.  Tallman  married  Esther  Willis,  and  they  have  five  chil- 
dren, four  daughters  and  a  son.  Mr.  Tallman  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  a  repre- 
sentative citizen.     He  has  been  poormaster  of  the  town  two  years. 

Lewis,  David,  Ilion,  was  born  in  Albany,  July  5,  1835.  He  came  to  Herkimer  county 
in  1853,  and  in  August,  1856,  he  entered  the  Frankfort  Bank  as  teller,  and  April  6, 
1868,  was  elected  cashier  and  held  the  two  positions  twelve  years  in  all ;  and  when 
that  bank  was  closed  the  directors  gave  him  a  very  flattering  testimonial :  Resolved, 
That  said  David  Lewis,  esq.,  the  cashier  of  this  bank,  has,  by  his  strict  integrity  and 
his  careful  and  skillful  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  bank  for  the  past  ten  years.won 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  members  of  this  board ;  and  they  think  it  proper  and  fit- 
ting that  at  this,  their  last  meeting,  *hey  should  in  this  manner  express  their  sentiments 
and  feelings  toward  him,  and  tender  him  their  best  wishes  for  his  future  happiness  and 
welfare.  In  1872  Mr.  Lewis  became  cashier  of  the  Ilion  National  Bank  and  has  held 
the  position  ever  since. 

Miller,  Alonzo  P.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Frankfort,  January  21,  1837.  He  owns  a 
grain  and  dairy  farm  of  183  acres.  He  enlisted  in  the  late  war  in  Company  E,  1.52d 
N.  y.  Volunteers,  September  11,  1862,  was  appointed  corporal,  September  21,  1862, 
and  served  as  .such  until  he  became  sergeant,  December  2,  1864;  he  also  served  in  the 
regiment  band  about  one  year.  He  was  discharged  July  13,  1865,  near  Washington, 
D.  C.  His  father  was  Riley  Miller,  who  was  born  in  Chatham,  Columbia  county,  and 
early  settled  in  this  town.  He  was  born  May  6,  1805,  and  died  October  6,  1874.  He 
was  a  son  of  Nathaniel  Miller,  born  July  8,  1775,  and  died  July  24,  1856.  Alonzo  P. 
Miller  married  October  6,  1868,  Hester  A.  Slade,  and  they  have  two  children: 
Minnie  E.,  who  married  James  K.  Armling,  and  Carrie  L.,  a  teacher  at  North  Winfield. 
Hester  A.  Miller  was  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Eliza  Slade,  of  Litchfield. 

Salisbury,  John  E.,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Wales,  October  20,  1855,  and  settled  in 
Frankfoit.  He  came  to  this  town  about  1870,  and  in  1883  settled  on  the  Marshall  farm 
of  123  acres.  He  commenced  the  manufacturing  of  lime  here  in  1886.  The  limestone 
is  quarried  on  the  farm,  and  the  kiln  now  in  use  he  built  that  year.     He  also  carries  on 


J 


i 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  193 

farming.  He  married  Mary  B.,  daughter  of  Henry  Goodier,  who  was  a  son  of  Rev. 
Aaron  Goodier.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Salisbury  have  four  children  :  Ethel  M.,  Harry  G.,  Elma 
M.  and  Grace  E.  John  E.  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  Salisbury.  The  latter  died 
January  1,  1892,  aged  sixty-nine  years. 

Harris,  William  H.,  Middleville,  was  born  m  Fairfield,  October  17,  1SI3,  and  learned 
the  blacksmith's  trade.  His  forefathers  were  prominent  in  the  settlement  of  Rhode 
Island,  with  Roeer  Williams.  The  subject  has  m  his  possession  the  first  charter  given 
by  Charles  II.  to  Roger  Williams  and  others.  The  father  of  William  H.  Harris  came 
on  foot  and  alone  from  Rhode  Island  to  Fairfield  in  1780,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  ;  at  the 
age  of  thirty-two  he  married  Rebecca  Kimball,  who  bore  him  two  sons  and  three 
daughters,  as  follows:  John  Harris,  died  in  Newport  in  18G2,  aged  forty;  Olive,  mar- 
ried Lewis  Hall,  of  Newport ;  Lydia,  married  B.  J.  Chassels,  of  Holland  Patent ;  Sarah 
who  married  Rev.  G.  O.  Phelps,  of  Potsdam ;  and  William  H.,  the  subject,  who  married 
Miss  M.  E.  Kellar.  They  have  five  children  living.  Mr.  Harris  owns  175  acres  of  dairy 
farm,  stocked  with  thirty-seven  cows.     He  is  a  Republican. 

Kenyon,  Samuel  P.  (deceased),  was  born  in  Ira,  Cayuga  county,  September  1,  1846, 
a  son  of  H.  B.  and  Betsey  (Brown)  Kenyon.  Rev.  H.  B.  Kenyon  was  a  Baptist  min- 
ister, and  lived  and  died  in  Ira,  Cayuga  county.  He  raised  a  family  of  eleven  children. 
Samuel  P.  received  a  district  school  education  and  began  life  as  a  clerk.  He  ran  a  store 
at  Oriskany  Falls,  and  traveled  for  Comstock  Brothers,  of  Utica  for  two  years.  For 
one  year  he  was  with  Fonda  &  Bagley,  of  Albany.  In  1873  he  came  to  Warren,  where 
he  engaged  at  farming  until  his  death,  June  14,  1884.  He  was  an  active  Mason,  and 
was  serving  as  justice  on  his  second  term  at  his  death.  He  was  an  active  Repub- 
lican. In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  Eighty-seventh  Ohio  Regiment  and  served  four 
months.  In  1863  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Twenty-fourth  N.  Y.  Cavaliy,  as  first 
sergeant,  was  wounded  in  the  leg  before  Petersburg,  and  carried  the  ball  to  his 
o-rave.  He  was  sent  to  Harwood  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C.  For  a  time  after 
his  recovery  he  acted  as  clerk  in  the  quartermaster's  department.  He  received  a  medal 
of  honor  voted  by  Congress,  for  bravery  displayed  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  was 
discharged  with  the  regiment  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  married  January  2,  1873, 
Rebecca  Marshall,  born  in  Warren,  where  she  resides,  September  9,  1852,  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  and  Lucy  (Green)  Marshall.  Mr.  Marshall  was  born  April  11,  1784,  in 
Connecticut,  and  died  February  22,  1862.  He  came  to  Warren  prior  to  the  war  of 
1812,  and  followed  farming  all  his  life.  He  had  three  children :  Jeremiah,  who  died 
in  childhood  ;  Webster,  who  was  killed  at  twenty  while  coasting,  and  Rebecca.  Mr. 
Marshall  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Subject  and  wife  had  four  children : 
Darwin  B.,  Florence,  Marshall  and  Floyd.  Mrs.  Kenyon  owns  the  homestead.  She 
received  her  education  in  the  district  school  and  Richfield  select  school._ 

Kay,  Artemas  J.,  Litchfield,  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Litchfield.  He  mar- 
ried Julia,  daughter  of  Barnum  Ball,  who  is  a  .son  of  Blias  B.  Ball,  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  of  this  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kay  have  four  sons:  Francis  R.,  Bertram  J.,  Si- 
mon R.  and  Unie  C.  Kay.  Artemas  J.  is  a  son  of  John  Kay,  a  native  of  England,  who 
came  with  his  parents  when  ten  years  of  age,  and  settled  in  Frankfort.     He  married 


194  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Elmira  L.  Matteson,  of  this  town,  and  they  had  five  children,  two  of  whom  survive : 
Laurence  E.  and  Artemas  J.  Mrs.  Emira  L.  Kay  was  a  daughter  of  Stephen  A.  Matte- 
son,  who  came  with  his  father,  Jesse  Matteson,  from  Rhode  Island,  and  settled  early  in 
this  town.     John  Kay,  died  March  28,  1863,  aged  forty-nine  years. 

Klipple,  George,  Litchfield,  operates  a  saw  and  grist-mill  and  conducts  a  farm.  He 
was  born  in  Germany  March  19,  1845,  came  to  America  in  1855  and  to  Litchfield  in 
1857.  He  came  to  his  present  place  on  the  Gulf  road  in  1870.  He  bought  the  mill  of 
William  Jones,  who  had  had  it  since  about  1850.  It  was  built  here  at  a  very  early  day  by 
David  Seals,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  town.  George  Klipple  married  Alice  Ring, 
born  November  18,  1837,  in  Germany;  she  died  June  9,  1883,  leaving  five  children: 
Henry,  Augustus,  David,  Frederick  and  John.  For  his  second  wife  he  married  Clara 
Meadel,  by  whom  he  had  the.se  children  :  Katie,  Clara,  Elma  George,  jr.,  and  Gustus. 
George  Klipple  is  a  son  of  George  and  Susanna  Klipple,  both  deceased.  George  Klip 
pie,  sr.,  died  November  1,  1882,  aged  seventy-six  years  and  Susanna  Klipple  died 
August  13,  1881,  aged  seventy-four  years. 

Kenyon,  V.  S.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  When  an  infant  his  parents 
moved  to  Middleville.  After  filling  various  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility,  Mr 
Kenyon  was  appointed  general  agent  of  tickets,  freight  and  express  in  Middleville.  In 
1883  he  married  Jennie  Hancock,  and  they  have  one  son.  His  grandfather  was  born 
in  1800  and  his  father  in  1823,  they  being  both  of  the  same  name,  T.  S.  Kenyon,  which 
is  also  the  name  of  Mr.  Kenyon's  son. 

Krick,  John,  baggage-master  on  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  at  Frankfort,  is  a 
native  of  Germany  and  came  to  America  in  1861.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  Company  D, 
121st  N.  Y.  Regt.,  and  participated  in  many  notable  battles,  among  them  the  Wilder- 
ness, Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville,  and  he  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner. 
He  was  honorably  discharged  in  July,  1865,  and  then  took  his  present  position,  which 
he  has  held  ever  since.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  Frank  Mann  Post,  and  has  been 
commander  for  two  years.  He  married  Mary  Molk,  and  they  have  three  sons  and  four 
daughters,  one  of  the  sons  and  all  of  the  daughters  being  married. 

Klock,  Reuben,  Danube,  wag  born  in  Danube  August  11,  1818.  His  grandfather, 
George  Klock,  settled  in  this  county  early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  his  father 
was  John  B.  Klock,  who  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  reared  a  family  and  died  in  Danube. 
Reuben  Klock  married  Barbara  A.  Bellinger,  and  has  a  family  of  nine  children  living, 
four  sons  and  five  daughters.  Mr.  Klock  has  given  his  children  much  land,  and  still 
owns  about  607  acres.  His  children  are  as  follows:  Byron,  Irving,  Elinor,  Emmett, 
Walter,  lanthy,  Maggie,  Mary  and  Alice.  Mr.  Klock  is  a"member  of  the  TIniversalist 
church  and  is  a  staunch  Democrat. 

Knapp,'  Wheeler,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Greenfield,  Saratoga  county,  January  25, 
1835.  He  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  Stratford  for  thirty  years,  after 
which  he  was  for  two  years  in  the  same  line  in  Lewis  county.  In  1883  he  came  to 
Dolgeville,  where  he  established  his  present  saw  and  planing-mills.  He  does  contract- 
ing, building,  etc.,  and  owns  the  cheese  factory,  besides  dealing  in  real  estate.     He 


I 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  195 

married  Miss  H.  E.  Crane,  by  whom  he  had  five  children.  Some  years  after  her  death 
he  married  Marion  E.  Bliss,  by  whom  he  had  three  children.  Mr.  Knapp  has  served  as 
assessor,  commissioner  of  highway.?,  in.«pector  of  election,  and  served  on  the  board  of 
supervisors  five  terms.  Since  coming  to  Dolgeville  he  has  served  as  inspector  of  elec- 
tions twice.  Mr.  Kuapp  is  a  high  degree  Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  Knight  Tem- 
plar, etc. 

Kirby,  William,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Herkimer  and  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  this  vicinity.  He  has  always  followed  farming.  His  farm  con- 
sists of  200  acres  of  dairy  land,  upon  which  he  keeps  sixty  head  of  stock,  besides  his 
own  facilities  for  making  cheese.  He  married  Miss  Rosalia  Hall,  of  Herkimer,  and  has 
seven  children.  His  farm  is  located  on  the  Steuben  road,  near  Herkimer  village.  Of 
Mr.  Kirby's  children,  George,  Richard  and  John  are  married,  and  one  daughter.  His 
mother,  Mrs.  Richard  Kirby,  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  with  him.  The  family 
originally  came  from  England  in  about  1835. 

Kingsley  Brothers,  Little  Falls.  John  S.  Kingsley  was  born  at  Cranberry  Creek, 
Fulton  county,  September  31.  1858.  He  learned  the  business  of  shoe-peg  working  from 
his  father,  S.  W.  Kiiigsley,  wha  conducted  this  brauch  of  industry  here  for  forty  years 
prior  to  the  Kingsley  Brothers  assuming  charge  about  four  years  ago.  John  S.  Kings- 
ley  married  Fanny  Bloodaugh,  and  they  have  one  son.  E.  B.  Kingsley  was  born  at 
Cranberry  Creek,  Fulton  county,  November  8,  1861,  and  also  learned  the  business  with 
his  father,  John  S.  E.  B.  Kingsley  was  born  at  Cranberry  Creek,  Fulton  county,  No- 
vember 8,  1861.  He  also  learned  the  business  with  his  father,  and  has  been  associated 
with  his  brother,  John  S.,  for  the  past  four  years.  He  married  Carrie  Brown,  and  thev 
have  one  daughter.  The  Kingsley  Biothers  turn  out  from  100  to  200  bu.shels  of  shoe 
pegs  per  day  and  give  employment  to  thirteen  hands. 

f  Keller,  Amos,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Little  Falls.  He  received  his 
early  education  in  the  schools  of  the  district,  and  afterwards  attended  the  Little  Falls 
Academy,  from  which  institution  he  was  graduated.  He  taught  school  for  four  sea- 
sons, and  for  the  six  years  following  he  was  engaged  in  dairy  farming.  In  February, 
1858,  he  moved  to  the  village  of  Little  Falls  and  established  a  mercantile  house  and  en- 
gaged in  the  sale  of  groceries  and  general  provisions.  This  he  conducted  until  1883, 
when  he  retired  from  active  business  operations.  Mr.  Keller  married  Miss  M.  C. 
Goodell,  of  Fairfield,  by  whom  he  has  two  children,  two  daughters,  one  of  whom  mar- 
ried Mr.  Gage,  a  prominent  merchant  of  his  village,  and  one  is  the  wife  of  Glen  P.  Mun- 
son,  of  Herkim<»r,  a  merchant  of  that  village.  Mr.  Keller  has  served  four  terms  upon 
the  board  of  trustees  of  the  village  and  is  an  extensive  real  estate  owner  here. 

Leon,  John,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Little  Falls  December  19,  1861. 
He  received  an  academic  education,  and  at  an  early  age  entered  the  employ  of  Jacob 
Zoller,  the  well-known  produce  dealer.  Here  his  services  were  soon  appreciated,  and 
he  was  advanced  to  more  important  departments,  and  soon  developed  characteristics 
which  made  his  services  very  valuable  to  Mr.  Zoller.  Mr.  Leon  is  now  Mr.  Zoller's 
right  hand  man  and  confidential  clerk,  and  virtually  manages  the  business.  Mr.  Leon 
married  Sarah  H.  Cornell,  and  they  have  four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter: 
John,  Harry,  Irving  and  Sarah. 


196  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Legg,  A.  H.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Chenango  county  February  28,  1841,  a  son  of  Adna 
who  was  a  son  of  Dewitt  Legg,  a  native  of  MassaoViusetts,  and  a  soldier  in  the  Revo- 
hitionary  War.  Adna  Legg  was  a  native  of  Mendon,  Mass.  In  1828  he  went  to 
Chenango  county  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  His  wife  was  Catherine 
Vosbourgh,  a  native  of  Spraker's  Basin  Montgomery  county,  by  whom  he  had  three 
sons.  He  was  a  mason  and  cooper  by  trade.  The  father  of  Catherine  Legg  was  Isaac 
Vosbourgh,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Spraker's  Basin.  He  and  wife  afterward  moved 
to  Chenango  county  where  they  died.  They  had  eight  daughters  and  two  sons.  A. 
H.  Legg  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  '  September  29, 
1867,  he  married  Josephine  M.  Brainard,  a  native  of  Norway,  Herkimer  county,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children  :  Annie  C,  Charles  D.  and  Edna.  Annie  E.  is  now  Mrs. 
Jerome  Wilt  of  Gray.  She  has  one  son  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Legg  manufactured 
cheese  for  ten  years  and  also  followed  farming  a  short  time.  In  1886  he  went  to  Grant 
and  purchased  the  Garlock  House,  of  which  he  has  since  been  proprietor.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican and  has  been  deputy  sheriff  of  county  three  years.  He  was  also  deputy  sheriff 
of  Chenango  county.  He  is  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge  577  I.  0.  0.  F.  He  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Equitable  Aid  Union  327.  In  1862,  August  4,  Mr.  Legg  enlisted 
in  the  114th  N.  Y.  Infantry  Co.  and  served  three  years.  He  was  at  Fort  Bisland, 
Franklin,  Opelousas  and  the  forty-one  days  fight  at  Port  Hudson  on  the  Mississippi, 
and  his  regiment  was  the  first  that  weni  into  the  works.  April  7,  18G4,  at  Sabine  Cross 
Roads  Mr.  Legg  became  a  prisoner  and  was  taken  to  Mansfield  and  held  until  July  28, 
when  he  was  exchanged.  March  7,  1865,  he  received  his  discharge.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  Legg  were  Alanson  and  Maria  Brainard,  who  had  seven  children,  one  of  whom 
David  L.,  was  one  of  the  six  survivors  of  the  Greeley  Expedition.  He  was  a  native  of 
Norway,  N.  Y.,  and  she  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  Alanson  was  a  son  of  Joshua 
Brainard,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Brainard,  an  early  settler 
of  Norway. ' 

Lyon,  Elisha  E.,  Russia,  was  born  July  17,  182G,  and  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Lyon, 
who  early  settled  in  Oppenheim.  About  1812  he  came  to  Russia,  where  he  practiced 
his  profession  and  superintended  a  saw-mill.  His  wife  died  in  Oppenheim  and  he 
married,  second,  Rosina,  daughter  of  Elisha  Hall,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  Revo- 
lutionary soldier.  He  came  to  Russia  and  settled  on  ihe  farm  the  subject  now  owns. 
He  and  two  sons,  Elisha  and  John,  owned  500  acres  of  land.  He  had  two  sons  and 
three  daughters.  The  sons  always  resided  with  their  parents.  One  daughter  at  present 
resides  at  Russia  Corners.  Dr.  Lyon  and  wife  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  He 
was  a  Whig  and  died  in  1826,  and  his  wife  died  in  1866.  Elislia  E.  was  reared  on  a 
farm  and  received  a  common  school  education.  In  1857  he  married  Helen,  daughter 
of  Nicholas  A.  and  Nancy  Hills,  farmers  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  and  later  of  Connecticut. 
Subject  and  wife  have  has  four  children :  John,  Emma,  Cain  and  Bert,  all  of  whom  are 
living.  Mr.  Lyon  has  always  been  a  farmer  and  now  owns  900  acres  of  land.  He  is  a 
Republican,  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance,  of  Russia  Grange  680.  He  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Regular  Baptist  Church  of  Russia. 

Livingston,  J.  C,  Little  Falls,  a  leading  lumber  dealer  of  Herkimer  county,  is  a  native 
of  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.     He  was  formerly  located  in  New  York  city,  but  eight 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  I97 

years  ago  came  to  Little  Falls  to  reside,  and  built  a  mill  at  Stratford  back  in  the  timber 
region  of  the  county.  Here  he  gives  employment  to  a  force  of  men  ranging  from  forty 
to  one  hundred  in  number  according  to  the  season.  He  comes  of  an  old  and  honorable 
American  family,  some  of  his  ancestors  participating  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  while 
Senator  John  Livingston,  embassador  to  France  under  President  Taylor,  was  his  grand- 
uncle.  His  ancestors  had  a  large  grant  of  land  on  the  Hudson  and  one  of  them  was  a 
signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He  lives  on  Garden  street  in  the  old  resi- 
dence of  Judge  Benton. 

Lally,  Patrick,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Ireland  March  10,  1837.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  May,  1855,  and  located  at  the  Brockett's  Bridge,  now  Dolgeville.  After 
remaining  here  three  years,  Mr.  Lally  made  a  few  changes  and  eventually  located  in 
Salisbury  upon  280  acres  of  dairy  land  which  he  purchased.  This  farm  he  kept  for  five 
years,  then  sold.  He  continued  to  engage  in  farming  in  Salisbury  and  Manheim  for 
several  years.  About  four  years  ago  he  moved  into  Little  Falls.  In  February,  1892, 
he  was  elected  commissioner  of  highways  upon  the  Democrat  ticket.  Mr.  Lally  married 
Mary  Lally,  and  they  have  five  children,  as  follows;  John,  James,  Edward,  Daniel  and 
William. 

Ludden,  Rev.  A.  P.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Ireland  May  16,  1842,  and  studied  at 
Castle  Bar  and  St.  Jarlath's  College.  In  1868  he  was  ordained  priest  for  foreign 
missions,  and  was  adopted  by  Cardinal  McCloskey.  His  first  church  work  was  acting 
as  assistant  pastor  in  Little  Falls  for  seven  months.  He  then  took  charge  of  Mohawk, 
Herkimer,  Ilion  and  Frankfort  for  a  time,  when  he  was  sent  to  Hamilton  where  he  re- 
mained eleven  years  and  three  months  and  built  two  churches  and  a  parochial  school 
and  a  fine  cemetery.  He  came  to  Little  Falls  twelve  years  ago  and  has  accomplished 
wonders  for  the  Catholic  cause  there.  He  has  paid  off  a  debt  of  $51,000  with  interest 
of  $15,000  and  has  built  a  school  costing  $15,000  and  a  deanery  that  will  cost  $18,000 
when  completed. 

Leahy,  Dan  M.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Manheim,  and  is  a  moulder  by  trade,  but 
has  not  followed  this  occupation  for  several  years.  He  worked  at  it  for  ten  years.  He 
went  into  the  saloon  business  and  is  still  interested  in  the  business  conducted  by  his 
brother,  John  Leahy.  He  also  is  interested  in  real  estate  and  has  been  for  the  past  ten 
years.  He  has  been  prominently  connected  with  the  Hancock  street  property  in  Little 
Falls.  Mr.  Leahy  was  appointed  port  warden  by  Governor  Flower  July  20,  1892. 
He  is  a  prominent  and  active  Democrat  in  this  county  and  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Elks,  the  Erena  Chemical  Co.,  etc. 

Long.shore,  Miles,  M.  D.,  Russia,  born  in  Depeyster,  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  T., 
September  3,  1847.  He  is  a  son  of  David  Longshore,  a  native  of  Canajoharie,  Mont- 
gomery county,  N.  Y.  His  father  was  Solomon  Longshore,  who  came  from  Germany 
and  settled  in  Buckland  county,  Pa.,  and  later  in  life  moved  to  Canajoharie,  Mont- 
gomery county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived  and  died.  He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  In 
1823  he  married  Margaret  House,  a  native  of  Canajoharie,  N.  Y.  She  was  born  June  6, 
1804,  and  bore  him  seven  sons  and  five  daughters.     In  later  life  Mr.  Longshore  became 


198  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

a  farmer,  and  in  1837  he  went  to  Depeyster,  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  and  settled 
on  a  farm,  where  he  lived  until  1864,  when  he  went  to  Canton,  of  the  same  county, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  super- 
visor of  the  town.  He  was  a  Free  Mason  and  one  of  the  oldest  in  St.  Lawrence  county. 
He  died  June  2.5,  1886,  and  his  wife  February  22,  1892.  Dr.  Longshore  was  reared  on 
a  farm,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  in  Canton  Academy,  from  which  he 
graduated.  He  afterwards  spent  one  year  in  St.  Lawrence  University.  He  studied 
medicine  in  the  Albany  Medical  College,  and  afterwards  in  the  Burlington  University, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1879.  The  same  year  he  came  to  Cold  Brook,  where  he 
has  eince  been  very  successful  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  June  24,  1879,  he 
married  Mary  B.  Lovell,  a  native  of  Canton,  N.  Y.  Her  parents  were  Joseph  and 
Samantha  Lovell,  natives  of  Utica.  The  father  of  Joseph  Lovell  was  Horatio  Lovell,  a 
very  early  settler  of  Canton,  N.  Y.  His  wife  was  Fannie  Makensie,  by  whom  he  had 
five  children.     The  doctor  and  wife  have  one  daughter,  Florence,  born  March  31,  1880. 

Luther,  Ira,  Norway,  was  born  in  Norway,  October  5,  1858.  His  father  is  Almond 
Luther,  son  of  Simeon  Luther.  The  latter  was  a  native  of  Salisbury,  and  there  lived 
and  died.  Almond  Luther  is  a  native  of  Salisbury,  born  in  1815.  His  wife  was 
Catharine  Tompkins,  of  Norway,  and  to  them  were  born  four  sons  and  four  daughters, 
six  of  whom  are  living.  Mr.  Luther  is  a  farmer,  and  has  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Nor- 
way. He  attends  and  supports  the  M.  E.  Church.  The  subject  was  reared  on  a  farm, 
and  educated  in  the  common  schools.     He  is  a  farmer  and  a  Democrat. 

Lansing,  Edward  Ten  Eyck,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Manheim.  He  received  h's 
rudimentary  education  at  the  Little  Falls  Academy,  and  graduated  from  Union  College 
with  the  degree  of  B.  A.  in  1881.  He  took  a  scientific  course,  and  has  followed  civil 
engineering  and  surveying  since  his  graduation.  He  has  been  engaged  upon  very  im- 
portant work,  such  as  the  Mohawk  &  Richfield  Springs  Railroad,  Little  Falls  &  Dolge- 
ville  Railroad,  and  many  others.  He  is  municipal  engineer  here  also.  Mr.  Lansing  is 
justice  of  the  peace,  having  been  elected  to  the  office  in  1882.  He  is  identified  with 
various  local  social  and  benevolent  institutions.  He  is  a  member  of  the  New  England 
Water  Works  Association  and  Sigma  Phi. 

Loomis,  B.  G.,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Paine's  Hollow,  and  clerked  for  some 
years  before  embarking  in  his  present  grocery  enterprise  in  1890.  He  is  a  young  man, 
belongs  to  the  Mason.s,  Knights  of  Birmingham,  and  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  He  is  also 
treasurer  of  the  village  of  Ilion.     His  father,  Chester  Loomis,  is  a  farmer. 

Lotridge,  Marlet,  Little  Falls  is  one  of  the  substantial  young  farmers  of  Little  Falls. 
His  father  was  William  L.  Lotridge,  and  was  a  succes.sful  and  wealthy  man.  He  died 
July  2,  1892.  They  own  212  acres  of  land,  used  for  dairy  purposes.  His  sister  is  Mrs. 
H.  M.  P.  Uhlee,  of  Herkimer.  His  mother  died  in  18G2.  The  family  is  an  old  and 
historic  one,  his  grandfather  on  his  mother's  side  having  participated  in  the  Revolution 
and  his  father's  father  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Lotridge  is  an 
adherent  of  the  Universalist  Church,  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  a  Demo- 
crat.    He  has  also  been  commissioner  of  highways. 


I 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  199 

Leary,  Patrick,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1853.  He  came  to  this  country 
when  a  youth,  and  six  years  ago,  in  February,  established  a  liquor  business  in  Little 
Falls,  which  has  been  a  financial  success.  He  married  Mary  Marion,  and  they  have  two 
children  living.     Mr.  Leary  is  identified  with  the  Hibernians,  etc. 

Lints,  W.  E.,  Schuyler,  is  one  of  the  young,  enterprising  and  successful  farmers  in 
Schuyler.  He  was  born  January  11,  1861.  His  father,  William  H.  Lints,  was  born  in 
Schuyler,  December  25,  1832.  Mr.  Lints  owns  138  acres  of  land,  used  for  dairying, 
raising  also  grass  and  grain.  In  1863  Mi-.  Lints  married  Dora  Robbins,  and  they  have 
one  daughter,  Gertie  May  Lints.  Mr.  Lints's  grandfather  was  Peter  Lints,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  this  section. 

Lints,  Simon,  Schuyler,  was  born  in  Schuyler,  April  19,  1832.  He  conducts  a 
butter  and  dairy  farm.  His  father  was  Jacob  Lints,  and  his  grandfather  Peter  Lints, 
who  took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  family  is  descended  from  the  old 
Mohawk  Dutch.  June  20,  1855,  he  married  Mary  Youngs.  Mr.  Lints  is  a  Democrat, 
and  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  honorable  names  in  the  county. 

Ladd,  J.  B.,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides  in  Schuyler,  August  13, 
1821.  He  owns  150  acres  of  fine  farm  land.  In  1846  he  married  Hariiet  Richardson, 
and  they  have  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Two  of  his  sons  are  teachers,  one  in  Iowa 
and  one  in  Schuyler.  One  of  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Emma  Buchannan,  is  also  a  teacher. 
Mr.  Ladd  has  been  school  superintendent,  town  clerk,  and  was  also  supervisor  of  the 
town  for  the  years  1858,  1871-2.  His  father  was  Elisha  Ladd,  who  came  from  Rhode 
Island. 

Leach,  Adelbert  Aaron,  Winfield,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead,  on  part  of  which  he 
now  lives,  May  10,  1849.  He  has  a  grain  and  dairy  farm  of  about  135  acres,  which  is 
one  of  the  representative  farms  of  the  town.  He  was  the  third  son  of  Jacob  Leach, 
who  was  born  on  the  same  farm  and  in  the  same  house,  and  he  was  a  son  of  D.  Jacob 
Leach,  who  came  from  Massachusetts  and  settled  very  early.  Aaron  Adelbert  Leach 
married  Ellen  H.  Brace  September  28,  1875,  and  they  have  two  children :  Seward  A. 
and  Lena  A.,  both  living  at  home  and  attending  the  West  Winfield  Union  School  and 
Academy.  Mrs.  Ellen  H.  Leach  is  a  daughter  of  Deacon  Henry  L.  and  Pamelia 
(Holmes)  Brace.  Her  father  was  a  son  of  Captain  Asahel  Brace,  who  was  a  son  of 
Deacon  Abel  Brace,  who  came  here  in  1793. 

Lathrop,  Charles  M.,  Stark,  was  born  in  Plainfield,  N.  Y.,  December  22,  1840,  a 
son  of  Anderson  and  Marinda  (Keller)  Lathrop.  The  grandfather,  Ariel,  was  a  son  of 
Jedediah,  who  was  a  pioneer  of  Stark  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  Charles  M.  resides. 
He  had  two  children,  Arial  and  Dyer.  Arial  came  to  Stark  with  his  father,  and  resided 
on  the  farm  until  his  death.  He  raised  six  children :  James,  Daniel,  Addison,  Maheta- 
ble,  Almira  and  Mariah.  Addison  was  born  in  Stark  and  died  in  1883,  aged  seventy- 
two ;  his  widow  survives  him  aged  eighty.  They  had  two  children:  Charles  M.  and 
Stanton  D.,  deceased.  Charles  M.  received  a  good  education  and  resides  at  home  with 
his  parents.  He  married,  January  31,  1862,  Valence  Potter,  born  in  Herkimer  county, 
daughter  of  Brastus  and  Jane  Potter.     They  have  three  children :  Anderson  B.,  Hattie 


20()  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

E.  and  Mabel  A.     His  wife  is  a  TJniversalist.     Mr.  Lathrop  is  an  active  Democrat,  and 
his  mother  is  the  cousin  of  the  wife  of  Senator  Stanford  of  Cahfornia. 

Moray,  George  C,  M.  D.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Eaton,  Madison  county,  July  18, 
1843.  His  father  was  Dexter  A.,  a  son  of  George  Morey,  a  native  of  Connecticut  and 
of  Scotch  descent,  who  married  Electa  Morey,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children.  Mr. 
Morey  and  family  came  to  Madison  county  and  here  he  and  his  wife  lived  and  died. 
Dexter  A.  was  born  May  7,  1818.  He  married  Annie  Meyer,  a  native  of  Steuben, 
Oneida  county,  by  whom  he  had  a  son  and  a  daughter.  In  1846  Mr.  Morey  went  to 
Steuben  and  there  lived  and  died.  He  was  a  Whig  and  voted  for  William  Henry 
Harrison  and  a'so  for  his  grandson,  Benjamin  Harrison.  He  died  May  i),  1892, 
and  his  wife  is  still  living  in  Oneida  county.  George  C.  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  received  a  common  school  education,  supplemented  by  several  terms  in  an 
academy  at  Rome,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  studying  medicine 
with  Dr.  Alfred  Gillette  of  Steuben.  One  year  previous  he  taught  school  and  fol- 
lowed that  during  winter  for  several  years.  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
B,  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry  and  was  discharged 
in  1863.  He  then  returned  to  the  study  of  medicine,  graduating  from  Vermont 
Medical  College  in  1865.  He  began  practice  in  Grant  and  has  since  been  very 
successful.  In  1885  he  married  Lelia  Vincent,  a  native  of  Cold  Brook,  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Jane  Vincent.  By  a  previous  marriage  Dr.  Morey  had  two  sons 
and  one  daughter.  He  is  a  Republican,  a  member  of  E.  A.  U.,  No.  327,  of  Grant, 
and  G.  A.  R.  Post  Thomas,  No.  39. 

Mullen,  Joseph,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  He  commenced  business  in 
Little  Falls,  on  Bridge  street,  in  the  old  Iron  Clad  Clothing  Store,  in  August,  1868.  In 
1883  he  opened  a  store  on  Main  street  and  built  the  Metropolitan  Hotel  and  stores. 
In  1888  he  built  the  Metropolitan  Hotel  in  Utica,  and  since  then  has  had  branch  stores 
in  Albany,  Troy,  Syracuse,  Watertown  and  all  the  principal  cities  of  the  State,  having 
as  high  as  eighteen  stores  running  at  a  time.  Mr.  Mullen  has  al.so  large  interests  in 
Jersey  City,  and  New  York.  He  is  emphatically  a  self-made  man,  the  architect  of  his 
own  fortune  and  a  man  of  great  perception  and  executive  abilities!. 

Moon,  Clinton  Abner,  Newport,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Russia,  November  8,  1827, 
the  oldest  son  of  Abner  and  Emily  (Millington;  Moon,  the  latter  a  native  of  Russia, 
and  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Susannah  Millingtoii,  who  were  members  and  active 
workers  in  the  Methodist  church.  Our  subject  attended  school  and  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  Fairfield.  He  graduated  from  Union  College  at  Schenectady,  class  of  1853. 
He  then  taught  several  terms  and  studied  law  in  Newport  with  John  A.  Wooster.  He 
married  Frances  M.,  daughter  of  Christopher  Hawkins.  Their  two  children  are  Jessie, 
wife  of  Frederick  Holton,  and  Annie.  Mrs.  Moon  died  May  28,  1800,  and  he  married 
second  Harriet  F.  Gray  of  Rome,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  Col.  Timothy  Harvey  Ferris 
and  Eliza  (Salisbury)  Ferri.s,  who  were  residents  of  Prospect,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y. 
Mr.  Moon  died  May  11,  1892.  He  was  a  Universalist,  and  a  Republican  in  politics. 
During  the  late  war  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Regiment,  Com- 
pany C,  and  was  captain  of  his  company,  but  received   an  honorable  discharge  on  ac- 


I 


t"AMILY  SKETCHES.  20l 

count  of  poor  health.     He  held  numerous  offices  in  his  town,  including  that  of  district 
attorney  and  supervisor. 

Moon,  Erastus.  Russia,  is  a  native  of  Russia,  born  Fehrunry  14,  1835,  a  son  of  Jeffer- 
son and  Martha  Moon,  mention'  d  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  was  reared  in  Cold 
Brook,  and  educated  in  the  public  schools.  In  1861  he  married  Catharine  Hilton,  a 
native  of  Ephratah,  N.  Y.,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Betsey  (Allen)  Hilton,  of 
Luzerne,  N.  Y.,  where  Mr.  Hilton  was  born.  Mrs.  Hilton  was  born  in  Rochester,  N. 
Y.  Mr.  Hilton  was  an  early  settler  of  Fulton  county,  where  he  lived  for  many  years. 
They  had  two  sons  and  eleven  daughters.  Mrs.  Hilton  died  in  Ephratah,  and  for  the 
last  thirty  years  Mr.  Hilton  has  resided  with  his  daughter  at  Cold  Brook.  Two  sons 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  Moon  and  wife,  William  J.  and  Samuel  E. ,  who  during  the  last 
three  years  have  been  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at  Cold  Brook,  the  firm  being 
known  as  Moon  Bros.     Mr.  Moon  has  always  been  a  Republican. 

Mark,  Morris,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  this  country  before  the 
late  war.  After  clerking  for  about  a  year  in  New  York  city  he  joined  the  French 
Regiment  as  private,  which  was  organized  in  the  city  then  and  was  sent  immediately 
to  the  seat  of  war.  This  regiment  was  cut  to  pieces  and  the  few  survivors  were  trans-- 
ferred  to  the  United  States  Regular  Army,  Light  Battery  Division  (or  Flying  Artillery). 
During  his  service  here  he  participated  in  forty-two  actual  battles.  After  the  war  he 
went  to  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.  He  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  and  estabhshed  a  small 
hoop-skirt  factory.  In  1872  he  moved  to  Herkimer  on  account  of  water  power  and  in 
connection  with  the  hoop-.«kirt  factory  started  a  small  knitting  mill.  Business  has 
grown  to  large  proportions  and  now  employs  327  hands  and  supplies  the  whole.sale 
trade  through  jobbers.  The  business  is  now  a  jomt  stock  concern,  of  which  Mr. 
Marks  is  president.     He  married  Miss  Annie  Sannet  of  Saratoga  and  has  four  children. 

Mabbett,  John  J.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  September  8,  1838,  He 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  this  vicinitv  and  Winfield  Academy.  After  this  he 
went  to  New  York  city  and  established  a  commission  business  on  Forty-fourth  street 
and  Eighth  avenue.  After  conducting  this  for  nine  years  he  moved  to  Mohawk,  N. 
Y.,  and  purchased  the  Mohawk  House,  which  he  conducted  for  twenty-th>-ee  years. 
In  1884  he  purchased  the  brick  yards  of  Edward  Hale,  which  he  still  conducts,  giving 
employment  to  twenty  men  and  several  teams.  Mr.  Mabbett's  ancestry  located  at 
Mabbettsville,  Dutchess  county,  early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  which  locality  re- 
ceived its  name  from  his  grandfather,  who  was  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
New  York  State.  Mr.  Mabbett's  father  was  a  prominent  merchant  of  this  county. 
J.  J.  Mabbett  married  Miss  Elizabeth  McChesney,  by  whom  he  has  five  children  liv- 
ing, three  boys  and  two  girls.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  etc.,  and 
a  staunch  Republican  in  politics. 

McDougal,  Richard,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  now  Fulton  county, 
July  3,  1829.  He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm  and  worked  thereon  until  in  his  eight- 
eenth year,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  cabinet  trade.  After  completing  this 
trade  and  working  at  it  for  a  few  years,  he  commenced  to  do  stove  pattern-making,  at 


202  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTlf. 

which  he  remained  successfully  for  twenty-five  years.  About  two  years  ago  he 
started  his  present  furniture  and  undertaking  establishment  in  Dolgevil'e.  Mr.  Mc- 
Dougal  is  of  Scotch  descent,  his  great-grandfather  settled  in  Fulton  county  early  in 
the  seventeenth  century.  His  father  also  lived  and  died  here,  and.  is  buried  in  Strat- 
ford. His  ancestors  participated  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  McDougal  is  identified  with 
local  social  and  benevolent  institutions. 

Maeyer,  Father  I.  H.  W.,  Salisbury,  is  a  native  of  Holland.  He  was  educated  in 
that  country  under  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  in  Latin,  Greek,  and  French.  After  spending 
seven  years  with  the.se  branches,  he  studied  philosophy  three  years  and  theology  six 
years.  He  then  came  to  America  and  was  ordained  in  1853  by  Bishop  McCIoskey,  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.  He  was  stationed  at  St.  Mary's,  Troy,  N.  Y.,  for  two  years,  after 
which  he  was  at  TJtica  four  years.  Then  under  Bishop  McFarland  at  Catskill  for  some 
time.  Father  Maeyer's  health  becoming  much  impaired,  he  returned  to  Holland,  where 
he  remained  until  1870.  He  then  returned  to  this  country,  and  has  been  stationed  at 
Salisbury  Corners  since  that  period. 

McWenie,  William,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Whitesboro,  Oneida  county,  in  1857. 
He  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  this  place  and  about  five  years  ago 
look  charge  of  the  Beattie  House  at  Little  Falls,  which  he  has  since  conducted  with 
success.  Mr.  McWenie  married  Emma  Fenner,  and  has  three  children,  two  sons  and 
a  daughter.  He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.,  Red  Men,  etc.  He  is  identified  with 
the  local  social,  political  and  benevolent  organizations  of  the  town.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Democrat. 

McLean,  Simpson,  Salisbury,  was  born  in  Ireland,  March  1,  1845.  His  father,  John 
C.  McLean,  came  to  this  country  when  Simpson  was  a  child.  They  settled  first  in 
Philadelphia,  where  the  elder  McLean  followed  the  occupation  of  weaving.  After 
three  years  they  moved  into  Fairfield  and  took  up  land.  Our  subject  was  educated  in 
the  schools  of  the  vicinity,  and  afterwards  traveled  for  fifteen  years  for  a  well-known 
patent  medicine  house.  About  ten  years  ago  he  started  a  general  store  in  Devereaux, 
which  he  has  since  successfully  conducted.  In  1861  Mr.  McLean  enlisted  in  the 
Twenty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteers  and  served  three  years,  participating  in  nineteen  bat- 
tles. He  was  discharged  at  Atlanta,  Ga.  He  was  severely  wounded  three  times. 
Mr.  McLean  married  EHzabeth  Smith,  by  whom  he  had  one  son,  Nathan,  now  an 
engineer.  Some  time  after  his  first  wife's  death  our  subject  married  Fanny  Case, 
and  they  have  had  three  children.  Mr.  McLean  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post 
at  Salisbury  Center.  He  owns  the  town  hall,  his  store,  and  meat  market,  besides 
dwellings  and  lots  in  Devereaux. 

Murphy,  James  A.,  Newport,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  May  10,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of 
Cornelius,  who  was  a  .son  of  Cornelius  and  Margaret  Murphy,  natives  of  Ireland,  who 
came  to  America  in  1852.  Cornelius,  jr.,  was  married  in  Fairfield,  N.  Y.,  to  Mary 
Foran,  a  native  of  Ireland,  by  whom  he  had  six  children.  Mr.  Murphy  purchased 
the  Coe  farm  in  Norway,  and  there  resided  twenty-six  years  Mrs.  Murphy  died  in 
1865,  and  Mr.  Murphy's  second  wife,  Mary  Butler,  died  in  1890.     He  is  a  Democrat, 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  203 

has  been  highway  commissioner  and  insnector  of  elections.  He  now  resides  with  his 
son,  James  A.  The  latter  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools. 
He  is  a  farmer  by  occupation.  In  1884  he  married  Mary  Maxwell,  a  native  of  New- 
port, who  was  born  September  25,  1867,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  Maxwell,  na- 
tives of  Ireland,  who  came  to  America  about  1862.  Mr.  Murphy  is  a  Democrat  and 
has  held  the  offices  of  commissioner  of  highways  and  inspector  of  elections.  He  and 
wife  are  Catholics. 

Merry,  Seward,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Mohawk,  January  7,  1846,  and  from  1860 
to  1864  was  a  clerk  in  the  post-office.  He  was  subsequently  American  Express  asent 
for  twenty-three  years.  He  went  into  the  grocery  business  with  his  father  when 
twenty-eight  years  of  age,  a  business  which  he  still  continues.  He  was  president  of 
the  Republican  Club  of  Tlion  for  some  time  and  is  a  Knight  Templar  in  the  Masonic 
order.  In  1872  he  married  Miss  Mary  C.  Myers,  and  they  have  three  children,  Flora 
R.,  Margaret  L.,  and  Lawrence  L. 

Morey,  L.  A.,  Newport,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  N.  Y.,  November  14,  1845,  a  son  of 
William  B.,  who  was  one  of  twelve  children  of  David  and  Annie  (Parkhurst)  Morey. 
natives  respectively  of  Stephentown  and  Fairfield,  N.  Y.  In  1793  Mr.  Morey  settled 
on  a  farm  in  Fairfield,  and  became  an  extensive  land-owner.  He  died  in  1860. 
William  E.  Morey  was  born  in  Fairfield,  N.  Y.,  May  4,  1817.  He  married  Eliza, 
daughter  of  Low  Carpenter,  of  Norway.  The  children  of  William  E.  Morey  are:  L.  A., 
and  Emogene  F.  The  latter  married  C.  G-.  Verney,  who  resides  in  Norway.  In  1852 
Mr.  Morey  purchased  the  farm  where  his  son  now  resides,  and  here  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days.  He  was  a  Republican,  and  was  assessor  and  excise  commissioner.  He 
was  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge  No.  455,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  died  January  20,  1892, 
His  wife  resides  with  her  daughter.  L.  A.  Morey  was  educated  in  the  Fairfield  Semin- 
ary, and  in  Eastman's  Business  College,  graduating  from  the  latter  in  1867.  In  1868 
he  married  Maria  H.,  daughter  of  Henry  D.  and  Clarissa  A.  Parkhurst,  the  former  of 
Fairfield,  and  the  latter  of  Norway.  Mrs.  Morey  was  born  March  21,  1849,  a  native 
of  Fairfield.  Their  children  are:  Fannie  B.,  Will  H.,  Anna  B.,  and  Clara  E.  Mr. 
Morey  is  a  Republican,  and  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge  No.  455,  F.  &  A.  M. 

Morey,  Milo,  Newport,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  N.  Y.,  August  7,  1847,  a  son  of  David 
H.,  who  was  a  son  of  David  Morey.  David  H.  Morey  was  born  in  Fairfield,  October 
27  1812,  and  on  September  8,  1813,  he  married  Elsie  Buchanan,  born  October  10, 
1813,  a  native  of  Little  Falls.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Churchill) 
Buchanan,  who  reared  eleven  children.  Thomas  Buchanan  was  a  native  of  Little 
Britain,  N.  Y.,  and  when  six  years  of  age  came  to  Little  Falls  with  his  parents.  The 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morey  are.  Newel,  Mary,  Ui\o,  and  Annie  Mr.  Morey  was 
a  farmer.  In  1859  he  came  to  Newport,  but  died  the  same  year  on  December  10th. 
He  was  a  Whig,  afterwards  a  Republican,  and  held  minor  offices  in  the  town.  Milo 
Morey  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  in  Fairfield  Academy,  and  in  the  Clinton 
Liberal  Institute.  He  is  a  farmer,  and  for  the  past  thirty  years  has  resided  on  the  farm 
which  he  now  owns.  On  the  21st  of  May,  1873,  he  married  Kittie  Averill,  a  native  of 
Potsdam,  St.  Lawrence  county,  born  March  28,  1856.     She  is  a  daughter  of  Theodore 


204  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  CODNTT. 

and  Catherine  Davis.  Mr.  and  Mr.^.  Milo  Morey  have  had  two  children,  Grove  and 
Belle.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  been  assessor  five  years,  and  a  member  of  the 
school  board  eleven  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  of  Newport, 
No.  596. 

Mang,  Geo.  L.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  January  22,  18Gr>.  He  received 
a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  Dolgeville  and  Salisbury,  and  on  October  C,  1886, 
established  his  present  grocery  and  drug  establishment.  Geo.  L.  Mang  is  one  of  a 
family  of  twelve  children.  His  father  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  and  one  of  his 
brothers  is  engaged  in  business  next  door  to  Geo.  L.'s  establishment.  His  wife  was 
Bertha  Delamater,  a  daughter  of  Jerome  Delamater.  Mr.  Mang  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  brotherhood,  R.  A.,  etc. 

Morey,  Newell,  Newport,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  October  5,  1836,  a  son  of  David  H. 
and  Elsie  A.  (Buchanan)  Morey.  David  was  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Parkhurst) 
Morey,  who  came  originally  from  Rhode  Island.  David  H.  was  born  in  Fairfield,  and 
his  wife's  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  The  family  are  of  the  Universalist 
faith.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  started  in  at  farming  and  cattle  raising  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  which  business  he  has  followed  since.  He  built  the  first  chee.ie 
factory  in  the  town,  called  the  Babcock  Factory.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  firm  of 
Morey  &  Kimball  (meat  market  and  merchandise).  He  was  elected  sheriff  of  Herkimer 
county  from  January  I,  1889,  to  January  1,  1892,  and  during  that  time  resided  in 
Herkimer.  He  owns  a  farm  of  280  acres.  He  married,  March  11,  1857,  Mary  H., 
daughter  of  George  K.  and  Delia  (KnifTen)  Hawkins,  of  the  town  of  Newport. 

More,  Miles,  Russia,  was  born  in  Russia,  August  8,  1839,  a  son  of  Orson  and  Thirza 
More.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  supplemented  by  several  terms  in  the 
Fairfield  and  Fulton  Academies.  He  married,  in  1864,  Sarah  Beecher,  a  native  of 
Russia,  and  the  only  daughter  of  Isaac  Beecher.  Mr.  Beecher  was  born  in  Russia,  in 
1810,  a  son  of  Almond  and  Elizabeth  Beecher,  who  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  the 
town.  Thev  came  from  Connecticut  about  1805,  and  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Mr.  Beecher  ivas  a  Whig,  and  for  many  years  he  was  overseer  of  the  poor.  February 
22,  1835,  he  married  Orlina,  daughter  of  Elislia  Smith,  of  Russia.  She  died  October  12, 
1878,  and  Mr.  Beecher  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead.  For  some  time  Mr.  More 
studied  music  in  Rome,  N.  T.,  under  Prof.  A.  N.  Johnson,  of  Boston,  and  for  sixteen 
years  he  taught  music  in  Herkimer  county.  He  afterwards  engaged  in  farming  and 
in  the  manufacture  of  cheese,  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  bought  and  sold  cheese. 
He  is  a  Republican,  and  he  and  family  are  members  of  the  Regular  Baptist  Church-  of 
Russia. 

Moyer,  Peter,  Stark,  was  born  where  he  now  resides,  in  Stark,  September  4,  1816, 
a  son  of  Jacob  S.  and  Elizabeth  (Moyer)  Moyer.  The  grandfather,  Solomon  Moyer, 
settled  in  Minden,  Montgomery  county,  prior  to  the  Revolution,  where  he  died  during 
that  war.  He  had  four  children:  Andrew,  Solomon  S,  Jacob  S.,  and  Nancy,  all  of 
whom  raised  families,  and  lived  to  old  age.  Jacob  S.  was  born  December  18,  1781.  in 
Minden,  Montgomery  county,  and  served  in  the  war  of  1812.     He  was  also  at  Sackett's 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  205 

Harbor.  He  served  in  various  town  offices  as  a  Democrat.  He  was  a  leading  Mason. 
He  married  in  1805,  and  immediately  afterwards  settled  on  170  acres  in  the  town  of 
Stark.  He  died  June  30,  1871,  aged  eighty-eight  years ;  and  his  wife,  (born  December 
23,  1782),  June  30,  1861,  aged  seventy-seven.  They  had  ten  children,  raising  eight : 
Nancy.  Katie,  David  I.,  So'omon  W.  (a  twin),  Betsy,  Peter,  Ann  Eliza,  and  Lucinda. 
Peter  Moy*r  received  a  common  school  education,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight 
leased  the  homestead,  which  he  worked  until  his  father's  death.  He  bought  the  home- 
stead and  paid  off  the  heirs.  He  has  since  boue-ht  three  other  farms,  two  in  Stark  and 
one  in  Little  Falls,  conjprising  368  acres.  He  has  served  two  terms  as  supervisor  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  is  a  Granger,  and  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church. 

Morse,  Alex  L.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  N.  Y.,  October  12,  1832. 
After  receiving  a  good  education  he  learned  the  trade  of  saddlery  and  harness  making 
before  his  twentieth  year,  after  which  he  worked  as  a  furrier  for  a  number  of  years, 
finally  establishing  an  enterprise  in  Boston,  which  he  conducted  for  fifteen  years,  and 
where  he  married  Miss  Ruth  McClean.  In  the  spring  of  1865  he  went  to  the  oil 
country  ar.d  established  himself  in  his  line,  but  eventually  branched  out  into  the  oil 
business,  in  which  he  was  signally  successful,  amassing  a  fortune  of  over  $65,000,  but 
which,  unfortunately,  through  misfortune  in  the  business,  he  lost.  After  again  suc- 
ceeding in  a  limited  degree  through  contracting,  he  again  dropped  his  savings  in  oil, 
and  four  years  ago  came  to  Dolgeville  and  inaugurated  a  business  in  his  old  line  of 
harness  and  horse  supplies.     Mr.  Morse  has  two  children,  both  girls. 

Mang.  Frank  S..  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y  ,  August  4,  1863. 
He  started  to  learn  the  butcher  and  meat  business  when  seventeen  years  of  age,  and 
when  twenty-two  years  of  age,  started  for  himself  in  this  business,  and  now  has  the 
finest  establishment  engaged  in  this  business  in  Dolgeville.  Mr.  Mang  enjoys  a  large 
and  lucrative  trade,  and  is  a  popular  and  upright  citizen.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  of  other  associations. 

Mnrphy,  James  B.,  Salisbury  Corners,  was  born  in  Salisbury  in  1865,  July  27.  His 
father,  Patrick  Murphy,  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  this  township,  owning  a 
fine  farm  here.  James  B.  is  one  of  eight  children.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Starrs,  and 
they  have  no  children.  In  July,  1890,  he  purchased  the  hotel  at  Salisbury  Corners, 
which  he  has  since  most  successfully  conducted. 

Minott,  W.  v.,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler,  where  he  lived  until  recently,  and 
where  he  still  owns  his  farm.  He  was  born  November  25,  1845.  His  father  was 
Thomas  Minott,  and  his  grandfather,  A.  Wood  Minott,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
this  locality,  coming  from  New  England.  In  1865  Mr.  Minott  married  Sarah  M. 
Lewis,  and  they  have  two  daughters.  November  26,  1863,  Mr.  Minott  enlisted  in 
Company  L,  Second  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  served  to  the  close  of  the  war,  par- 
ticipating in  many  battles,  and  being  wounded  at  Petersburg.  He  was  supervisor  of 
Schuyler  in  1884  and  1885,  and  has  filled  many  other  important  offices. 

McGraw,  H.,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler,  and  was  born  March  13,  1843.  He 
has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.     His   father,  Hiram  McGraw,  was  also  a  native  of  this 


206  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

town.  Mr.  McGraw  owns  fifty-nine  acres  of  land  and  follows  general  farming.  In 
1864  he  married  Evaline  Durst.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  lived  twenty- 
seven  years  on  this  farm. 

Montgomery,  E.  D.,  was  born  in  Winfield,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  and  received  a 
good  education  in  the  ,=!chools  of  that  vicinity.  In  1890  he  took  charge  of  the  Park 
house,  between  Mohawk  and  Herkimer,  where  he  does  a  regular  hotel  traffic.  He  is 
a  pushing  and  thorough  hotel  proprietor  and  is  very  popular  with  the  travelins;  public 
and  his  house  is  largely  patronized  by  a  large  class  of  the  residents  of  Mohawk  and 
Herkimer,  as  well  as  by  the  general  public. 

Mann,  Daniel,  Winfield,  has  a  custom  grist-mill  and  also  a  saw-mill.  He  was  born 
in  Frey's  Bush,  Monteomery  county,  and  has  worked  in  a  gristmill  since  seventeen 
years  of  age.  He  came  to  West  Winfield  in  1878,  and  worked  in  the  grist-mill  there, 
went  to  Milliner's  mills  in  October,  1885.  He  came  to  Chepachet  in  April,  1891,  and 
bought  these  mills,  which  he  now  operates.  He  enlisted  in  the  late  war.  Company  M., 
Second  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery,  under  Captain  Halstead,  but  was  under  Captain  Hulser. 
He  enlisted  December  26,  1861,  at  Utica.  He  was  in  all  engagements  of  his  company 
until  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  when  he  was  taken  sick.  His  last  battle  was  the 
charge  of  Hatcher's  Run,  December  9,  1864,  and  he  was  discharged  December  29, 
1864.     Mr.  Mann  has  never  married. 

Metzger,  Jacob  H.,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Winfield,  January  23,  1860,  and  settled 
in  this  town  February  6,  1867.  He  is  one  of  the  best  farmers  of  Litchfield.  He  mar- 
ried Clara  Fix,  who  died  April  12,  1891.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Frederick  W.  and 
Rate  Fix,  of  Syracuse.  Jacob  H.  Metzger  is  a  son  of  David  and  Charlotte  Metzger, 
who  have  four  children:  Jacob  H.,  Susan  C,  Mate  and  David  G.  jr.,  also  a  half 
brother,  Leonard  Kimm.  The  father,  David  Metzger,  is  a  native  of  Wurtemberg, 
Germany,  who  came  to  this  country  about  1857. 

Mathews,  Chauncey,  Litchfield,  was  born  here  January  12,  1837.  He  resigned  the 
office  of  loan  commissioner  to  accept  that  of  supervisor  of  Litchfield,  which  he  held  for 
six  years.  He  served  as  chairman  of  the  hoard  of  supervisors  during  his  firs*  term. 
While  acting  as  supervisor  he  was  nominated  for  member  of  Assembly  for  the  Herki- 
mer district  and  was  defeated  by  Myron  A.  McKee.  He  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Mathews, 
born  in  this  town  October  31,  1802.  He  died  on  the  same  farm  where  he  was  born 
which  was  settled  by  his  father,  Samuel,  a  native  of  North  Brookfield,  Mass.,  who 
settled  about  1795  in  Cedarville. 

Moors,  Joseph,  Winfield,  was  born  October  13,  1761,  and  was  the  first  justice  of  the 
peace  in  West  Winfield.  His  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  French  War  and  was  at  the 
capture  of  Louisburg.  He  was  a  captain  of  militia  in  the  Revolution.  The  news  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  received  at  Fort  Washington  while  Captain  Moors 
was  there.  Isaac  L.  Moors  was  born  in  Winfield,  Herkimer  county,  October  22,  1805, 
a  son  of  Joseph,  who  settled  in  Winfield  about  1800,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that 
town.  Isaac  L.  married  in  1830  Mary  Simms,  and  they  have  two  children  living.  Dr. 
Alfred  A.  and  Mrs.  M.  Delaue  Walker,  widow  of  Dwight  Walker.     He  lost  one  daugh- 


Family  sketches.  20? 

ter,  Ruth,  born  September  1,  1830,  wife  of  Charles  J.  Hester,  of  Memphis,  Tenn.,  who 
died  March  29,  1853. 

Morgan,  Charles  E.,  Winfield,  son  of  Sewell,  was  born  in  West  Winfield  May  27, 
1854,  and  was  educated  at  West  Winfield  Academy.  He  married  May  5,  1880,  Julia 
E.,  daughter  of  Dr.  Nathan  and  Sophronia  Spencer,  and  they  have  three  children  :  Clara 
E.,  George  A.  and  Mary  Adelle.  They  lost  one  son,  Herbert  S..  who  died  March  13, 
1892,  aged  nine  years.  Mr.  Morgan  has  been  in  the  omnibus  freight  and  express  busi- 
ness for  the  last  ten  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  has  been  high- 
way commi.ssioner  of  this  town  for  five  years.  Sewell  S.  Morgan,  who  was  an  attor- 
ney, died  January  19,  1885,  aged  fifty-seven.  He  was  born  in  Litchfield  December  12, 
1827,  and  moved  with  his  parents  to  Winfield,  at  the  age  of  two  years.  He  received 
his  education  at  the  common  and  select  schools  of  West  Winfield.  His  mother  died 
when  he  was  eight  years  old,  and  he  then  commenced  life  for  himself.  He  began 
teaching  school  at  the  old  Hemlock  School  House  at  North  Winfield  when  fourteen 
years  old.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  began  reading  law,  borrowing  books  from 
Hamilton  Burdick.  He  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  the  justice's  court  at  fifteen 
years  of  age  and  at  eighteen  in  the  county  court  before  Judge  Ezra  Graves  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  this  State  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  and  in  the  United  States 
Court  at  twenty-eight.  Mr.  Morgan  married  Julia  A.,  daughter  of  Anson  P.  Fair- 
child,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  town.  Mr.  Morgan  had  five  children,  three  of 
whom  survive :  Mina  M.  Palmer,  Charles  E.  Morgan  and  Lina  E.Jones.  Two  have 
died:  George  A.  and  Fred  J.,  both  attorneys  at  law.  Mr.  Morgan  was  a  radical  tem- 
perance man,  and  during  1878  he  spoke  117  times  for  the  cause.  He  was  postmaster 
of  West  Wmfleld  eight  years,  supervisor  seven  years  and  district  attorney  three  years. 
He  was  president  of  the  board  of  education  of  West  Winfield  for  many  years,  and  was 
a  prominent  Mason  and  member  of  Winfield  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  581,  in  which  he 
was  past  master. 

Mason,  Amos  T.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Warren  May  27,  1870,  a  son  of  Joseph  W.  and 
Harriet  (Tiadale)  Mason.  Amos  T.  received  a  district  and  academic  education  at  Ilion 
and  ilohawk.  He  married  May  21,  1889,  Florence  E.,  daughter  of  William  and  Lydia 
(McDonald)  Hardy,  and  they  had  two  children,  Maria  L.  and  Josie.  Mr.  Mason  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics.  He  lived  a  year  in  Richfield  Springs,  running  a  livery,  and  was 
also  a  dealer  in  stock.  After  farming  for  a  year  in  Mohawk  he  located  where  he  now 
resides  in  the  spring  of  1891.  His  farm  is  composed  of  130  acres,  and  he  also  owns  one 
of  eighty-six  acres. 

McCredy,  David  W.,  Warren,  was  born  where  he  resides  April  14,  1823.  son  of  David 
and  Welthy  (Merry)  MoCredy.  The  grandfather  was  a  son  of  Robert,  who  came  from 
Scotland  to  America  prior  to  the  Revolution  on  the  Hudson,  where  he  died.  Subject's 
grandfather  was  born  in  Scotland,  and  died  December  18,  1842,  aged  seventy-seven, 
and  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  bore  him  one  son  ;  his  second  wife,  Mariani  Earl, 
bore  him  one  son  and  ten  girl.s.  Subject's  father  was  born  in  Warren  January  20,  1799, 
and  died  January  30,  1890.  He  served  as  deputy  sherifif,  lived  in  Stark  six  years,  wlien 
he  returned  in  1843.     He  owned  150  acres,  his  father's  homestead.     He  was  a  Demo- 


268  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

crat.  His  wife  died  in  June,  1881.  Subject  and  wife  had  these  children:  David  W., 
Mary  V.,  Thurlow  W.,  Charles  W.  and  George  S.  Subject  was  born  where  he  lives, 
and  has  resided  here  all  his  life,  except  twelve  years.  He  received  a  limited  education, 
and  lived  and  cared  for  his  parents  on  the  old  homestead. 

Newth,  Walter  S.,  Litchfi'»ld,  owns  a  grain,  dairy  and  fruit  farm  of  100  acres,  and  is 
one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  the  town.  lie  was  born  on  his  present  farm  June 
13,  1848,  and  married  Clara  P.,  daughter  of  Roderick  H.  Smith,  a  native  of  Frankfort, 
and  a  son  of  Asel  Smith,  who  came  from  Connecticut.  Walter  S.  is  a  son  of  John 
Newth,  a  native  of  England,  who  settled  on  this  farm  irL.1837.  lie  died  September  8, 
1881.     Walter  S.  and  Clara  P.  Newth  have  one  son,  Fred  H.,  who  Uvea  at  home. 

Neely,  Reuben,  Fairfield,  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Fairfield.  He  was  born 
December  22,  1825,  and  has  lived  in  this  county  ever  since.  He  owns  107  acres  of 
land  and  a  herd  of  thirty  cows.  His  father  settled  in  this  place  on  a  farm,  which  is  now 
the  present  homestead.  Captain  Abram  Neely  of  Revolutionary  fame  was  an  ancestor 
of  his.  In  1864  Mr.  Neely  married  Mary  R.  E.  Thompson,  and  they  have  two  daugh- 
ters, both  married.  Mr.  Neely  is  a  Mason  and  liberal  in  politics,  and  has  been  com- 
missioner of  highways  and  assessor.     He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

Nellis,  James  K.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Yonker's  Bush,  Oppenheim,  Fulton  county,  N. 
Y.,  May  29,  1848.  His  father  was  Christopher  Nellis,  a  native  of  Palatine  township, 
Montgomery  county,  N.  Y.,  born  1807.  He  was  reared  as  a  tanner,  which  was  his 
principal  occupation  in  life.  He  married  Margaret  Myres,  a  native  of  Stone  Arabia,  N. 
Y.,  a  daughter  of  John  Mj'res,  a  native  of  Holland,  who,  with  his  parents  in  an  early 
day,  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y.  The  mother  of  John 
Myres  was  Elizabeth  Myres,  who  lived  to  the -remarkable  age  of  ninety-three  years. 
Her  husband  was  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Christopher  Nellis  and  wife  had  thirteen 
children.  He  was  a  Democrat  and  justice  of  the  peace  a  number  of  years.  He  moved 
to  Salisbury,  Herkimer  county,  in  1852.  He  died  in  18G3,  His  wife  is  now  livmg  at 
the  age  of  eighty-six  years  in  Little  Falls.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  and  early  in  life  was  a  teamster  for  his  father  and  afterwards 
worked  in  the  tannery  for  Story  &  La  Due,  of  Salisbury  Center,  N.  Y.  For  three  years 
he  traveled  and  was  a  rider  of  running  horses.  In  1869  he  married  Sarah  A.  Moon,  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  Moon,  of  Dolgeville,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Nellis  and  wife  have  four  children  : 
James  P.,  John  E.,  Maria  and  Mattie  E.  In  1882  Mr.  Nellis  came  to  Ohio,  where  he 
has  since  been  successful  in  the  mercantile  business.  He  carries  boots  and  shoes,  dry 
good.s,  groceries  and  drugs.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  constable  in  Ohio  three 
years,  and  was  postmaster  under  Cleveland  four  years.  Mr.  Nellis  attends  and  supports 
the  M.  E.  church. 

Odit,  Augustus,  Russia,  was  born  in  Switzerland,  March  29,  1846,  a  son  of  Augustus, 
who  was  a  son  of  Franklin  Odit,  a  native  of  Switzerland,  who  had  two  sons  and  four 
daughters.  He  died  in  Switzerland.  Augustus  Odit  was  born  in  Switzerland  in  1812. 
He  married  Josephine,  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Marj'  I.  Floray,  of  Switzerland,  and 
they  had  two  sons  and  three  daughters.     In    1854  Mr.  Floray  and  wife  and  Mr.  Odit 


1 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.    '  209 

and  family  came  to  America.  Mr.  Floray  died  in  1871  and  his  wife  in  1889.  Augus- 
tus Odit  was  eight  years  old  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States. 
He  has  always  followed  lumbering.  In  1877  he  married  Nellie  B.  Bullock,  a  native 
of  Norway,  born  1854,  and  a  daughter  of  Ira  Bullock,  born  in  1813,  who  had  seven 
children.  During  the  last  six  years  Mr.  Odit  has  been  engaged  in  the  general  mer- 
cantile business  at  Northwood,  N.  Y.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  postmaster  for 
the  last  six  years. 

Owen,  B.  J.,  Frankfort,  one  of  three  children  of  Hugh  and  Winnie  (Charles)  Owen 
of  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Newport  October  16,  1868.  Hugh,  the  father,  was  born  in 
Wales.  He  came  to  this  country  in  early  life  and  settled  in  Frankfort  about  1874.  He 
was  a  butcher  and  shipper  of  cattle  for  several  years,  when  he  bought  the  fine  farm 
where  his  family  now  lives  and  developed  it  into  a  fine  dairy  farm.  He  died  July  27, 
1892,  and  his  son,  B.  J.  Owen  is  developing  the  enterprise.  They  have  a  herd  of  from 
eighty  to  one  hundred  cows  and  are  engaged  in  butter-making  and  supplying  several 
milk  routes.  Mr.  Owen  employs  seven  men  the  year  round.  The  buildings  are  exten- 
sive and  suppHed  with  modern  improvements,  among  which  are  ten  silos  which  have  an 
average  capacity  of  100  tons  each,  and  steam  power  for  handling  the  contents. 

Oyer,  0.  W.,  Schuyler,  is  one  of  the  enterprising  and  progressive  young  farmers  of 
Schuyler.  He  was  born  December  28,  18.^9.  His  father  was  Daniel  Oyer,  who  died 
April  28,  1883.  In  1882  Mr.  Oyer  married  Annie  Weldon,  and  they  have  a  son  and  a 
daughter.     Mr.  Oyer  owns  a  farm  of  158  acres,  a  ''heese-factory  and  a  saw-mill. 

Ostrander,  Smith,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Danube  December  5,  1851.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  Little  Falls  Academy  and  Fort  Plain  Seminary,  after  which  he  taught 
school  for  two  years.  After  this  he  was  engaged  with  B.  Butterick  &  Company  of 
New  York  city,  and  also  upon  the  Herkimer  St.  R.  R.  as  conductor.  His  health  fail- 
ing he  was  compelled  to  return  to  the  farm.  After  a  few  years  he  engaged  with  Morris 
Mark,  and  in  1887  formed  a  joint  stock  company  for  the  manufacture  of  knit  goods. 
This  corporation  is  the  Mohawk  Valley  Knitting  Company,  which  since  that  period 
has  grown  to  large  proportions.  Later  another  stock  company  was  formed,  another 
management  offered  him.  In  both  these  concerns  he  is  a  large  stock  holder  and  super- 
intendent. He  now  devotes  half  his  time  to  each  corporat'on  and  has  made  both  a 
decided  success.  Mr.  Ostrander  is  a  .son  of  John  Ostrander,  of  Ostrander's  Corners. 
He  married  Miss  Emma  C.  Dayger  of  Herkimer,  in  1878.     They  have  no  family. 

Palmer,  Nathan,  Warren,  was  born  April  22,  1838,  in  Richfield,  Otsego  county,  a  son 
of  Nathan  and  Mary  (Ames)  Palmer.  The  grandfather,  Benjamin  E.,  came  from  Con- 
necticut in  colonial  days  and  settled  in  Richfield.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Layton,  by 
whom  he  had  nine  children  :  Nathan,  Esquire,  Layton,  Alonzo,  Harriet,  Mary,  Esther, 
Lucy  and  Emily.  Nathan  was  born  in  Richfield  in  1798,  and  married  Mary,  daughter 
of  Abner  Ames.  He  was  in  the  war  of  1812  as  a  sutler.  He  served  as  supervisor  for 
many  years,  was  a  Whig  and  died  in  1854.  His  wife  died  in  1878,  aged  eighty-one. 
They  had  eleven  sons,  and  raised  seven  :  Benjamin,  George,  Qtis,  Alonzo,  Menzo, 
Nathan  and  Delos.     Nathan  Palmer  received  a  common  school  education  and  at  nine- 


216  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTS. 

teen  began  for  himself.  At  twenty  he  bought  162  acres  in  Richfield,  where  he  lived 
five  years,  then  sold  and  lived  three  years  on  another  farm.  In  1859  he  bought  162 
acres  in  Columbia,  which  he  sold  three  years  later,  and  located  on  another  farm.  He  was 
one  year  in  Richfield  Springs  in  the  grocery  business.  In  1874  he  bought  and  located 
on  seventy-five  acres,  where  he  now  resides,  in  Warren.  He  has  served  as  justice  and 
is  an  active  Democrat.  Mr.  Palmer  married,  December  25,  1856,  Margaret  Stern- 
berg, born  one  mile  east  of  Richfield  Spring.^,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Eve  (Shaver) 
Sternberg.  The  grandfather.  Marquis  Sternberg,  came  from  Dutchess  county  to 
Warren.  He  was  a  public-spirited  citizen  and  gave  the  land  where  the  present  M.  E. 
church  stands  in  Richfield.  His  wife  was  Nancy  Maby,  who  bore  him  these  children  : 
David,  Lambert,  James  D.,  Sarah,  Catherine,  Christina,  Polly  and  Betsey.  James 
Sternberg  was  born  and  lived  in  Warren,  and  died,  December  29,  1887,  aged  eighty- 
three,  in  Schoharie.  His  wife  died  January  26,  1887,  aged  eighty.  They  had 
four  children  :  Marcus,  Sarah  A.  Browman,  Margaret  and  Alonzo  W..  who  enlisted  and 
served  in  the  navy  during  the  war,  and  died  at  Pensacola,  Fla.  Nathan  Palmer  and 
wife  have  one  child,  Curtis  B.,  a  farmer.     The  family  are  Universalists. 

Palmer,  Luther  M.,  Winfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  July  26, 
1853.  He  married  Ida  A.,  daughter  of  Julius  A.  Morgan,  of  Winfield.  They  have 
five  children  :  Willie  E.,  George  W.,  Bertha  E.,  Mary  C,  Harry  L.  Luther  M.  Palmer 
is  a  son  of  Walter,  a  son  of  Vose  Palmer,  who  came  from  Connecticut,  and  settled 
here  in  an  early  day. 

Prior,  Louis  R.,  Litchfield,  lives  on  what  is  known  as  the  Crosby  farm,  125  acres  of 
dairy  and  grain  land.  He  was  born  in  the  brick  house  on  the  farm  adjoining  this,  No- 
vember 14,  1867,  and  married  Minnie  C.  Fish,  August  27,  1890.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Veta  Estelle.  Mrs.  Prior  was  born  October  1,  1866,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  Fish,  of  Frankfort,  where  he  now  lives,  and  he  was  a  son  of  Elias  Fish,  one  of 
the  first  settlers  in  the  Gulf,  which  was  named  after  him  and  called  Fish's  Gulf.  Philo 
Prior  owns  a  farm  of  147  acres,  devoted  to  dairying  and  grain.  It  is  very  productive 
and  has  excellent  buildings.  The  house  was  built  by  Samuel  Rider,  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  the  town.  Philo  Prior  married  Caroline  E.,  daughter  of  Wakeman  Rider,  and  he 
was  a  son  of  Samuel  Rider,  the  first  settler  on  this  farm,  and  one  of  the  first  of  the 
town.  Philo  Prior  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  November  26,  1839,  a  son  of  Lyman, 
who  was  a  son  of  Daniel  Prior,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Oneida  county.  Philo  and 
Caroline  E.  Prior  have  two  children :  Xenia  V.  Goodier  and  Louis  R.,  both  residents 
of  this  town.  When  Daniel  Prior  came  from  Connecticut  there  was  but  one  house  in 
what  is  now  Utica. 

Putman,  John,  Litchfield,  is  a  farmer  owing  a  farm  of  about  200  acres,  which  was 
settled  by  his  father  Jacob  Putman,  in  1837.  The  latter  was  a  native  of  this  county, 
and  he  came  from  a  farm  near  Cedarville,  where  he  was  one  of  the  first  settlers.  He 
was  a  son  of  Isaac  Putman,  one  of  the  first  settlers  at  Mohawk.  John  Putman  was 
born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  June  24,  1837.  His  father,  Jacob  Putman,  was 
drafted  into  the  army  in  the  war  of  1812,  stationed  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  and  he  was 
one  of  the  soldiers  who  drew  IGO  acres.     John  Putman  married  Ada  J.,  a  daughter  of 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  211 

Daniel  Wilcox,  of  this  town.     She  had  eight  children  :    Samuel,  Milla,  Alida,  Lncy, 
Anna  B.,  Kate  J.,  John  J.  and  Philena,  all  living. 

Palmer,  Nathaniel  Budlong,  Litchfield,  is  a  farmer  and  cheese  manufacturer,  and 
owns  the  Cold  Springs  cheese  faetory ;  the  same  building  in  which  he  commenced 
making  cheese,  was  built  for  and  used  as  a  chair  factory.  It  was  used  as  a  cheese 
factory  by  Chester  Northrup,  who  was  succeeded  by  a  stoclc  company  of  the  farmers, 
They  sold  out  to  James  Ashpole,  and  he  sold  to  the  present  owner,  N.  B.  Palmer,  who 
has  owned  it  up  to  the  present  time.  He  owns  a  dairy  and  grain  farm  of  ninety-five 
acres,  formerly  owned  and  occupied  by  Erastus  Miller.  It  is  a  very  productive  and 
well  managed  farm.  N.  B.  Palmer  was  born  May  30,  1843,  in  this  town.  He  married 
Harriet  Smith,  and  they  have  two  children :  Lena  M.  and  Earl  N.  They  have  lost  one 
son,  Benjamin  R.,  who  died  October  27,  1876,  aged  two  years  and  six  months.  N.  B. 
Palmer  is  a  son  of  Solon  L.     He  was  a  son  of  Leonard  Palmer,  all  of  this  town. 

Phillips,  V.  0.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield.  His  father  was  Vernon  Phillips 
and  liis  grandfather  Roland  P.  Phillips,  both  of  this  town.  Roland  P.  came  from 
Rhode  Island.  '  V.  0.  Phillips  owns  a  large  farm  of  210  acres  and  a  smaller  one  of 
eighteen  acres,  on  which  he  lives.  He  is  one  of  the  large  dairy  farmers  of  Fairfield. 
In  1865  he  married  Amy  R.  Harris.  He  is  a  Republican  and  a  leading  man  in  his 
party.  He  is  fifty- four  years  of  age,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  at  Middleville. 
His  mother  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 

Perrine,  A.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls,  and  one  of  the  most  enterprising 
men  of  the  village.  He  first  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for 
twelve  years.  He  then  took  up  painting  and  has  been  twenty  years  in  this  line  of  busi- 
ness. He  does  the  major  part  of  the  painting  in  the  village  and  employs  about  ten  men. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.,  the  Iron  Hall  and  the  People's  Benefit  Association. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  is  an  adherent  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  mar- 
ried Nettie  A.  Schuyler,  December  22,  1869,  and  they  have  three  children,  two  daugh- 
ters and  one  son.  The  latter  is  a  book-keeper  in  the  MacKinnon  Mills.  Mr.  Perrine 
was  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the  projection  of  the  Dolgeville  railroad,  and  is  in- 
terested in  the  development  of  the  fine  ore  beds  in  this  county,  owning  a  large  farm 
besides  these  beds. 

Pike  J.  W.,  proprietor  of  the  Pike  Knitting  Machine  Company,  Little  Falls,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Vermont.  After  a  preliminary  education  and  a  course  in  a  polytechnic  school, 
he  traveled  on  the  road  as  salesman  in  the  canned  goods  line  for  some  time.  Abandon- 
in"  this  he  went  to  Philadelphia  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  machinery  for  knit 
goods  etc.  This  was  about  eleven  years  ago.  In  1887  he  came  to  Little  Falls  and 
established  his  present  enterprise,  which  is  the  manufacture  of  Pike's  patent  latch 
needle,  knitting  machines,  hosiery  winders  and  general  mill  machinery.  Mr.  Pike  is  an 
expert  in  his  business,  and  goes  out  and  .sets  up  his  own  machines.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Arcanum,  the  Elks,  the  Commercial  Travelers'  Association,  etc.  His  father 
also  was  a  manufacture  and  had  works  at  Chelmsford,  Mass.  The  Pike  Knitting  Ma- 
chine Company  employs  thirty-eight  hands,  and  turns  out  standard  machines  in  every 
case. 


212  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTr. 

Pfhals,  Chris.  J ,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Utica,  February  15,  1850.  He  was  a  son  of 
Chri.'itian  and  Louisa  (Hornung)  Pfbals,  of  Utica.  He  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter 
when  young,  working  at  his  trade  in  Iljon  for  several  years  and  at  the  Reiriington 
Agricultural  Works  two  year.s.  He  came  to  Frankfort  in  1881  and  worked  at  his 
trade  and  ran  livery  business  until  1885,  when  he  became  owner  of  the  bus  route 
to  the  West  Shore  and  Central  depots,  also  express  delivery  and  mail  carrying, 
which  he  still  continues.  He  married,  in  1881,  Marion  M.  Watson,  one  of  six  children 
of  Oliver  W.  and  Lucinda  (Ca.sler)  Watson,  b^th  of  Frankfort.  Robert  Watson,  the 
grandfather,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  came  to  Frankfort  in  the  winter  of  1777. 

Prescott,  C.  W.,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  Mohawk  and  was  educated  in  the  Clinton 
Liberal  Institute,  now  Fort  Plain.  He  then  entered  his  father's  office  to  study  law, 
but  never  sought  for  admission  to  the  bar.  His  father,  Amos  H.  Prescott,  was  a 
leading  man,  and  county  judge  for  sixteen  years  Mr.  C.  W.  Prescott  has,  for  many 
years,  done  considerable  newspaper  work  and  still  keeps  up  his  connection  in  that 
way.  He  is  a  prominent  justice  of  the  peace  in  Herkimer  and  much  of  his  time  is  de- 
voted to  the  duties  of  his  office.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Fort  Dayton  Hose  Company, 
the  Fort  Dayton  Council  of  United  Friends,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows.    He  is  a  Republican. 

Pelton,  Justin  B.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Litch6eld,  September  12,  1836,  and  re- 
mained on  his  father's  farm  till  twenty- four  years  of  age.  He  then  came  to  Ilion  and 
started  in  the  hardware  business,  which  he  has  since  conducted  with  great  success. 
Mr.  Pelton  married  Julia  E.,  daughter  of  Julius  C.  Warren,  in  1861,  and  they  have  a 
family  of  four  children  :  Gilbert  Brace,  May  L.,  Sarah  L.  and  Jessie  L.  Mr.  J.  C.  War- 
ren was,  for  many  years,  ju.stice  of  the  peace  in  Litchfield,  and  Mr.  Pelton  has  held  that 
office  in  Ilion  for  eight  years.  He  has  a'so  been  trustee  of  the  village,  and  was  super- 
visor of  the  town  in  1872.  He  is  a  Mason  and  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  citizens 
in  Ilion.  His  father  was  Brace  Pelton  and  his  grandfather,  Seth  Pelton.  He  came 
from  Connecticut,  and  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Litchfield. 

Pelton,  G.  B.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Ilion,  March  11,  1864,  and  was  educated  in 
the  Ilion  Academy  and  Cornell  University.  He  has  been  in  business  for  four  years 
with  his  father,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  young  men  of  the  town.  In  addition  to  col- 
lege clubs,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  outside  of  the  hardware  line 
does  an  insurance  business.  He  is  president  of  the  Republican  League  in  Ilion.  Mr. 
Pelton  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  new  library  building  project  and  is  one  of  the 
literary  committee. 

Powers,  John  F.,  German  Flats,  is  a  nalive  of  Utica  and  has  been  in  Ilion  since  1882. 
He  was  a  carriagemaker  by  trade,  but  has  been  in  the  wet  goods  business  for  several 
years.  He  is  quite  active  in  politics,  is  a  member  of  the  town  committee  and  has  been 
delegate  to  Democratic  conventions  several  times.  He  is  an  Elk  and  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor. 

Petrie,  Jacob  H.,  of  Herkimer,  farmer,  was  born  in  this  township  in  1823,  and  has 
been  identified  with  this  part  of  the  country  ever  since.     He  has  been  a  farmer  all  his 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  213 

life,  and  has  been  twenty-five  years  on  his  present  place.  He  owns  275  acres,  and 
milks  thirty-two  cows.  His  father  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Wm.  Petrie,  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  In  1852  Mr.  Petrie  married  Miss  Jemima  Woliver,  and  they  have  two  sons, 
Oliver  and  Henry.  Oliver  married  Miss  Lillie  Grill.  Mr.  Petrie  is  a  member  of  the 
Grange,  and  has  been  assessor  three  years.  Dr.  Wm.  Petrie  was  in  the  Prussian  army 
under  Frederick  the  Great. 

Paine,  Seth,  Warren,  a  descendant  of  a  Paine  who  landed  at  Plymouth  Rock  in  1620, 
was  born  in  Connecticut  about  1750,  and  settled  in  Paine's  Hollow,  on  about  1,000 
acres,  where  he  died.  His  wife  was  a  Swift,  who  bore  him  five  sons,  Thomas,  William, 
James,  Seth  and  Chester,  and  five  daughters.  Seth  Paine,  jr.,  was  born  and  lived  and 
died  in  Paine's  Hollow.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Filer,  who  bore  him  two  children,  Seth 
J.  and  Jane.  After  Mr.  Paine's  death,  his  widow  married  John  Sage,  and  died  in 
Buffalo  in  1858.  Seth  B.  Paine  was  born  in  Paine's  Hollow  in  1805.  He  was  a  cabi- 
net maker.  He  married  Loretta  Averill,  who  bore  him  two  children,  Charles  and 
Byron.  He  went  to  Ohio  to  look  up  a  location,  and  died  there.  Mrs.  Paine  returned 
to  her  parents.  Dr.  Jonathan  and  Anna  (Watkins)  Averill,  where  Byron  Paine  now 
lives,  and  where  Mr.  Averill  died  in  1833.  Byron  Paine  was  born  in  Bridgewater, 
Oneida  county,  December  26,  1830,  and  after  his  father's  death  came  to  where  he  now 
resides.  He  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  and  also  carried  on  wagon  making.  He  and 
his  brother  own  two  farm=.  He  has  held  several  town  offices,  and  is  an  active  Repub- 
hcan.  He  is  unmarried.  Chas.  Paine  was  horn  in  Warren ;  is  a  wagon  maker  and 
farmer.  He  married  Calferna,  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah  (Yule)  De  Voe,  who  has 
borne  him  two  children,  John  and  Frank.  Byron  Paine  is  a  leading  and  influential 
Mason. 

Perry,  William  H.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls.  January  3,  1844.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  common  school  education,  after  which  he  worked  in  a  spinning  mill,  and 
attended  locks  for  about  four  years.  For  the  next  eighteen  years  he  clerked  for  Chris 
Lee,  and  upon  the  death  of  the  latter,  opened  up  business  for  himself  at  Lock  37  on 
the  Erie  canal.  In  1861  he  was  the  leader  in  the  movement  to  organize  a  company  to 
participate  in  the  civil  war.  They  desired  to  elect  him  captain,  which  office  he  refused 
on  account  of  his  age,  being  only  eighteen  at  that  time,  but  he  enlisted  in  the  Thirty- 
Fourth  New  York  Volunteers,  under  Col.  William  La  Due,  and  participated  in  every 
battle  from  the  beginning  of  the  war  to  the  battle  of  Antietam.  In  1864  he  married 
Jane  Ann  Flansbnrg,  and  of  their  nine  children,  six  are  now  living.  Mr.  Perry  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  "  G.  A.  R.,"  and  has  held  several  local  public  offices. 

Putnam,  John  M.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Newport,  March  17,  1837,  a  son  of  George 
Putnam,  whose  father  lived  and  died  in  Canajoharie.  George  was  born  in  Canajoharie 
in  1813.  He  married  Margaret  Yerdon,  of  Montgomery  county,  by  whom  he  had  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  Mrs.  Putnam  died  in  1845,  and  he  married  second,  Elsie 
Smith,  by  whom  he  has  five  sons.  Mr.  Putnam  served  a  short  time  in  the  late  war. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church.  John  M.  Putnam  at  the  age  of  fourteen  started 
in  life  for  himself,  at  first  working  on  a  farm,  but  later  learning  the  painter's  trade. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  enlisted  in  the  regular  army,  Second  United  States  Cavalry,  and 


214  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

served  five  years.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  went  to  Washington  and  served  until 
its  close  as  a  sutler.  In  1865  Mr.  Putnam  married  Emma  Vincent,  of  Norway,  wlio 
was  born  1844,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  R.  and  Hulda  (Aller)  Vincent,  of  Norway,  and 
they  have  two  children  :  Kingson  B.,  who  is  engaged  with  Warner  Bros.,  corset  manu- 
facturer.s  of  New  York  city ;  and  Allie  G.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Putnam 
engaged  in  farming  at  Norway.  In  1872  he  came  to  Poland,  bought  a  grist-mill,  and 
has  since  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  flour.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  a  member  of 
Newport  Lodge  No.  455,  F.  &  A.  M. 

Prass  Brothers,  Manheim,  grocers,  are  located  within  the  corpora'e  limits  of  Little 
Falls,  but  are  in  the  town  of  Manheim.  The  firm  is  composed  of  J.  M.  and  J.  F.  Prass, 
sons  of  G.  A.  Prass.  Both  members  of  the  firm  were  educated  in  the  schools  of  Fair- 
field, and  prior  to  establishing  their  business  in  Manheim  were  located  on  Main  street. 
Little  Falls.  They  have  only  occupied  their  present  new  store  a  few  months.  They 
are  thoroughly  representative  business  men,  doing  a  large  trade,  and  are  identified  with 
local  social  and  benevolent  institutions. 

Rice,  Albert  M.,  Winfield,  cattle  dealer  and  farmer,  was  born  in  Pompey,  Onondaga 
county,  September  10,  1863,  and  settled  in  Winfield  in  1856.  He  was  in  the  store  in 
West  Winfield,  with  Russell  Huntley,  four  year.s.  He  then  came  to  East  Winfield, 
and  engaged  in  farming  and  cattle  dealing,  which  he  continues.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaiah 
H.  and  Almira  Rice,  the  latter  a  native  of  Onondaga  county,  and  the  former  of  Massa- 
chusetts. Albert  M.  Rice  married  Luna  A.,  daughter  of  Theron  T.  Morgan,  who  was 
born  in  this  town,  a  son  of  John  Morgan.  Her  mother  was  Harriet  M.  Rice,  daughter 
of  Matthew  Keith.  Albert  M.  Rice  has  three  children :  Harriet  A.,  Franklin  A.,  and 
George  M. 

Rising,  James  G.,  Litchfield,  a  farmer,  was  born  in  this  town,  and  married  Emma 
Gallup.  They  have  one  daughter,  Julia,  who  married  Frank  Woodbury,  and  have  a 
daughter,  Nina.  James  G.  is  a  son  of  Moses  and  Polly  Hewett  Rising.  There  are  five 
of  the  children  now  living,  all  farmers:  Lovina,  Mary,  William,  James  G.,  and  Milo  M. 
Moses  was  a  son  of  Abner  Rising,  a  native  of  Massachu.setts,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Litchfield.  He  married  Abigail  Devotion,  they  had  seven  children  :  Abner,  jr.,  Oliver, 
Moses,  Harry,  Desire,  Rowena  and  Abigail.  Mrs.  Emma  Rising  is  a  daughter  of  Dan- 
iel and  Amy  Gallup. 

Rider,  Emerson  D.,  Litchfield,  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Litchfield,  was  a 
son  of  Harlow  D.  Rider,  a  native  of  this  town,  who  was  the  youngest  son  of  Ezra 
Rider,  who  died  November  10,  1870,  aged  eighty-six  years.  Harlow  D.  died  February 
20,  1879,  aged  65  years.  He  married  Emeransa  Wilcox,  March  22,  1879.  They  had 
two  children:  Emerson  D.  and  Lillie  A.  Emerson  D.  married,  February  4,  1885, 
Amelia  Vosburg,  and  they  have  two  children  living:  Erwin  H.  and  Will  H.  They  have 
lost  one  son,  Earnest,  who  died  September  6,  1886,  aged  six  months.  Lillie  Rider 
married,  March  22,  1884,  Zetto  Brewer,  a  son  of  Jacob  Brewer.  Emeransa  Wilcox 
was  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Wilcox,  a  native  of  Litchfield.  Amelia  Vosburg  is  a  daughter 
of  Henry  Vosburg,  who  was  a  native  of  Germantown,  Chenango  county,  and  his  father, 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  215 

Peter  Vosburg,  is  a  native  of  this  county.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  oldest  fam- 
ily record  found  in  the  town  of  Litchfield,  of  a  family  who  came  to  this  town  in  1787 : 
"Christopher  Rider,  born  Sept.  8,  1761;  married  April  3,  1783,  to  Miss  Johanna 
Baughton,  who  was  born  Dec.  21,  1762.  She  died  Dec.  21,  1845.  He  died  May  23, 
1839.  Ezra  Rider,  died  :  Nov.  10,  1870,  aged  86  years.  Lewis  Rider,  died  :  Feb.  22, 
1829,  aged  43  years.  Justus  Rider  died :  Sept.  18, 1859,  aged  70  years.  William  Rider, 
died:  May  15,  1821,  aged  31  years.  John  P.  Rider,  died:  Oct.  6,  1825.  aged  30 years. 
Mathew  C,  died  :  March  10,  1885,  aged  85  years." 

Rank  Lewis,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Ohio  township,  March  22,  1861.  His  father  was  Adam 
Rank,  a  native  of  Germany,  born  October  23,  180- .  Adam  Rank  was  married  in  Ger- 
many to  Barbara  (Herl)  Rank,  and  to  them  twelve  children  were  born,  nine  of  whom 
are  living.  In  1854  Mr.  Rank  and  family  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Ohio 
township.  There  Mr.  Rank's  death  occurred  in  1871.  His  wife  survives  him.  Mr. 
Rank  was  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  and  wife  were  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Subject  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  He 
was  ten  years  old  when  his  father  died  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  started  in  life 
for  himself,  working  by  the  month.  In  1885  he  married  Alice  R.  Gibson,  born 
May,  1861.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Susan  Gibson,  whom  we  have  men- 
tioned elsewhere.  Subject  and  wife  have  one  daughter,  Marcia.  Mr.  Rank  is  a  Re- 
puljlican.     His  brother,  John,  served  three  years  in  the  late  war. 

Richards,  La  Fayette,  Schuyler,  was  born  July  6, 1831,  and  has  always  been  a  farmer. 
December  26,  1855,  he  married  Sarah  H.  Haskill,  and  they  have  two  children,  Dr.  Sey- 
mour S.  Richards  of  Frankfort,  and  Frank  J.  Richards  who  has  been  mail  clerk  in 
Frankfort  for  the  past  ten  years.  Mr.  Richards's  father  was  John  Richards,  a  native  of 
Wales,  who  came  to  America  in  1801.  The  family  have  resided  in  Schuyler  since 
1870. 

Rees,  M.  A.,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  and  was  born  on  the  farm  on  which  he  resides. 
He  was  educated  at  Fairfield  in  the  early  days  of  the  academy.  He  owns  a  fine  farm 
of  200  acres  and  a  herd  of  forty  cows.  Mr.  Rees's  great-grandfather  came  from 
Germany.  He  was  a  clergyman  and  physician  and  settled  in  Palatine  and  ofilci- 
ated  in  New  Jersey  for  many  years.  Some  of  the  grandfather's  brothers  took  part 
in  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Rees  married  Miss  Sarah  Johnson  of  Salisbury  in  1858. 
Their  only  son,  C.  H.,  died  in  1890.  Mr.  Rees  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the 
Grange  and  other  societies. 

Reese,  Frank,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Richfield,  July  17,  1834.  His  father 
Matthew  Reese,  was  a  farmer,  and  the  early  years  of  his  son  were  spent  amid 
rural  surroundings.  Fifty  years  ago  he  came  to  Ilion,  and  his  first  business 
undertaking  was  on  the  canal,  where  he  spent  about  nine  seasons.  He  then  em- 
barked in  the  trucking  business  and  soon  started  a  livery  also.  For  twelve  years 
he  was  engaged  in  the  carting  business  in  partnership  with  Sanford  Getman.  He 
has  been  in  the  bus  business  here  since  1857,  except  for  five  or  six  years,  and  has 
carried  the  United  States  mail  nearly  all  of  these  years.     In  1861  Mr.  Reese  mar- 


il6  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

ried  Elmira  Piper,  daughter  of  Nicholas  Piper.  Mr.  Reese  is  one  of  the  scions 
of  the  oldest  and  most  honorable  families  of  this  section,  and  he  has  himself,  by  a 
long,  honorable  and  successful  business  career  won  the  highest  respect  and  esteem 
of  all  classes.     He  is  a  staunch  Democrat. 

Rankin,  Horace,  dealer  in  groceries  and  provisions,  crockery,  meals,  etc.,  Ann  street, 
Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  this  place  and  began  his  business  career  in  his  father's  store, 
where  he  remained  until  the  age  of  twenty-one.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 
emigrating  to  this  country,  where  he  died  December  14,  1889.  Horace  Rankin  estab- 
lished his  present  business  in  1884,  and  has  conducted  it  with  marked  success  ever 
since,  while  he  is  still  interested  to  some  extent  in  farming.  In  1869  he  married  Alice 
Dagert  and  they  have  one  son,  Harvey  Rankin.  Mr.  Rankin  is  a  Democrat  in  politics 
and  was  tai?  collector  of  Little  Falls  in  1869. 

Rasback,  Marcus,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  1832,  on  February  24,  and  has  been  a  farm- 
er all  his  life.  He  owns  231  acres  of  land,  raises  annually  100  tons  of  hay,  and  keeps 
forty  milch  cows.  His  grandfather,  John  Rasback,  took  part  in  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  his  father,  Marcus  Rasback,  lived  in  this  county  all  his  life.  In  1856  Mr. 
Rasback  married  Miss  Mary  N.  Snell,  and  they  have  three  children,  all  living  at  home. 
Mr.  Rasback  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  the  county  and  has  been  supervisor  of 
the  town  for  four  terms.  He  has  also  been  justice  of  the  peace  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Grange,  and  is  a  prominent  Mason,  having  passed  to  the  Knight  Templars. 

Rice,  Ai,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Salisbury  January  20,  1826.  The  family  originally 
came  from  Connecticut  and  settled  in  Sahsbury  in  1802,  where  they  have  since  lived 
until  Mr.  Rice  bought  his  present  dairy  farm  of  218J  acres  in  Herkimer  on  the 
Steuben  road.  Ai  Rice  married  Miss  Sarah  Spencer  of  Herkimer,  and  has  three  sons 
and  one  daughter.  He  keeps  sixty-five  head  of  stock  besides  ten  or  twelve  horses. 
His  children  are  Fred  A.,  Chauncey  A.  and  Frank,  and  his  daughter  is  Viola  J.  Mr. 
Rice  is  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  this  vicinity. 

Rhodes,  W.  H.,  Russia,  was  born  in  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  May  4,  1852,  a  son  of  Ben- 
jamin F.,  a  son  of  Jacob.  Benjamin  F.  was  born  in  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  in  1825,  and  in 
1852  Mr.  Rhodes  went  to  Williamsburg,  Mass.,  and  there  for  five  years  he  was  tool- 
maker  in  the  planing  shops.  He  then  became  superintendent  in  the  Button  Mold 
Factory  of  0.  G.  Spellman.  In  1874  he  began  work  for  Woodard  &  Lyman  and  con- 
tinued two  years.  He  then  went  to  Russia  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  button 
molds  until  his  death  in  1879.  His  wife  was  Dolly  F.  White,  a  native  of  W^illiamsburg, 
Mass.,  born  1830,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Polly  (Curtis)  White.  Mr.  Rhodes  had 
three  sons  and  two  daughters.  W.  H.  Rhodes  was  reared  in  Williamsburg,  educated  in 
the  common  schools  and  Eastman's  Business  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1870. 
In  1875  he  married  Annie  E.  V.  Tower,  born  in  1852,  a  daughter  of  Lorin  and  Sophronia 
(Bates)  Tower  of  Chesterfield  and  Westford,  respectively.  They  had  one  son  and  six 
daughters.  He  was  representative  of  Hampden  county,  Massachusetts,  and  was 
selectman  twenty  years.  His  father,  Luther  F.,  was  in  the  War  of  1812.  Mr.  Rhodes 
worked  in  the  silk-mills  of  Shimerville,  Williamsburg,  and  then  became  superintendent 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  217 

of  the  Winstead  Silk-mills  until  1877.  He  then  worked  in  the  silk-mills  of  Mount 
Carmel,  Conn.,  and  Hillsborough,  N.  H.,  until  1881,  when  he  went  to  New  York  city 
and  took  charge  of  the  New  York  office  for  one  year.  He  then  came  to  Cold  Brook 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  button  molds,  which  he  now  follows.  Since  1884, 
Mr.  Rhodes  has  been  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hampshire  Lodge  F.  &  A. 
M.  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  Iroquois  Chapter  of  Ilion  236,  also  a  member  of  Little 
Falls  Commandery  26.  In  New  Hampshire  he  was  a  member  of  the  Valley  Lodge  43, 
I.  O.  0.  F.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Khorassan  Grotto  2,  M.  0.  V.  P.  E.  R.  at  Ilion,  N. 
Y.,  and  also  belongs  to  the  K.  of  P.  at  the  same  place. 

Robinson,  Joseph,  Warren,  was  born  at  Northamptonshire,  England,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1836  and  settled  in  Richfield.  He  married  Maria,  daughter  of  Asa 
and  Lucy  Brown,  and  had  four  children  :  George  W.,  Albert  D.,  John  G.  and  Lucy  M. 
John  G.  Robinson  was  born  in  Richfield  November  26,  1846.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  began  for  himself  buying  cattle;  at  twenty-one  he  bought  the  first  farm  and  now 
owns  502  acres  and  handles  500  to  600  head  of  cattle  every  year.  He  is  a  Republican 
and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  He  married,  September  20,  1871,  Alice,  daughter 
of  Richard  and  Martha  (Preston)  Schooley,  who  has  borne  him  nine  children :  Anna 
B.,  Carrie  A.,  Josie  M.,  Mabel  M.,  George  G.,  Irwin  D.,  William  S.,  Alice  A.  and 
Baby. 

Rank,  Henry,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Germany  July  5,  1842.  He  is  a  son  of  Adam  and 
Barbara  (Herl)  Rank,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  In  1865  he  married  Henrietta  Herpy,  a  native 
of  Ohio  township,  born  in  1847.  Her  parents  were  John  and  Christina  (Stork)  Herpy, 
natives  of  Germany,  who  had  five  children.  In  1844  Mr.  Herpy  came  to  Ohio  town- 
ship, and  there  lived  until  his  death  in  1882.  Mrs.  Herpy  is  still  living  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years.  Mr.  Rank  is  a  farmer  and  a  Republican.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church. 

Smith,  William  H.,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  in  Litchfield  August  9, 
1816.  He  was  justice  of  this  town  eight  years,  town  clerk  two  years,  and  has  held 
other  minor  oflSces.  He  manied  in  April,  1874,  Janette  M.  Wheelock  of  this  town. 
He  was  a  son  of  Richard  Smith,  second,  who  came  from  New  Jersey  and  settled  here 
about  1798.  He  was  born  September  25,  1774,  and  married,  April  3,  1794.  He  died 
January  25,  1840.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  town,  and  traveled  to  mill 
at  Herkimer  by  marked  trees.  He  was  justice  of  Litchfield  for  about  twenty  years,  and 
received  his  first  appointment  from  governor  of  New  York  State.  He  was  a  member  of 
Assembly  m  1825  from  Herkimer  county.  He  was  a  son  of  Abner  Smith  of  New 
Jersey. 

Spencer,  Herbert  J.,  was  born  in  Winfield  February  15,  1847.  a  son  of  Dr.  Nathan 
and  Saphronia  (Bailey)  Spencer.  Herbert  J.  was  educated  in  the  West  Winfield 
Academy  and  Seminary  at  Fulton.  He  read  with  his  father,  Nathan  Spencer,  and 
graduated  from  the  Homeopathic  Medical  College  of  New  York  city.  He  commenced 
practice  in  Winfield  in  1870.      In  1883  he  went  to  Newton,  Kan.,  where  he  practiced 


218  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

until  1886,  then  went  to  Greene,  Chenango  county,  and  in  1892  returned  to  West  Win- 
field.  He  married  in  1872,  Nelhe,  daughter  of  Seymour  and  Amelia  (Beach)  Bailey. 
They  have  three  children :  Mary  B.,  Ruth  A.  and  Ralph  H. 

Stephens,  John  H.,  M.  D..  was  born  in  Frankfort  October  28,  1859,  a  son  of  Stewart 
and  Margaret  (Taylor)  Stephens.  He  was  educated  at  the  Whitestown  Seminary,  read 
medicine  with  Dr.  William  H.  Brown  of  Cedarville,  N.  Y.,  graduated  at  the  Albany 
Medical  College  in  1883,  and  remained  wilh  Dr.  William  H.  Brown  of  Cedarville,  N.Y., 
his  preceptor,  two  years,  then  practiced  by  him.oelf  in  Cedarville  two  years.  He  came 
to  West  Winfield  in  1889,  and  is  still  in  practice  there.  He  married  May  L.,  daughter 
of  Clayton  T.,  and  Sarah  (Kershaw)  Wheelock.  They  have  one  daughter,  Edna  J. 
Stephens. 

Shaul,  Samuel,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  in  Stark,  March  7,  1819, 
a  son  of  Daniel  and  Rachael  (Smith)  Shaul.  His  grandfather,  John,  was  born  in  Her- 
kimer county,  and  his  father  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Stark.  John  was  taken  pris- 
oner by  the  Indians  during  the  Revolution,  remaining  seven  years.  Two  brothers, 
Bastian  and  Matthia.s,  were  taken  with  him.  The  latter  being  tender  hearted  was  home 
sick,  and  owing  to  his  constant  crying  they  sent  him  home  and  the  two  others  were 
kept.  John  married  a  Miss  Bonner,  and  had  seven  children  :  Christian,  John,  Bastian, 
Jacob,  Daniel,  George  and  Betsey.  He  and  wife  died  in  Stark  at  an  advanced  age. 
Daniel  was  born  in  Stark,  and  served  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  held  several  town  offices 
and  wai?  a  Whig.  He  had  nine  children :  John  D.,  who  enlisted  in  the  war  from 
Cherry  Valley,  and  was  made  colonel  of  his  regiment.  He  died  about  1887 ;  Garshau 
of  Bridgewater,  Daniel,  deceased,  who  left  four  children ;  Cornelius  of  Richfield 
Springs,  Samuel,  Clark,  who  died  aged  seven,  Laura  M.,  Rachael,  Betsey  A.,  who  died 
young.  Samuel  Shaul  has  served  in  various  town  offices.  He  was  a  Democrat  up  to 
the  war,  but  changed  and  became  a  Republican.  He  married  Lucinda  Yule,  born  in 
Warren,  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Hannah  (Hayes)  Yule,  and  they  had  seven  chil- 
dren :  Willard,  who  died  young  ;  Daniel,  aged  ten ;  John  E.,  Charles  F.,  Ellen  J.,  and 
Mariah,  wife  of  Nelson  Wolfe  of  Springfield.  Samuel  owns  the  homestead  of  250 
acres,  and  they  attend  the  M.  E.  church. 

Smith,  George  M.,  was  born  in  Herkimer  November  28,  1825,  and  is  one  of  the  old 
residents  and  a  scion  of  one  of  the  old  historic  families  of  the  county.  His  ancestors 
on  both  sides  took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  his  grandmother  was  scalped, 
yet  lived  forty  years  afterwards. '  A  bloody  massacre  took  place  on  this  farm,  and  the 
old  house  in  which  his  grandparents  lived  forms  a  part  of  his  abode.  He  married  in 
1847,  and  has  two  children :  Charles  S.  and  Mary  Ann.  Charles  S.  is  married  to  Miss 
Libby  Bacon.     Mr.  Smith  has  ninety-six  acres  of  fine  dairy  land. 

Sheridan,  Thomas,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  September  5,  1842.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  education  in  the  village  schools,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  moulder  in 
the  Reddy  foundry,  which  trade  he  followed  for  thirty  years,  in  diflTerent  parts  of  the 
country.  About  seven  years  ago  he  took  charge  of  the  Smith  hotel,  which  he  has  since 
successfully  conducted.     Mr.  Sheridan  married  Mirah  McCormick,  and  they  have  four 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  219 

children  living.  Mrs.  Sheridan  died  January  2,  1891.  Thomas  Sheridan  has  served  as 
trusteee  of  Little  Palls  for  two  terms,  or  four  years,  and  is  identified  with  local,  social 
and  benevolent  affairs.     His  mother  is  still  living. 

Seversen,  C.  W.,  superintendent  of  the  MacKennon  Mills,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of 
Deerfield,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  began  to  work  in  a  mill  as  a  needle  boy,  with  the 
Troy  Manufacturing  Company  of  Cohoes.  He  soon  went  to  New  Hartford,'  and  for  a 
time  also  worked  in  a  mill  at  Kingston,  Canada.  He  then  worked  for  J.  C.  Miller  four 
and  a  half  years  at  Baldwinsville,  N.  T.  In  December,  1890,  he  came  to  his  present 
position.  He  had  previously,  on  two  occasions,  worked  for  a  short  time  with  Mr. 
MacKennon,  and  his  abilities  and  zeal  were  well  known.  He  is  thoroughly  expert  in 
every  department  of  the  manufacture  of  woolen  good.".  His  family  has  long  resided  in 
New  York  State,  and  his  father  was  formerly  a  brick  manufacturer  of  Cohoes. 

Snell,  Irving,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Manheim.  He  received  bis  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  here  and  in  the  Little  Falls  Academy.  After  the  com- 
pletion of  his  studies  he  taught  school  for  two  terms,  and  in  1857  inaugurated  his 
present  jewelry  and  musical  merchandise  business,  which  he  has  successfully  conducted 
since  that  period.  Mr.  Snell's  ancestors  located  upon  a  tract  of  land  (3,000  acres) 
granted  them  by  King  George,  near  Little  Falls,  which  is  known  as  Snell's  Bush,  and 
upon  w^ich  five  generations  have  since  hved.  During  the  Revolution  nine  members  of 
the  Snell  family  participated  in  the  battle  of  Oriskany,  seven  of  whom  were  slain. 
Irving  Snell's  grandfather  was  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Snell  married  Cloa  Richmond, 
a  daughter  of  Alvan  Richmond.     They  have  one  daughter,  Annie. 

Selcer,  John,  Little  Falls,  succeeded  his  father,  John  Selcer,  sr.,  who  had  conducted 
the  leading  merchant  tailoring  establishment  at  Little  Falls  for  many  years.  The 
Selcers  are  of  German  de.scent,  having  settled  in  this  country  early  in  this  present  cent- 
ury. John  Selcer,  sr.,  married  Agnes  M.  Lowrie  of  New  York  State,  and  they  reared 
a  family  of  seven  children.  John  Selcer;  jr.,  has  successfully  conducted  the  merchant 
tailoring  establishment  since  his  father's  death,  being  now  the  accredited  leader  in  this 
line  of  industry  in  this  village,  and  town.  He  married  Josephine  Boyer.  Mr.  Selcer  is 
identified  with  local  social  institutions,  such  as  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  Royal  Arcanum, 
American  Mechanics,  etc. 

Schuyler,  John  E.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Danube.  His  father,  Lester  Schuyler,  is 
a  prominent  farmer  of  that  town.  After  leaving  home,  John  E.  was  employed  on  the 
railroad  for  about  three  years,  after  which  for  one  year  he  was  with  the  Warren  Mower 
Company  of  Little  Falls.  About  eight  years  ago  he  established  his  liquor  business, 
which  has  been  a  success  since  its  inception.  Mr.  Schuyler  married  Rose  Fogarty. 
They  have  one  child,  a  boy,  Charles  E.  Schuyler. 

Sellman,  J.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  in  1861.  He  received  bis  education 
in  the  schools  of  this  village,  and  has  been  conducting  his  present  liquor  establishment 
for  the  past  six  years.  His  residence  is  57  Loomis  street.  Mr.  Sellman  is  a  thorough- 
going business  man  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens  in  a  marked 
degree.  He  has  two  brothers :  Emil  and  John  Sellman,  who  are  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  upon  Main  street,  conducting  a  prosperous  establishment. 


220  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Seeley,  Horatio  E.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Stratford,  March  3,  1857.  He  received 
an  excellent  education  in  the  schools  of  that  vicinity,  and  came  to  Little  Falls  about 
1881.  Here  he  at  first  engaged  in  the  saloon  busine.'^s  for  a  few  years,  disposing  of 
this  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Baileys  as  a  master  machinist,  where  he  continued 
for  four  years  and  seven  months.  Then  in  September,  1891,  he  established  his  present 
business,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best  livery  concerns  in  the  village.  Mr. 
Seeley  married  Catharine  Shall,  and  they  have  one  daughter.  His  ancestors  partici- 
pated in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  also  that  of  1812.  Mr.  Seeley  is  identified  with 
various  local  social  and  benevolent  institutions,  such  as  the  Odd  Fellows,  etc. 

Shant,  B.  J.,  of  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  this  town  and  has  lived  here  all  his  life. 
He  was  a  farmer's  son.  Thirteen  years  ago  he  and  his  brother,  William  H.,  began 
business  together  and  the  partnership  lasted  eight  years.  Five  years  ago  they  dissolved 
and  each  has  conducted  a  business  of  his  own  since.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  is  a  prominent  Mason  belonging  to  the  Commandery.  His  family  have  lived  in  this 
part  for  several  generations  and  his  great-grandfather  took  part  in  the  Revolution.  In 
1890  he  married  Ida  Uhle  and  both  are  adherents  of  the  Universalist  church. 

Spence  &  Armstrong,  Little  Falls,  established  their  meat  and  provision  business  near 
the  Garvin  house,  September  26,  1892.  Prior  to  this  time  Mr.  W.  E.  Armstrong  was 
for  several  years  connected  with  the  fast  mail  service.  J,  G.  Spence  is  a  native  of 
Scotland.  He  was  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  there,  which  he  disposed  of  to  .settle 
in  this  country,  a  few  weeks  since.  This  firm  undoubtedly  has  a  very  bright  future 
ahead,  as  both  members  are  thoroughly  upright,  popular  and  energetic  business  men, 
who  will  make  a  success  of  any  legitimate  undertaking. 

Spellman,  M.,  Russia,  was  born  August  11,  1858.  in  Beloit,  Wis.  Hjs  father  was 
Patrick  Spellman,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  came  to  America  about  1852  and  settled  in 
Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.  After  a  short  time  he  went  to  Wisconsin  and  remained  there 
several  years.  He  afterwards  returned  east  and  now  resides  in  Newport  township. 
He  reared  eight  children.  His  mother  died  when  siibject  was  eleven  years  of  age,  and 
at  the  age  of  tvi'elve  he  started  in  life  for  himself,  working  on  a  farm  by  the  month 
for  thirteen  years,  and  for  himself  three  years.  He  has  since  been  in  the  hotel  business. 
October  6,  1883  he  married  Carrie,  daughter  of  William  and  Lorina  (Stillman)  Harri.s, 
natives  of  Newport.  To  Mr.  Spellman  and  wife  have  been  horn  two  children:  Ray- 
mond H.,  born  April  5,  1887,  in  Cold  Brook,  and  Glenn  N.,  deceased,  born  September 
16,  1891,  in  Dolgeville.  In  1886  Mr.  Spellman  became  proprietor  of  the  hotel  in  Cold 
Brook  and  remained  there  three  years.  Then  went  to  Dolgeville  and  was  proprietor 
of  the  Cottage  hotel  at  that  place  until  1892,  then  returning  to  Cold  Brook,  where  he 
has  since  been  proprietor  of  the  Cold  Brook  hotel. 

Shoemaker,  Nicholas  N.,  was  born  where  he  now  lives  ni  Warren,  January  1,  1821, 
and  IS  a  son  of  Nicholas  and  Lana  (Passage)  Shoemaker.  His  grandfather  was  Thomas 
Shoemaker,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  settled  at  Fort  Herkimer ;  his  wife  was  a  Miss 
Harter,  who  bore  him  five  children.  The  subject's  father  was  born  at  Fort  Herkimer, 
August  18,  1779.     In  1799  he  settled  where  the  subject  now  lives.     He  was  an  active 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  221 

and  influential  man  in  town  and  church  affairs.  His  first  wife  died  in  March,  1839, 
and  he  married  Rebecca  Barrenger  By  his  first  wife  he  had  five  children  :  Elizabeth, 
Margaret,  John,  Thomas  and  Nicholas  N.  The  latter  at  nineteen  took  charge  of  the 
homestead  and  has  carried  it  on  since.  He  has  been  engaged  in  stock  dealing  and 
shipping  ;  is  a  Republican  and  has  held  town  offices.  He  married  in  September,  1854, 
Angeline  Ayres,  of  South  Columbia,  and  they  had  three  children  :  Orville,  Carrie,  wife 
of  Clifton  Miller,  and  Emma,  wife  of  George  Davis.  Mrs.  Shoemaker  died  June  30, 
1889 ;  she  was  a  member  of  the  Reformed  church. 

Swift,  Timothy  C,  Warren,  was  born  in  Warren,  March  25,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Eliza  (Green)  Swift.  His  grandfather,  William  Swift,  came  from  Massa- 
chusetts and  died  in  Warren.  John  Swift  was  born  in  Massachusetts;  his  wife  was 
born  in  Warren  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Biggs)  Green.  They  had  three 
children,  two  survive:  Thomas  A  and  Timothy  C.  The  latter  was  raised  on  a  farm 
and  at  the  age  of  twelve  began  working  for  himself  by  the  day  and  month.  In  1871 
he  began  cheese  making  at  Grain's  Corners,  where  he  has  since  lived,  carrying  on  both 
cheese-making  and  farming.  He  also  operates  two  other  factories  and  owns  a  half 
interest  in  190  acres  of  land,  besides  seven  acres  where  he  lives.  He  is  a  Republican 
and  a  Mason.  He  married  in  January,  1867,  Catherine,  daughter  of  John  Wagner,  of 
Danube.     They  have  one  child,  Eugene  C. 

Smith,  A.  J.,  attorney  at  law,  Herkimer,  is  a  native  of  this  village  and  studied  law 
with  Brown  and  Mitchell  until  his  admission  to  the  bar  in  June,  1881.  In  November 
of  the  same  year  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  I.  R.  Devendorf,  which  still 
subsists.  He  is  an  able  counselor  and  good  pleader,  and  was  elected  supervisor  of  the 
town  of  Herkimer  twice,  in  1888  and  1889.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Democratic 
county  committee  in  1885,  and  is  a  thorough  exponent  of  Democracy.  Mr.  Smith 
comes  of  an  old  and  honored  family,  his  great-grandfather  having  been  born  in  this 
State  and  the  family  being  old  Mohawk  settlers  on  both  father's  and  mother's  sides. 

Smith,  C.  Cutler,  L.  D.  S.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Otsego  county,  October  9, 
1847,  and  studied  dentistry  in  Brooklyn  after  a  literary  course  in  Madison  University. 
In  1869  he  opened  his  office  in  Ilion.  Dr.  Smith  has  been  president  of  the  village  and 
both  president  and  vice-president  of  the  Fifth  District  Dental  Society  of  New  York 
State.  His  father  was  Alonzo  Smith.  In  1878  Dr.  Smith  married  Miss  Maude  E. 
Stern,  a  daughter  of  Lawrence  Stern.  The  mother's  father  was  D  .vid  Cutler,  a  Bap- 
tist minister  of  Vermont. 

Smith,  Dr.  Fletcher  N.,  Little  Falls,  who  is  associated  in  the  practice  of  dentistry 
with  Dr.'  J.  V.  Hemstreet,  is  a  native  of  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  and  began  the  study  of  his 
profession  there  with  his  father,  who  is  one  of  the  oldest  practicing  dentists  in  the 
State,  having  had  an  office  in  that  place  for  the  past  thirty  years.  After  leaving  his 
father's  office  Dr.  F.  W.  Smith  was  connected  with  J.  L.  Curtis,  of  Syracuse,  for  three 
years.  He  then  came  to  Little  Falls  seven  years  ago  and  associated  himself  with  Dr. 
Hemstreet,  and  their  offices  are  the  leading  ones  in  this  place.     Dr.  Smith  is  very  pop- 


222  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

ular  socially,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Elks  and  the  Royal  Arcanum.     He  comes  of  an 
old  and  honorable  family,  his  ancestors  having  lived  in  this  State  for  many  generations. 

Stannard,  Peter,  was  born  in  Colchester,  Conn.,  and  came  to  Springfield,  Otsego 
county,  about  1800.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Corter,  who  bore  him  five  children,  namely : 
Peter,  Ezra,  Gilbert,  Charles  and  Betsy.  Charles,  named  above,  came  with  his  parents 
from  Connecticut,  and  was  a  carpenter  and  cabinetmaker.  He  married  Esther  Bige- 
low,  who  bore  him  two  children,  Lorinda  and  Elisha  W.  He  died  in  December,  1820. 
Elisha  W.  Stannard  was  born  in  his  grandfather  Bigelow's  house,  October  27,  1819. 
He  received  a  good  education  and  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  at  which  he  has  worked 
more  or  less.  He  owns  212  acres  of  land.  He  is  a  Republican  and  ha.';  been  super- 
visor four  terms  and  justice  of  the  peace  sixteen  years.  He  married  Julia,  daughter  of 
Jabez  and  Ann  (Burnham)  Percival,  who  has  borne  him  five  children  :  Anna  V.,  Charles 
P.,  William  E.,  Carrie  J.,  and  Albert  L.  Subject  and  wife  are  prominent  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.     She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Albany  Normal  school. 

Spellman,  Joseph,  Newport,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1824,  a  son  of  Edward  and  Anna 
(Rourk)  Spellman,  who  had  a  family  of  three  sons  and  a  daughter.  Mrs.  Spellman 
died  in  Ireland,  and  in  1860  Mr.  Spellman  came  to  America,  where  he  lived  until  his 
death  in  1882.  Joseph  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  when  a  young  man  left  his  native 
land  and  came  to  America.  He  married  Anna  O'Conner,  a  native  of  Ireland,  by  whom 
he  has  had  the  following  children :  Aurora,  Edward,  Dennis,  Minnie,  James  and  Annie. 
Mr.  Spellman  is  a  farmer  and  owns  135  acres  of  land  in  Newport.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat,  and  in  religion  he  and  family  are  Catholics. 

Stauring,  E.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  January  11, 1857.  Receiving  an 
excellent  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town,  he  was  then  associated  with  his 
father  in  the  grocery  business  for  several  years.  In  1880  he  established  his  present 
liquor  business,  which  he  has  since  conducted  most  successfully.  Mr.  Stauring  married 
Mary  Cronkhite,  and  they  have  one  daughter.  Mr.  Stauring  is  identified  with  local 
social  and  benevolent  institutions,  including  the  Elks,  Odd  Fellows,  etc. 

Schmidt,  John,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  America  in  1854 
and  to  Ilion  in  1861.  He  has  been  a  contractor  for  the  Remington  Gun  Works  for 
thirty-one  years.  Mr.  Schmidt  is  a  Mason  and  a  liberal  contributor  to  church  societies. 
He  was  president  of  the  village  for  two  years  and  a  trustee  for  eight  years.  In  1860 
he  married  Miss  Catherine  Seibert,  and  they  have  eight  children. 

Spoffard,  C.  J.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Dolgeville,  and  received  a  good  education  in 
the  schools  of  this  village.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  late  war  he  served  in  the  Ninety- 
seventh  New  York  Volunteers  under  his  father,  Brigadier-General  Spoffard.  After 
being  mustered  out  he  took  up  the  study  of  dentistry  under  Dr.  Chatfield,  of  Herkimer, 
and  has  now  been  practicing  this  profession  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  He  married 
Nellie  Faville.  Dr.  Spoffard  is  a  high  degree  Mason,  and  is  organizing  a  G.  A.  R.  post 
in  this  village,  which  will  be  named  Spoffard  Post,  in  honor  of  his  father,  who  com- 
manded the  regiment  from  this  vicinity. 

Sharp,  James,  a  leading  farmer  of  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  this  town.  He  was  born 
in  August,  1822,  and  has  lived  an  honorable  and  successful  life.     He  owns  207  acres  of 


E-AMILY  SKETCSES.  223 

land  and  raises  on  an  aTerage  of  80  to  100  tons  of  hay,  and  has  a  herd  of  forty-six 
milch  cows.  His  father  purchased  the  farm  on  which  Mr.  Sharp  lives.  He  has  reared 
a  family  of  eight  children,  of  whom  seven  are  still  living.  One  of  his  sons,  Jacob  E. 
Sharp,  is  a  farmer  on  the  River  road  to  Little  Falls.  Mr.  Sharp  has  given  no  attention 
to  public  affairs,  although  he  always  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 

Small,  Matthew,  is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  between  .Little  Falls  and  Herkimer. 
He  was  born  in  the  town  of  German  Flats  and  came  to  his  present  farm  in  1847,  his 
fathT  having  purchased  the  place.  In  1859  he  married  Jesse  Klock  and  they  have  one 
son,  Matthew.  Mr.  Small  has  spent  most  of  his  life  farming,  but  was  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness for  a  short  time.  His  grandfather,  Jacob  Small,  was  a  German  and  one  of  the 
early  settlers  along  the  Mohawk.  Mr.  Small  has  an  attractive  farm,  and  is  one  of  the 
substantial  men  of  the  town. 

Snell,  Seffrenus  Clarence,  was  born  in  Sneli's  Bush,  May  17,  1853.  He  received  a 
liberal  education  in  the  Little  Falls  Academy,  Fairfield  Academy  and  Clinton  Liberal 
Institute,  after  which  he  attended  the  Adams  Hungerford  Military  College.  Upon  the 
completion  of  his  studies,  Mr.  Snell  assumed  the  active  management  of  his  extensive 
dairy  farm  of  162  acres.  Mr.  Snell  is  assessor  of  the  town  of  Alanheim,  has  been  trus- 
tee two  terms  and  collector  of  the  town  two  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  R.  A.  and 
Grange.  His  wife  was  Miss  Eugene  Helmer,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Helmer.  They 
have  three  children.  Mr.  Sneli's  ancestors  participated  in  the  Revolution,  and  also  the 
war  of  1812. 

Spinner,  J.  W.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  October  27,  1808,  and  is  a 
brother  of  F.  E.  Spinner,  once  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  J. 
W.  Spinner  was  a  painter  and  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  never  sought  political  prefer- 
ment.    In  1876  he  married  Miss  Mary  Johnson  and  they  live  quietly  in  Mohawk. 

Shedd,  Orlando  B.,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Salisbury,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1860.  He  received  a  sood  education  in  the  common  schools,  after  which  he 
attended  the  Fairfield  Academy,  and  eventually  graduated  from  the  Philadelphia  Den- 
tal College  in  1877,  immediately  thereafter  settling  in  Dolgeville  and  commencing  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  Prior  to  commencing  the  study  of  dentistry,  Mr.  Shedd 
taught  school  for  a  few  years.  His  wife  was  Miss  Agnes  Colhns,  of  Middleville.  They 
have  no  children.  Dr.  Shedd  is  identified  with  local  social  and  benevolent  institutions, 
and  has  his  dental  parlors  in  the  Faville  block,  Dolgeville,  N.  Y. 

Spencer,  Howard,  Dolgeville.  Nathaniel  Spencer,  grandfather  of  Howard  Spencer, 
moved  from  Vermont  into  Herkimer  county  and  settled  at  Brockett's  Bridge,  now 
Dolgeville,  in  1790.  He  purchased  land  and  followed  farming  until  his  death  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Thomas  Spencer,  who  was  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  brief 
sketch,  who  lived  an  honorable  and  respected  life,  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
died  and  is  buried  here.  Howard  Spencer  was  born  on  the  old  farm.  New  Dolgeville, 
on  the  4th  of  December,  1847.  He  received  an  academic  education,  and  has  always 
followed  farming.  He  married  Miss  Emma  Salisbury,  of  Norway,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren, both  girls.     Howard  Spencer  has  lately  disposed   of  part  of  the  old  farm   for 


224  HISTORt  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

building  lots,  but  retained  the  old  homestead,  which  is  probably  the  oldest  building 
standing  in  Manheim.  Mr.  Spencer  is  a  thoroughly  representative  citizen  and  much 
respected. 

Snell,  Milton,  Manheim,  was  born  at  Snell's  Bush,  January  17,  1839.  When  four 
years  of  age  his  fathec,  Simeon  Snell,  moved  on  his  present  farm  of  233  acres,  which 
Milton  Snell  now  owns.  His  ancestors  participated  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  also 
the  war  of  1812.  Nine  of  the  family  were  at  Oriskany  with  General  Herkimer, 
seven  of  whom  were  slain.  Milton  Snell  married  Miss  M.  A.  A'edder,  and  they  have 
two  daughters.  His  farm  is  located  a  mile  from  Ingham's  Mills,  and  is  one  of  the 
finest  dairy  farms  in  Manheim.     He  keeps  sixty-five  head  of  stock. 

Stewart,  John  H.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Johnstown,  July  6,  1816.  He  learned  his 
trade  of  wagon-maker  in  this  town  and  has  worked  at  bis  trade  since.  He  during  the 
war  was  employed  at  the  arsenal  at  Troy.  Mr.  Stewart  came  to  Herkimer  in  1849, 
and  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Geo.  Lake,  which  continued  for  eight  years,  until  at 
the  death  of  Mr.  Lake,  Mr.  Stewart  assumed  complete  charge,  and  has  since  conducted 
the  business  on  his  own  account,  ilr.  Stewart  has  been  married  twice,  and  has  three 
children  living.  Mr.  Stewart  has  served  as  assessor,  postmaster,  etc.,  and  is  one  of 
Herkimer's  most  reputable  and  representative  citizens. 

Slade,  Samuel,  Litchfield,  is  a  farmer,  and  was  born  on  the  same  farm  where  he  now 
lives.  He  is  a  son  of  Anthony  Slade,  one  of  the  first  settlers  here,  who  married  first 
Mary  Bufiington,  who  died  in  July,  1811,  leaving  three  children:  Phoebe,  Sewell,  and 
Samuel.  The  latter  married  Elsie  Alford,  by  whom  he  has  two  children  living:  Esther 
Ann,  and  George  S.  Esther  Ann  married  Alonzo  P.  Miller,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren: Minnie  E.  and  Carrie  L.  George  S.  Slade  married  Mary  E.  Wilcox.  They  have 
one  son,  Clyde  W.  Anthony  Slade  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  October  18,  1779,  and 
died  February  19,  1853. 

Shaul,  Andrew  G.,  Stark,  was  born  November  16, 1859,  in  Springfield,  Otsego  county; 
a  son  of  Harvey  and  Paulina  (Frost)  Shaul.  The  grandfather,  Andrew,  was  born  in 
Stark,  June  26,  1800,  and  died  in  Springfield,  July  18,  1862.  His  wife  >vas  Martha 
Harns,  who  still  survives.  They  had  three  children :  Sally,  William  H.,  and  Harvey. 
He  was  a  Whig  and  a  Republican.  His  father,  Henry,  came  from  Germany  in  colonial 
days,  and  settled  in  Stark.  He  was  a  soldier  in  Revolution.  His  wife  was  Catharine 
Bronner,  who  came  from  Germany.  They  raised  five  boys  and  two  girls :  Jacob, 
Sabastian,  Peter,  David,  Andrew,  Catharine  and  Mary.  Harvey  Shaul  was  born  wheie 
his  son  resides  in  Stark.  He  was  at  one  time  assessor.  Andrew  was  the  only  child, 
and  was  raised  on  the  farm,  received  a  district  school  education,  and  at  nineteen  began 
life  on  his  father's  farm,  on  shares,  making  hops  and  dairying  specialties.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  an  active  member  of  V.  M.  C,  and  the  Good  Templars,  being  chief  in 
the  latter  order.  He  married,  August  28,  1876,  Lillie  Edick,  born  in  Stark,  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Martha  (Givets)  Edick,  hotel  proprietors.  Mr.  Edick  served  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-Second  New  York  Infantry  in  the  war.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Edick  have  two  children  :  Myron  H.  and  Mirel,  and  are  Universalists. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  225 

Spencer,  D.  D.,  I!ion,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  spent  many  years  in  the  banking 
business  in  Chicago.  About  twelve  years  ago  he  went  to  Europe,  and  resided  in 
difiFerent  countries  until  recently,  when  he  settled  in  Mohawk,  and  has  started  a  large 
and  flourishing  stock  farm.  The  house  in  which  Mr.  Spencer  lives  contains  some  rooms 
of  much  historic  interest,  for  in  them  Washington  passed  some  time  over  a  century  ago. 
The  old  house  has  been  preserved  as  part  of  the  new  structure  for  this  reason. 

Springer,  Oliver  H.,  was  born  where  he  now  resides  in  Stark,  September  IG,  1840,  a 
son  of  George  and  Christina  (Eckles)  Springer.  The  grandfather,  Loadwick  Springer, 
was  born  October  12,  1774,  in  Brunswick,  N.  Y.,  married  Mariah  Coons,  and  about 
1803  located  in  Stark;  reared  six  sons  and  four  daughters.  He  died  in  his  eighty-fifth 
year.  His  wife  died  in  1820.  Loadwick  was  ason  of  Jacob,  who  came  from  Germany, 
and  had  eight  children :  Henry,  Loadwick,  Fanny,  Jacob,  George,  Mary,  Martin  and 
Katie.  Subject's  grandfather  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Stark,  and  had  four  sons  and 
four  daughters.  George  Springer  was  born  in  Stark,  in  February,  1803.  He  located 
on  250  acres,  where  his  son,  0.  H.,  now  resides.  He  died  in  Starkville  in  1882,  and 
was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  bore  him  two  children:  Martha  Vedder  and  Oliver 
H.  She  died  in  September,  1865,  aged  fifty-six.  His  second  wife  was  Juliet  Gross. 
George  was  a  Whig  and  a  Republican,  aod  served  as  supervisor  nine  terms.  In  1861 
he  represented  the  company,  and  was  very  active  in  raising  troops  and  money.  Oliver 
H.  was  raised  on  a  farm;  was  educated  at  a  district  school  and  the  seminary.  In  1863 
he  took  charge  of  homestead  in  addition  to  his  own  farm.  He  is  a  breeder  of  Holstem 
cattle,  and  is  a  hop  grower;  served  four  terms  as  supervisor,  and  is  active  in  politics. 
He  is  a  leadmg  Mason,  and  a  member  of  Utica  Commandery.  He  married,  October 
22,  1861,  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Aleck  and  Jane  (Mount)  Hall. 

Springer,  Frank,  Warren,  was  born  January  26,  1844,  in  Stark,  a  son  of  David  H. 
and  Sally  (Acker)  Springer.  The  grandfather,  Loadwick,  was  born  in  Rensselaer  county, 
and  was  a  pioneer  of  Stark.  He  was  captain  of  militia  and  took  an  active  interest  in 
politics,  being  a  W^hig.  His  children  were  as  follows :  Nicholas,  Jacob  L  ,  Martin  L., 
David  H.,  Polly,  Betsey,  Lana  and  Katie.  David  H.  was  born  and  always  resided  in 
Stark.  His  wife  was  Sally,  daughter  of  William  Acker  of  Stark,  and  they  had  four 
children :  Loadwick,  Franklin,  George  and  Daniel.  He  is  a  Republican  and  an  active 
and  liberal  supporter  of  the  church.  His  son  Frank  received  a  district  school  education 
and  at  twenty-seven  bought  and  located  on  105  acres  in  Warren,  where  be  now  resides, 
owning  at  the  present  240  acres.  He  has  served  as  assessor  and  town  auditor  on  the 
Republican  ticket.  December  15,  1869,  he  married  Amelia  Shaul,  born  in  Stark,  a 
daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary  (Fetterly)  Shaul  of  Stark,  who  raised  six  children: 
Diantha,  vs-ho  died  leaving  one  daughter;  Amelia,  George,  who  died  aged  twenty-one; 
Ella  and  Marcella.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Springer  have  three  children :  Lena  M.,  Victor  G. 
and  David  R. 

Smith,  Gersham,  Stark,  son  of  Peter  G.  and  Catherine  (Kinter)  Smith,  came  from 
New  Jersey  as  a  blacksmith  and  settled  on  260  acres  in  Stark.  He  married  Margaret 
(Reese),  by  whom  he  had  these  children :  Samuel,  John,  Dan,  William,  Peter,  Ann, 
Rachael  and  Margaret.     Subject's  father  was  born  in  Stark,  and  died  at  Richfield  Springs 


226  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

about  1880.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  bore  him  five  children:  Elija,  Mar- 
garet, Viola,  John  and  Gersham.     The  latter  was  born  where  he  now  lives,  June  20, 

1864,  and  married  in  February,  1875,  Ella  Shaul,  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary 
(Fetterly)  Shaul,  and  they  have  three  children  :  Arthur  G.,  Olin  R.,  and  Mabel  E.  Mr. 
Smith  has  served  as  supervisor  two  terms,  is  a  Republican  and  a  Mason. 

Springer,  Loadwick  Stark,  was  born  in  Stark  September  17,  1842,  a  son  of  David  H. 
and  Sally  W.  (Eckler)  Springer.  The  grandfather,  Loadwick,  was  born  in  Rensselaer 
county,  and  of  Holland  parents.  His  father,  Jacob,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians 
during  the  Revolution  and  was  a  prisoner  seven  years.  Loadwick  died  in  June,  1857, 
aged  over  eighty,  a  captain  of  militia  and  a  Republican.  His  wife  died  in  1820.  They 
had  a  large  family  :  Betsey,  Polly,  Jacob,  George,  David,  Martin,  Nicholas,  Philip  and 
Daniel.  David  H.  was  born  in  Stark  where  he  always  lived.  His  wife  survives  him, 
and  is  of  the  Lutheran  faith.  They  had  four  children :  Loadwick,  Franklin,  George 
and  Daniel,  all  living.  Loadwick  was  raised  on  a  farm,  received  a  district  school  edu- 
cation, and  lived  with  his  father  until  after  the  war.  He  enlisted  in  August,  1864,  in 
the  navy  and  served  on  the  Texas  Coast.     He  was  discharged  at  Brooklyn  in  June, 

1865.  He  lived  with  his  father  for  a  couple  of  years,  where  he  and  his  brother  Frank 
bought  104  acres  in  Warren.  Later  he  came  to  Stark  and  bought  eighty  acres.  He 
finally  located  where  he  now  resides,  on  187  acres,  also  owning  another  farm  of  205 
arces  in  Stark.  He  has  made  his  own  way  through  life,  has  served  in  town  offices  and 
is  a  Republican.  He  married  January  1,  1867,  Diantha,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary 
A.  (Fetterly)  Shaul  of  Stark,  who  had  six  children  :  Rose,  Eltha,  Ella,  Amelia,  Sallie, 
and  George,  who  died  at  twenty.  Subject  and  wife  have  three  children:  Ella,  wife  of 
Frank  Harris :  Carrie  and  Myrtia.     They  are  of  the  Universalist  faith. 

Shall,  George  W.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Danube,  Herkimer  county.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  this  vicinity,  and  worked  upon  his  father's  farm  until 
twenty-four  years  of  age.  Then,  after  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade  for  two  years, 
he  started  a  restaurant  in  Little  Falls  in  1875,  and  in  1877  he  went  into  the  Hotel  Rock- 
ton,  which  lie  purchased  and  ran  for  eight  years,  and  which  property  he  still  owns. 
While  in  the  hotel  Mr.  Shall  inaugurated  a  mercantile  establishment  here,  devoted  to 
sale  of  wagons,  argicultural  implements,  hay,  etc.,  at  No.  536  Albany  street.  This 
proving  a  success  he  eventually  rented  the  hotel  property  and  devoted  his  time  to  the 
management  of  this  enterprise.  Mr.  Shall's  family  are  of  Revolutionary  antecedents 
and  were  also  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  married  Mary  C.  Fox,  and  has  one  son.  Mr. 
Shall  lias  been  trustee  of  the  village  (1880-81),  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  Elk,  K.  of  P.,  etc. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

Staring,  Gilbert,  Stark,  was  born  in  Danube  April  10,  1848,  son  of  John  A.  and 
Elizabeth  (Cristman)  Staring.  The  grandfather,  John,  was  a  pioneer  of  Manheim,  served 
in  the  War  of  1812,  and  died  aged  eighty-eight.  He  was  twice  married  and  had 
children  by  both  wives.  John  A.  was  born  in  Manheim  and  lived  there  until  about 
fifteen,  when  he  came  to  Stark,  and  then  married  and  moved  to  Danube.  In  1855  he 
returned  to  Deck,  where  he  died  November  16,  1887.  He  served  in  Company  A,  152d 
N.  Y,  Volunteers  three  years,  participating  in  twenty-six  battles.     He  was  wounded 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  227 

in  left  arm  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and  had  a  sixty  days'  furlough,  which  was 
the  only  time  he  was  off  duty.  He  and  his  wife  had  eleven  children  :  Lucinda  Vedder 
of  Nebraska  ;  Menzo,  who  enlisted  in  Company  F,  121st  N.  Y.  Infantry,  and  was  killed 
in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  ;  Gilbert,  Mary  Christman  of  Herkimer;  Amanda  Cas- 
ler  of  Frankfort ;  Minerva  Brown  of  Mohawk;  Dan,  of  Huntington,  Quebec;  Henry, 
died  aged  four;  John,  died  aged  two;  Ellen  Wells  of  Leipsic,  and  Ervin  E.  Gilbert 
was  raised  on  a  farm  and  received  a  dictrict  school  education,  and  at  fourteen  began  for 
himself,  working  on  a  farm  at  $4.00  per  month.  At  twenty-one  be  began  cheese  man- 
ufacture in  Stark,  and  was  for  thirteen  years  in  Richfield.  In  1890  he  located  on  150 
acres  of  land  where  he  now  lives.  He  is  a  Democrat.  September  15,  1875,  he  married 
Hattie,  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Mowers)  France,  and  they  have  one  child  : 
Lela. 

Snider,  John  R.,  Stark,  was  born  June  12,  1854,  in  Stark,  a  son  of  Moges  and  Anna 
Maria  (Kinter)  Snider.  He  was  raised  on  a  farm,  received  a  district  school  education 
and  academic,  and  at  twenty-one  began  life  for  himself  on  the  farm,  working  by  the 
month.  In  the  spring  of  1879  he  bought  and  located  on  160  acres  where  he  now  lives. 
He  also  owns  a  store  and  residence.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  lived  in  Stark 
all  his  life.  He  married,  February  12,  1878,  Rosa  E.  Shaul,  born  in  Columbia,  a  daugh- 
ter of  David  and  Amanda  (Bronner)  Shaul  of  Stark.     They  have  one  child,  Maud. 

Snyder,  Lewis,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Germany  August  10, 1827.  His  father  was  George 
L.  Snyder,  born  October  10,  1799.  The  latter  was  educated  in  Germany  and  was  a 
police  officer  therefor  many  years.  He  afterward  became  a  civil  engineer.  He  married 
Mary  Stephens,  and  had  five  sons  and  three  daughters.  Mrs.  Snyder  died  in  1857,  and 
in  1861  George  L.  came  to  America  and  lived  with  his  son  Lewis.  He  then  went  to 
California  where  he  resided  with  his  daughter  until  his  death  in  1881.  Lewis  Snyder 
was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  was  twenty  one  years 
old  when  he  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Ohio,  where  he  has  since  lived  with  the 
exception  of  two  years  in  Rus.sla.  He  was  a  poor  boy  and  has  made  his  own  property. 
He  now  owns  503  acres  of  land  and  keeps  a  large  dairy.  In  1853  he  married  Mary  A. 
Sickles,  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Magdeline  Sickles,  who  came  from  Germany  when 
their  daughter  was  eight  years  old.  To  subject  and  wife  one  child  was  born,  Olin  L. 
He  resides  near  his  father  on  a  farm.  His  wife  is  Annie  E.,  daughter  of  Patrick  Wal- 
lace. They  have  three  children :  Bertha  L.,  Charles  O.  and  Perry  L.  He  is  now  sales- 
man for  No.  35  State  Brand  Cheese-factory  of  Ohio,  which  position  he  has  held  many 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  North  Star  Grange  No.  686,  and  with  his  wife  attends 
the  M.  E.  Church  of  Ohio. 

Snyder,  John,  Salisbury,  was  born  in  Germany  October  28,  1831.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1858,  and  has  been  engaged  in  Salisbury  Corners  in  blacksmithing  ever  since. 
He  married  Rachel  Grisnol,  and  they  have  one  daughter.  Mr.  Snyder  owns  a  wagon 
shop,  blacksmith  shop,  residence  and  ten  acres  of  land.  He  employs  help  in  his  busi- 
ness, and  is  a  thorough  and  reliable  mechanic  and  citizen. 

Snyder,  Moses,  Stark,  was  born  in  Stark  January  26,  1825,  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Catha- 
rine (Backus)  Snyder.     The  grandfather,  John,  was  a  pioneer  of  Minden,  Montgomery 


228  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

county,  served  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Oriskany.  He 
died  in  Minden.  His  wife  was  Catharine  Countryman,  by  whom  he  had  five  sons: 
Abram,  Benjamin,  Jacob,  Daniel  and  John,  and  several  daughters.  Daniel  Snyder  was 
born  in  Minden  and  located  near  Starkville  on  GOO  acres,  which  he  cleared.  He  died  \n 
Stark  before  the  war,  aged  eighty-three.  He  served  in  minor  town  offices  as  a  Demo- 
crat. He  had  thirteen  children  :  William,  Daniel,  Moses,  Joseph,  Catharine,  Lana,  Mar- 
garet, Susan,  Lucinda,  Elizabeth  and  Mary  A. ;  two  sons,  John  and  Solomon,  died  in 
childhood.  Moses  received  a  common  school  education,  and  at  twenty-five  years  of  age 
began  for  himself,  working  a  farm  on  shares.  He  bought  100  acres  of  .land,  which  he 
has  improved  with  substantial  buildings,  and  owns  another  farm  of  120  acres.  He  is  a 
Democrat  and  has  served  as  assessor.  He  married  January  1,  1850,  Anna  M.,  daughter 
of  John  and  Anna  M.  (Warren)  Kinter,  of  Stark.  Her  father  served  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  her  grandfather,  Richard  Kinter,  was  a  pioneer  of  Stark,  and  served  in  the 
Revolution.  He  married  first,  Elizabeth  Barringer,  who  bore  him  three  children,  and 
second,  to  Rachael  Cooper,  who  bore  him   nine  children.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  have 

had  four  children:    Ellen  E.,  died,  aged  four;    John  R., ,  wife  of  George  W. 

Fikes,  and  Eugene. 

Turner,  E.  M.,  Mohawk,  was  born  in  Exeter,  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  January  19,  1851. 
He  received  an  academic  education,  after  which  he  engaged  in  farming  for  a  few  years. 
Then  for  four  years  ran  a  grocery  in  Moharwk,  after  this  he  was  manager  of  a  flour  and 
feed  establishment  in  Utica  for  a  time,  and  also  identified  with  the  Getman  Manufac- 
turing Company  of  Ilion  for  three  years.  In  September,  1892,  Mr.  Turner  established 
a  wholesale  and  retail  bakery  concern  in  Mohawk.  He  is  doing  a  good  business.  Mr. 
Turner  is  identified  with  the  board  of  education,  etc. 

Taylor,  Joseph,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Dutchess  county,  August  18,  1838,  and 
learned  the  trade  of  wagonmaker.  He  enlisted  in  November,  1861,  in  the  Thirteenth 
Connecticut  Volunteer?,  and  served  under  General  Butler  until  1866.  In  1867  he  came 
to  Ilion  and  has  been  a  contractor  in  the  armory  up  to  the  present  time.  He  is  a 
Mason,  having  passed  up  to  the  command  of  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  In  1884  he 
married  Amelia  F.  Myers.  His  father  was  Warren  Taylor,  a  native  of  Middletown, 
Conn. 

Timmerman,  Ira,  Manheim,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Manheim,  April  26,  1828.  He 
received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  here  and  has  always  followed  farming,  although 
in  connection  with  his  farm  he  has  been  engaged  in  other  lines.  He  now  owns  a  fine 
dairy  farm  of  120  acres.  Mr.  Timmerman  erected  a  hotel  at  the  "Corners,"  opposite 
his  residence,  which  he  and  his  son  conducted  for  some  time.  He  has  been  largely 
identified  with  the  material  progress  of  this  community.  His  children  are  as  follows: 
Ella,  George  H.,  William,  Jeremiah,  Izora,  Melvin,  Ida,  Lester  and  Kittle,  all  living. 
Mr.  Timmerman's  ancestry  for  four  generations  have  lived  here,  looatmgin  Snell's  Bush 
about  1709.  Mr.  Timmerman  has  served  as  assessor  and  held  other  offices,  and  is  a 
representative  farmer. 

Taber,  Frederick  Frank,  Newport,  was  a  son  of  Walter  M.  and  Elizabeth  (Frank) 
Taber.     His  father  was  a  son  of  Peleg  Taber,  a  native  of  Herkimer  county,  who  had 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  229 

five  children :  Adelaide,  Frederick  Frank,  Louise,  wife  of  Charles  White ;  George  R. 
and  Charles  W.  The  mother,  Elizabeth,  was  a  daughter  of  Frederick  Frank,  who  was 
a  resident  of  Fort  Herkimer.  Frederick  Frank  was  born  in  the  town  of  Herkimer, 
December  22,  1837.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  began  for  himself,  following  farm- 
ing and  teaming  for  sever^  years,  then  began  the  manufacture  of  chairs,  and  in  1887 
he  purchased  the  hotel  which  he  now  keeps.  He  married  Harriet  C,  daughter  of  Wal- 
ter P.  and  Harriet  W.  Griswold,  and  they  have  two  children :  Linda,  wife  of  Charles 
Parkhurst,  and  Walter  G. 

Turner,  George  R.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Ohio,  September  23,  1834.  His  father  was 
Cornelius  Turner,  son  of  John  Turner.  The  latter  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
early  in  Hfe  went  to  Greenbush,  Westchester  county.  He  afterwards  went  to  Ohioi 
where  he  died.  Cornelius  Turner  was  a  native  of  Greenbush,  born  January  17,  1794. 
He  was  reared  a  blacksmith  and  followed  his  trade  fifty  years.  His  wife  was  Deborah 
Ames,  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  county,  born  November  18,  1798.  They  had  four  sons 
and  three  daughters.  In  November,  1819,  Mr.  Turner  and  family  came  to  Ohio  and 
settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  George  R.  and  there  lived  until  his  death,  Novem- 
ber 5,  1875.  His  wife  died  September  2,  1879.  They  were  members  of  the  M.  E. 
church.  George  R.  Turner  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  school. 
March  7,  1857,  he  married  Eliza  E.  Paul,  born  July  22,  1841,  a  daughter  of  Franklin 
and  Rachael  (Vinton)  Paul.  Mr.  Paul  died  in  1841  and  Mrs.  Paul  resides  in  Illinois  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  Mr.  Turner  and  wife  had  six  children :  Louisa, 
Deborah,  Franklin  B.,  Millard  F.,  and  George  and  Ada,  deceased.  Mr.  Turner  is  a 
farmer,  a  Democrat  and  has  been  town  collector  two  terms,  assessor  two  terms  and 
overseer  of  the  poor  two  terms.  He  is  a  member  of  North  Star  Lodge,  No.  686,  of 
Ohio,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  Methodists. 

Tunniclift,  George  E.,  Warren,  was  born  on  the  farm  adjoining  the  one  on  which  he 
now  lives,  July  11,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  Horatio  N.  and  Augusta  L.  (Rathbun)  Tunni- 
clift. His  grandfather,  George,  was  born  in  1790  and  came  to  Warren  when  he  was 
three  years  old,  and  there  lived  until  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  His  wife 
was  Marinda  Tilden,  whose  father  was  a  cousin  of  Samuel  J.  Tilden.  They  had  four 
children :  Horatio  N.,  Oran  N.,  Mary  B.  and  Damon  G.  Horatio  N.  Tunniclift  was 
born  October  11,  1820,  and  died  November  5,  ■*«»-;  his  wife  is  still  living.  They  had  x  /SZq 
four  children  :  Mary  M.  (deceased),  Augusta  L.,  George  E.,  and  Nelson  H.  George  E.  was 
educated  at  Richfield  Springs  Seminary  and  taught  school  one  term.  He  operates  his 
mother's  farm  of  fifty-two  acres  and  is  a  breeder  of  Hambletonian  horses.  He  is  a 
Republican. 

Farber,  Christopher,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Germany,  March  2,  1850,  a  son  of  John  Farber, 
who  married  Annie  Fisher,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children. 
In  1874,  Mr.  Farber  came  to  Ohio,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1885.  His 
wife  died  in  1881.  The  father  of  John  was  Albert  Farber,  a  native  of  Germany.  Chris- 
topher Farber  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Germany  and  was  seventeen  years  old  when  he 
and  his  brother  John  came  to  America.  John  settled  in  Russia  where  he  still  resides 
and   Christopher  .settled  in  Ohio,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.     Subject  was  a 


230  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

poor  boy  when  he  came  to  America  and  worked  on  a  farm  by  the  month  for  six  years. 
He  then  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  In  1875  he  married  Rachel  Hoff- 
man, a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  1851.  Her  parents  were  Peter  and  Sophia  (Hafer) 
Hoffman,  who  reared  eleven  children.  Mr.  Hoffman  and  family  reside  at  Washington 
Mills,  N.  Y.  To  Mr.  Farber  and  wife  have  been  born  four  children :  Albert  E.,  Amelia 
A.,  Mary  E.,  and  Edward  all  of  whom  are  living.     Mr.  Farber  is  a  Democrat. 

Thomas.  George  H.,  is  a  native  of  Middleville  and  was  educated  in  the  private  schools 
of  Connecticut.  He  first  began  business  as  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  the  State  at  Albany 
and  was  next  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States.  He  subsequently  came  home  and 
took  charge  of  this  bu.siness,  which  he  has  owned  since  his  father's  death  m  18G5.  This 
tannery  business  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  country,  having  been  started  by  Mr. 
Thomas's  grandfather  in  1814.  Mr.  Thomas  now  employs  seventy  hands  in  the  produc- 
tion of  calf-skin  leather.  He  is  president  of  the  National  Bank  at  Newport  and  has 
been  since  1874.  In  1867  he  married  Miss  Mary  Kenyon  and  they  have  one  child. 
Mr.  Edward  M.  Burns  is  a  partner  of  Mr.  Thomas. 

Thompson,  James  W.,  Fairfield,  is  one  of  the  bright  young  men  of  Herkimer  county. 
He  is  a  native  of  Salisbury  and  his  father,  W.  J.  Thompson,  was  one  of  the  substantial 
farmers  of  that  township.  Mr.  Thompson  owns  165  acres  of  land  and  a  dairy  of  forty- 
five  cows.  His  father  died  in  1885  and  his  mother  in  1891,  the  former  at  the  time  of 
his  death  being  the  owner  of  seven  farms. 

Tibbetts,  William,  M.  D.,  Danube,  was  born  in  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  October  4, 
1837.  He  received  an  academic  education  and  eventually  graduated  in  medicine  from 
Bellevue  Hospital  Col'ege,  New  York,  in  18G7.  He  immediately  thereafter  located  at 
Newville,  Danube  township,  where  he  has  since  been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  Dr.  Tibbetts  married  Elizabeth  Houpt ;  they  have  two  children  liv- 
ing, both  of  whom  are  sons.  The  doctor  has  served  Danube  as  supervisor  for  the  past 
two  terms.  He  is  a  member  of  the  County  Medical  Society  and  in  a  very  skilled  and 
thorough  medical  practitioner. 

Van  Slyke,  William,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield,  and  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  the 
place.  He  was  born  in  1822  and  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life,  though  of  late  years  he 
has  retired  from  active  work,  and  his  son  manages  the  farm,  which  consists  of  eighty- 
six  acres  of  dairy  land.  Mr.  Van  Slyke  married  in  1847,  and  has  a  family  of  two 
children,  a  son  and  a  daughter.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  as  is  also  his  son.  His 
grandfathers  on  both  sides  took  part  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 

Uhle,  Jerome,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  1828,  near  the  village  of  Little  Falls  and  has 
been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  has  been  successful  and  now  owns  105  acres  of  land, 
having  inherited  twenty-five  acres  from  bis  father.  Mr.  Uhle's  grandfather  came  from 
Germany  and  his  grandmother  was  a  relative  of  General  Herkimer.  Mr.  Uhle  uses  his 
farm  entirely  for  dairy  purposes,  and  has  a  herd  of  forty-eight  milch  cows.  Mr.  Uhle 
has  one  daughter,  the  wife  of  B.  J.  Shaut  of  Little  Falls.  In  politics  he  has  always 
been  a  Democrat,  and  has  held  the  office  of  commissioner  of  highways. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  231 

Van  Slyke,  D.  C,  is  a  native  of  Little  FaDs,  and  has  teen  a  resident  farmer  all  his 
life.  His  father,  James  Van  Slyke,  is  still  living  and  resides  with  him.  The  family  is 
descended  from  the  old  Mohawk  Dutch,  and  they  were  among  the  earliest  settler  m 
that  part  of  the  State.  D.  C.  Van  Slyke  is  a  prominent  and  successful  Prohibition 
worker,  and  is  county  deputy  of  the  Good  Templars.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Royal 
Arcanum,  the  People's  Benefit  Society  and  the  Grange.  He  married  Anna  A.  Border. 
He  works  176  acres  of  land  and  has  forty  cows.  He  formerly  dealt  extensively  in  hay 
and  supplied  the  Seventh  and  Eighth  Avenue  Railway  Company  of  New  York  for 
seven  years.     He  brought  to  the  town  the  first  hay  press  used  this  side  of  Albany. 

Van  Alstyne,  Calvin,  Little  Falls,  was  born  March  9,  1829,  in  the  town  of  Danube- 
He  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  this  vicinity,  and  was  an  assistant  in  his 
father's  grocery  store  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  was  admitted  to  a  part- 
nership at  the  same  time  the  business  was  removed  from  Shall's  Lot  to  Jacksonburg, 
Two  years  later  he  married  Miss  C.  E.  Eysaman,  dissolving  partnership  with  his  father 
in  the  grocery  establishment  and  entering  the  employ  of  J.  J.  Gilbert  of  Little  Falls, 
with  whom  he  has  been  for  the  past  twenty  years.  He  was  elected  tax  collector  last 
charter  election,  which  office  he  now  holds  most  acceptably  to  the  public.  Mr.  Van 
Alstyne  has  a  family  of  four  sons  living.     He  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics. 

Uebler,  Conrad,  Schuyler,  is  one  of  the  successful  men  of  Herkimer  county,  is  a 
German  by  birth,  but  came  to  America  in  1870.  He  was  born  September  15,  183G. 
He  has  been  on  his  present  farm  of  180  acres  for  eleven  years,  and  has  put  up  five 
buildings  and  started  a  charcoal  enterprise  and  a  hop  plantation.  In  1872  he  married 
Josephine  Sohn,  and  they  have  four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter. 

Van  Vechten,  William  P.,  Norway,  was  born  October  27,  1843.  He  is  a  son  of 
Hamlen  and  Roxy  H.  Van  Vechten,  mentioned  in  Charles  Van  A^echten's  sketch. 
William  P.  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  married 
Annie  Stratton  of  Utica,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Hannah  Stratton.  Their  children 
are  George,  Anna  and  Ada,  deceased.  Mr.  Van  Vechten  owns  170  acres  of  land  and 
keeps  a  large  dairy.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  supervisor  three  years,  assessor 
several  years,  and  inspector  of  elections. 

Van  Dewalker,  Nicholas,  Warren,  was  born  in  Sharon  September  14,  1857,  and  is  a 
son  of  Jacob  and  Lavinia  Van  Dewalker.  His  grandfather,  Peter,  was  a  pioneer  of 
Schoharie  county,  and  owned  about  1.000  acres  of  land.  Jacob  Van  Dewalker  was 
born  in  Schoharie  county,  and  died  about  1880,  aged  sixty  years.  His  wife,  who  was 
the  mother  of  three  children  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  died  earlier. 
Nicholas  Van  Dewalker  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  at  eighteen  began 
business  for  himself  by  working  on  a  farm.  In  the  spring  of  1890  he  bought  and  set- 
tled on  300  acres  east  of  Little  Lakes.  He  is  a  Democrat.  He  married  in  May,  1883^ 
Fannie,  daughter  of  Albert  and  Fatima  (Flint;  Clyde  of  Montgomery  county.  They 
have  one  child,  Ina  E. 

Van  Allen,  Edward  G.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Little  Falls  June  24,  1853.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  common  school   education,  after  which   for  years  he  was  engaged  on  a 


232  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMEK  COUNTY. 

farm.  During  the  next  three  years  he  was  brakeman  on  the  Central  Railroad,  after 
which  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor.  This  he  held  for  eleven  years. 
When  the  great  strike  occurred,  about  two  years  ago,  he  with  others,  lost  his  position, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  bottling  businef<s  in  the  old 
stand  at  Lock  thirty-eight  (the  Van  Allen  lock),  and  which  his  father  conducted  before 
him.  His  goods  go  all  over  the  country,  with  perhaps  the  exception  of  the  town  of 
Herkimer.  He  married  Maggie  Ward,  and  they  have  six  children,  five  sons  and  two 
daughters.     Mr.  Van  Allen's  father  and  two  of  his  uncles  participated  in  the  late  war. 

Vagts,  Christ,  is  proprietor  of  the  milk  station  at  West  Winfield.  He  buys  milk 
from  the  farmers  and  ships  to  the  New  York  city  market,  the  product  being  from  about 
3,000  cows.  He  ships  about  130  cans  a  day,  each  can  containing  forty  quarts.  It  is 
taken  in  and  cooled  by  water  from  a  flowing  well.  The  cans  returned  from  New  York 
are  first  cleaned  by  washing  and  then  steamed.  He  commenced  this  business  in  Janu- 
ary, 1889.  About  1,200  cans  required  to  run  the  business,  and  all  the  surplus  milk  is 
made  up  into  butter  and  cheese,  the  farmers  being  paid  as  if  it  were  all  shipped  to  New 
York.     The  building  is  156  feet  long,  30  feet  wide  and  two  stories  high. 

Van  Deusen,  B.  B.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  October  29,  1841.  He 
served  one  year  in  the  United  States  army  during  the  civil  war  and  afterwards  gradu- 
ated a  civil  engineer.  After  following  his  profe.ssion  for  twenty  years,  largely  mining 
engineering  in  the  West,  he  entered  manufacturing,  and  is  now  manager  of  the  Rem- 
ington Standard  Typewriter  Works  at  Ilion.  In  1872  he  married  Miss  Ellen  F.  Bollard, 
by  whom  he  has  two  daughters.  His  father,  Benjamin  Van  Deusen,  and  family  have  a 
history  in  this  State  extending  back  two  centuries.  Mr.  Van  Deusen's  grandfathers 
and  granduncles  took  part  as  patriots  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Van  Benschoten,  Elias,  was  born  where  he  now  resides  in  Warren,  December  20, 
1848,  a  son  of  Mathew  and  Julia  Ann  (Wykoft)  Van  Benschoten.  The  grandfather, 
Elias,  was  a  pioneer  of  Otsego  county.  Their  children  were  :  Melviua,  Colman,  Mr.s. 
General  Holt,  Catharine  Hicks,  Mrs.  Helen  Gould,  Cordela,  Mathew  and  Elias.  Mathew 
was  born  in  Otsego  county,  where  he  had  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  and  ran  a  hotel 
on  the  west  side  of  Otsego  Lake.  About  1830  he  located  where  his  son  now  resides, 
where  he  died  in  1859,  aged  fifty-nine.  His  wife  died  January  17,  1890,  aged  eighty- 
five.  She  was  born  January  8,  1805,  in  Cherry  Valley,  a  daughter  of  Grant  Wykofl", 
of  New  Jersey.  They  had  twelve  children,  and  raised  two :  Chester,  of  Michigan,  and 
Elias.  Tlie  latter  had  a  district  school  education,  and  at  fourteen  began  for  himself  on 
the  home  farm  which  he  now  owns,  lie  is  a  Republican.  In  1870  he  married  Martha 
J.  Storing,  born  in  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elisabeth  (Weldon) 
Storing,  and  they  have  three  children  :  Don  E.,  Bruce  P.,  and  Lula.  Subject's  mother's 
parents  raised  nine  children :  John,  William,  Eliza  Paine,  Sally  Fisli,  Julia  A.,  Emily 
Springer,  Elenor  Eckler. 

Vickerman,  James,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  England,  February  19,  1829,  but  has 
lived  in  this  country  all  his  life.  His  father  and  he  farmed  and  contracted  together  for 
several  years.  After  continuing  the  contracting  some  time  he  went  into  the  plaster 
business,  in  which  he  has  been  for  thirty  years.     His  father  was  CoUingwood  Vicker- 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  -         233 

man.  Mr.  Vickerman  has  always  been  prominent  politically  and  has  been  supervisor 
of  the  town.  In  1852  he  married  Harriet  E.  Ingram,  and  they  have  two  daughters, 
Mrs.  Lester  and  Mrs.  Rasback,  both  living  in  Ilion. 

Weeks,  Hiram,  Stark,  was  born  in  Amsterdam,  May  23,  1825,  a  son  of  Levi  and 
Jane  (Hollenbeck)  Weeks.  The  grandfather,  Levi  Weeks,  was  born  on  Long  Island, 
and  died  at  Stark.  He  married  Anna  Arnold,  a  sister  of  Benedict  Arnold.  Subject's 
father  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  and  in  early  life  was  a  carpenter.  In  1833 
he  came  to  Stark,  and  bought  140  acres,  later  added  140  acres  more.  Served  as  super- 
visor and  justice.  Had  fourteen  children  and  raised  thirteen  :  David,  Louisa,  Hiram, 
John,  Jane,  Ann,  Solomon,  Mariam,  Benedict,  Laura,  Willard,  Mariah  and  Albert.  He 
died  in  February,  1890,  aged  over  ninety-one.  His  wife  died  February,  1884,  aged 
eighty-four.  Subject's  mother  was  born  in  Stark,  daughter  of  Isaac  Hollenbeck,  who 
had  four  sons  and  five  daughters.  Hiram  was  raised  on  a  farm,  received  a  district 
school  education,  and  at  twenty  began  for  himself  as  a  carpenter,  which  he  followed 
more  or  less  all  his  life.  He  has  kept  hotel  at  Starkville,  and  located,  where  he  now 
lives,  about  1867,  on  five  acres.  He  owned  adjoining  about  100  acres,  his  property 
now  comprising  three  farms  of  about  400  acres.  He  served  as  commissioner  on  the 
Republican  ticket.  He  married  July  4,  1850,  Margaret  Lepper,  who  was  born  in  Am- 
sterdam, a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Martha  (Paddock)  Lepper,  natives  of  Warren  and 
Amsterdam  respectively.  Her  father  was  a  soldier  of  1812,  and  she  was  one  of  nine 
children:  William.  John,  Mary  A.,  Efta,  Hannah,  Deborah,  Elisabeth,  Martha  A.,  and 
Margaret.  Jacob,  son  of  Frederick  Lepper,  was  of  Holland  Dutch  descent.  His 
mother  was  taken  prisoner,  with  two  children,  by  Indians  during  the  Revolution.  Mr. 
and  Mrs,  Weeks  have  four  children  :  Harlan,  Jennie,  died  aged  twenty-five,  Charles 
and  Edwm.     They  are  attendants  of  M.  E.  church. 

Williams,  Thomas,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Remsen,  Oneida  county,  in  1837,  a  son  of  Lewis 
R.  Williams,  a  native  of  Oneida  county,  where  his  father  was  a  very  successful  farmer. 
The  wife  of  Lewis  R.  was  Eleanor  R.,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children.  He  died  in 
1877  and  his  wife  is  still  living.  Thomas  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  at  twenty-one 
years  of  age  started  in  life  for  himself.  For  a  number  of  years  he  worked  for  Gardner 
Hinckley.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  New  York  Infan- 
try, Company  C,  under  Captain  Moon,  and  served  three  years.  He  was  in  the  battles 
of  South  Mountain,  2d  Antietam,  AVilderness,  Gettysburg,  Shenandoah  Valley,  etc., 
and  at  the  Wilderness  he  was  wounded  in  the  breast,  but  remained  with  the  regiment- 
While  with  Sheridan  he  was  wounded  in  the  left  shoulder  and  was  taken  to  Saterlee 
Hospital,  Philadelphia,  and  remained  four  months,  and  was  discharged.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  he  returned  to  Gang  Mills  and  worked  for  Gardner  Hmckley.  He  then  went 
to  Ohio  and  purchased  a  farm,  on  which  he  remained  three  years  and  then  returned  to 
Gang  Mills  and  worked  for  Hinckley  &  Ballou  six  years.  In  1880  he  returned  to  Ohio 
and  has  since  lived  on  a  farm.  In  1872  he  married  Helen  Hagadorn,  a  native  of  More- 
houseville,  by  whom  he  has  had  these  children:  Alida,  Ella,  Mary  J.,  Annie  and  Ira, 
all  of  whom  are  liying.  Mr.  Williams  is  a  Repubhcan  and  has  been  highway  commis- 
sioner and  justice  of  the  peace  two  terms.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Thomas 
Post  at  Prospect,  N.  Y. 


234  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COtlNTY. 

Windecker,  Fred,  is  a  native  and  resident  of  Fairfield,  and  a  son  of  J.  W.  Windecker. 
He  has  a  farm  of  165  acres  and  keeps  a  dairy.  He  was  four  years  in  Danube,  and  was 
road  commissioner  in  tliat  town  for  some  time.  In  1872  Mr.  Windecker  married  Sarah 
C.  Neely,  and  they  have  two  children.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  and  an  active 
Democrat. 

Wadell,  George  C,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Bridgewater,  August  23,  1839,  and  came 
to  this  county  to  live  in  1854.  He  enlisted  July  29,  1862,  in  the  121st  regiment.  Com- 
pany B.,  and  was  in  the  battles  of  Cramplon  Pass,  Antietam  and  Fredericksburg, 
and  was  discharged  for  disability,  March  10,  1863.  He  married,  June  3,  1863, 
Sarah  E.  Bucklen.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  E.  and  Jane  Wadell,  both  natives 
of  England.  He  has  two  children  living:  Charles  R.  and  George  S.,  and 
has  lost  two;  Albert  H.  and  Edward  L.  Robert  Bucklen  was  born  where  he 
now  lives,  May  14,  1806,  a  son  of  Simeon,  and  Mary  Bucklen,  the  first  settlers  on  this 
farm,  which  came  to  Robert,  his  father,  by  buying  out  the  other  heirs.  There  were 
twelve  children  in  his  father's  family,  only  three  now  living:  Robert,  Isaac  and  Han- 
nah. Robert  married  Luna,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Hackley,  of  Plainfield,  Otsego 
county,  and  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Sarah  E. 

William.s,  Richard,  a  farmer,  of  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Wales,  in  November,  1845. 
He  came  to  America  in  1870.  and  settled  in  this  town  in  1880.  He  married  Sarah 
Ann  Lewis,  and  they  have  two  children  :  William  and  Sarah  Ann.  Richard  was  a  son 
of  Robert  and  Mary  Williams,  residents  of  Wales.  Mrs.  Sarah  Ann  Williams,  was  a 
daughter  of  William  Lewis,  a  native  of  Wales,  who  settled  in  this  town  on  the  Gulf 
road  in  1853,  and  lived  there  until  he  died  November  22,  1801,  aged  seventy-one  years. 
William  Lewis  married  Sarah  Morris,  and  they  had  seven  children  :  William,  jr., 
Sarah  Ann,  William  Henry,  Mary  Jane,  Margaret  E.,  Traphena  A.  and  Florence 
P.  Robert  Williams  married  Mary  Peters,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children  :  Margaret, 
William,  Ann,  Lewis,  Richard,  Robert,  jr.,  and  John  Williams. 

Wood,  B.  W.,  assistant  postmaster  of  West  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  this  town,  and 
a  son  of  Harvey  Wood.  His  grandfather  was  Benjamin  Wood,  and  his  great-grand- 
father, Thomas  Woo.',  who  came  from  Massachusetts  in  1770.  The  family  is  one  of 
the  oldest  in  the  town,  and  Mr.  Harvey  Wood  was  town  clerk  for  many  years.  Mr. 
B.  W.  Wood  conducts  a  general  business  in  West  Schuyler,  and  is  assistant  postmaster. 

Williams,  Roger  F.  ,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  in  Winfield,  Decem- 
ber, 18,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  Anthony  Williams,  who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  in 
1799,  and  came  to  Columbia  with  his  father,  from  Rhode  Island.  They  came  with  an 
ox  team  all  the  way,  and  built  a  log  house,  and  cleared  the  farm.  Here  he  lived  until 
his  death.  Anthony  Williams  settled  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  his  son,  Roger, 
about  1830,  where  he  died  in  1873,  aged  seventy-four  years.  Roger  Williams  married 
Nelia  Gmbey,  and  they  have  two  daughters:  Emma  J.,  who  married  S.  B.  Cruikshank, 
and  Ida  H.  Roger  F.  Williams  is  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  Winfield,  and 
owns  about  100  acres. 

Wholahan,  John  J.,  Winfield,  who  has  been  over  overseer  of  the  poor  for  three 
terms,  was  born  in  Clinton,  Oneida  county,  November  26,  1854,  and  came  to  Winfield 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  235 

in  June,  1879.  He  married  Nellie  L.  Wilcox,  by  whom  he  has  two  children  :  Olive  M. 
and  John  W.  John  J.  is  a  son  of  Michael  Wholahan,  who  settled  in  Clinton  about 
1846.  His  wife  is  a  daughter  of  Elijah  Wilcox,  a  native  of  this  town,  who  was  a  son 
of  Hezekiah,  one  of  the  first  settlers. 

Wilcox,  Newton  Peleg,  Litchfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  adjoining  this.  May  27, 
1844.  He  is  a  son  of  Rodney,  who  was  a  native  of  Stonington,  Conn.,  and  settled  in 
this  town,  where  he  died,  February  22,  1883,  aged  seventy-five  years.  His  wife, 
Emily  Davis,  was  a  native  of  Newark,  and  died,  February  20,  1884.  P.  N.  Wilcox 
married  Mary  E.  Hull,  a  native  of  Noble  county,  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  Noah 
I.  Hull.     They  have  four  children  :  Glen  Avery,  Joe  B.,  Mabel  H.  and  Charles  N. 

Weeks,  George  S.,  Winfield,  is  a  dealer  in  lumber,  lath  and  shingles,  also  runs  a 
planing-mill  and  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  besides  being  an  extensive  farmer.  He 
was  born  in  West  Winfield,  May  3,  1836,  a  son  of  Charles  Weeks,  who  came  from 
Ashford,  Conn.,  and  settled  m  West  Winfield,  about  182.5.  He  died  January  31,  1874, 
aged  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  was  Abigail  Snow,  who  died  July  31,  1870,  aged 
sixty-four.  They  had  ten  children,  of  whom  four  are  living :  C.  Delos,  George  S., 
Louisa  M.  and  Emma  R.  George  S.  married  Phoebe  D.,  daughter  of  David  Burton, 
now  of  Ilion,  and  they  have  one  daughter  living,  Nellie  L.  Weeks.  The  business  was 
commenced  by  Charles  Weeks  in  18.57  and  continued  until  1860,  when  it  became 
Charles  Weeks  &  Son,  remaining  so  until  1868,  when  George  S.  went  into  the  mer- 
cantile business  in  West  Winfield,  and  he  then  pulled  down  the  buildings  and  erected 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Wheeler  block.  The  lumber  business  and  manufactories 
were  run  by  Charles  Weeks  until  1870,  when  George  assumed  control  and  has  con- 
ducted it  until  the  present  time. 

Walrath,  Henry,  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  November  23,  1837,  and 
settled  in  1838  in  the  town  of  Danube.  In  October,  1870,  he  settled  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  lives  in  Litchfield.  It  is  selected  as  one  of  the  representative  farms 
of  the  town,  and  he  is  an  excellent  farmer.  He  married  Martha  Jane  Eygbroat,  of 
Minden,  Montgomery  county,  in  November,  1859.  They  have  five  children :  Esther, 
Hattie,  Henry  H.,  Milton  and  Lester.  Henry  Walrath  is  a  son  of  David,  of  this 
county,  who  died  in  Danube  in  1848.  His  wife,  Barbara  (Bort)  Walrath,  died  August 
22,  1882. 

Walker,  George  A.,  Winfield,  is  a  dealer  in  watches,  clocks,  silverware  and  jewelry, 
and  makes  watch  repairing  a  specialty.  He  was  born  here  and  has  been  in  business 
here  since  1890.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Dwight  B.  Walker,  a  dealer  in  general  mer- 
chandise, who  was  a  son  of  Ira  Walker,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Winfield. 

Weldon,  John  F.,  is  a  native  and  resident  of  Schuyler,  and  was  born  October  1, 
1857.  He  was  first  a  carpenter,  but  subsequently  turned  his  attention  to  farming. 
His  father  was  John  J.  Weldon,  born  in  Newport,  Herkimer  county,  and  his  grand- 
father was  Abel  Weldon.  In  1883  John  F.  Weldon  married  Carrie  E.  Bridenbecker, 
and  they  have  two  children,  Bertha  M.  and  W.  Raymond. 


236  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTT. 

Wood,  Henry  W.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Newport,  K.  Y.,  November  23,  1842.  He 
was  one  of  four  cliiUiren  of  William  H.  anil  Jane  (PerkinsJ  Wooti,  of  Herkimer  county. 
His  grandfather  was  George  Wood,  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  Henry  W  lived  in 
the  town  of  Fairfield  until  he  enlis'ed  September,  1862,  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred 
and  Fifty-Second  New  York  Volunteers.  He  remained  in  the  army  until  the  close  of 
the  war  in  1865,  seeing  service  at  Deep  Bottom,  Turkey  Bend,  The  Wilderness,  Spott- 
sylvania.  Cold  Harbor,  Ream  Station,  Weldon  Railroad,  and  Burgess  Farm.  He 
married  March  24,  1866,  Margaret  Mixter,  one  of  ten  children  of  John  and  Margaret 
(Ackerman)  Mixter,  of  Danube.  In  1867  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  Mohawk 
for  one  year;  he  was  then  a  truckman  for  nine  years  ;  was  a  presser  and  .ehippei  of  hay 
for  five  years,  and  in  1880  he  went  into  the  hotel  business  at  Frankfort,  where  he  has 
since  remained  as  the  popular  landlord  of  the  Central  House.  He  was  elected  president 
of  the  village  in  1887  and  '88,  and  March,  1890,  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of 
Section  4  of  the  Erie  Canal  (comprising  thirty  miles  of  canal,  with  twenty-two  locks 
and  fifty-two  bridges).  In  the  spring  of  1892  he  presented  Frank  Mann  Post  G.  A.  R. 
No.  604,  with  a  Grand  Army  Memorial  (costing  $60),  which  act  was  deeply  appreci- 
ated by  the  citizens  of  the  town. 

Walliver,  D.  H.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  September  11,  1847, 
and  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  owns  237  acres  of  dairy  land,  and  sells  a  large 
quantity  of  milk.  He  takes  an  active  part  in  Democratic  politics.  In  1884  he  married 
Miss  Johanna  Conkling.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  Iroquois  Chapter  and  the  Little 
Falls  Commandery. 

Walrath,  Jacob,  Danube,  was  born  in  Danube,  August  16,  1822.  His  father,  Moses 
Walrath,  participated  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  Jacob  Walrath 
married  Mariah  Green,  daughter  of  Lyman  Green  ;  they  have  five  children,  one  son 
and  four  daughters.  Mr.  Walrath  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  200  acres  on  the  river  road 
in  Danube  township,  and  is  assisted  in  its  management  by  his  son.  He  has  served  as 
trustee,  etc.,  and  is  one  of  Danube's  most  highly  esteemed  residents  and  property 
owners. 

Whipple,  William,  Fairfield,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  February  6,  1833.  He  has  always 
been  a  farmer  and  a  successful  one.  He  owns  149  acres  of  land  and  a  dairy  of  thirty- 
seven  cows,  besides  owning  property  in  the  village  of  Fairfield.  His  father  also  lived 
in  Fairfield,  and  his  grandfather  came  from  Rhode  Island.  One  of  his  ancestors, 
Thomas  Whipple,  lielped  to  throw  the  tea  into  Boston  Harbor,  and  William  Whipple 
signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  These  men  were  uncles  of  William  Whipple's 
grandfather.  Mr.  William  Whipple  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Grange,  and  a  Demo- 
crat. He  married  Miss  Margaret  Alexander  in  1862,  and  they  have  one  daughter, 
Addie  J.,  who  is  living  at  home  with  her  parents. 

Whitney,  H.  P.,  is  a  native  and  resident  of  German  Flats,  and  is  one  of  the  trustees 
of  Ilion  ;  he  was  a  farmer's  son,  and  taught  school  for  twelve  terms  before  going  into 
business.  He  was  principal  of  the  Ilion  school  for  a  year  and  a  half,  and  has  been 
school  commissioner  and  excise  commissioner.  He  went  into  the  boot  and  shoe  busi- 
ness May  1,  1891.  Mr.  Whitney  is  a  Mason.  In  1860  he  married  Miss  Phila  West, 
and  they  have  one  daughter,  the  wife  of  George  D.  Richardson. 


i 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  237 

Walker,  Dr.  D.  B.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Dolgeville,  November  17,  1855.  He 
graduated  from  Hamilton  College  in  1879,  and  then  studied  medicine  in  Buffalo.  He 
came  to  Ilion  in  1865,  and  is  now  taking  a  special  course  in  the  New  York  CoUefie  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons.  Since  1889  he  has  been  conducting  the  leading  drug  busi- 
ness of  Ilion.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Herkimer  County  Medical  Society,  and  of  the 
Sumraum  Bonum  Club.  In  1888  he  married  Lizzie  Heacook,  and  they  have  one 
daughter. 

Waters,  S.  J.,  jr.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Little  Falls,  and  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  here,  graduating  fiom  the  academy.  He  is  a  son  of  S.  J. 
Waters,  who  was  for  over  thirty  years  an  express  agent  here,  but  who  has  for  some 
time  been  retired  by  the  company  with  a  substantial  pension  for  faithful  services.  S.  J. 
Waters,  jr.,  after  leaving  school  was  associated  for  some  time  with  his  father  in  th« 
express  office,  which  position  he  left  to  enter  the  National  Herkimer  County  Bank. 
Commencing  at  the  bottom,  he  has  gradually  worked  up  to  the  position  of  teller,  which 
office  he  now  most  acceptably  fills.  He  was  elected  county  treasurer  for  three  years, 
upon  the  Democratic  ticket,  and  is  the  only  Democrat  ever  elected  for  this  position  in 
Herkimer  county.  He  is  at  present  also  trustee  of  the  village,  and  a  member  of  the 
Masons,  Elks,  Red  Men,  Knights  Templar,  and  other  social  and  benevolent  institutions 
His  father  has  served  as  supervisor,  deputy  sheriff,  etc. 

Wilcox,  Charles,  farmer,  near  Little  Falls,  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Wilcox,  one  of  the 
largest  farmers  of  the  township.  He  owns  a  magnificent  farm  of  250  acres,  used  for 
dairy  purposes  and  has  a  herd  of  fifty-five  cows.  In  1878  Mr.  Charles  Wilcox  married 
Alice  Bcker,  and  they  have  two  sons,  Arthur  and  George.  Mr.  Wilcox  has  devoted 
all  his  lite  to  farming,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Grange,  and  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Whiting,  A.  L.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  in  Middleville.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Ilion  and  Middlefield.  After  leaving  school  he  was  identified  with 
mercantile  transactions  for  some  time,  and  in  1874  commenced  with  Victor  Adams 
with  whom  he  now  holds  the  important  position  of  general  superintendent  of  the 
factory,  Mr.  Adams  being  also  postmaster  of  the  town,  which  requires  considerable 
attention.  Mr.  Whiting  is  an  Odd  Fellow.  K.  of  P.,  and  a  member  of  other  social 
organizations.     He  married  Miss  Waldruff  and  they  have  three  children. 

Wilcox,  Herbert  H.,  Winfield,  was  born  in  Winfield,  November  23,  1853.  He  mar- 
ried Florence  0.  Babcock  ;  they  have  one  son,  Felmer.  Herbert  H.  Wilcox  is  a  drug- 
gist. He  was  twelve  years  justice  and  has  been  town  clerk  two  terms.  W.  Wilcox, 
of  this  town,  who  was  a  son  of  Hezekiah,  native  of  Connecticut,  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  this  town. 

Ward  William  B  farmer,  Eatonville,  is  a  native  of  this  town  —Little  Falls -and, 
.» excepting  for  a  space  of  ten  years,  from  1875  to  1884.  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming 
here  D^rincr  these  ten  years  he  was  on  the  Pacific  coast  mining,  road  buildmg,  etc. 
He  owns  sixty- six  acres  of  land,  utilized  for  grass,  hay  and  dairy  purposes.  In  1888 
Mr.  Ward  married  Harriet  P.  Van  Buren.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  is  popular 
and  much  respected  by  all. 


238  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Wright,  George  A.,  Little  Falls,  was  born  upon  the  old  Wright  homestead,  which  has 
descended  into  his  possession.  It  contains  116  acres  of  dairy  land,  upon  which  he 
keeps  about  twenty-five  head  of  stock.  His  family  are  of  Revolutionary  antecedents, 
and  have  lived  for  many  generations  in  this  town,  and  have  been  identified  with  its  best 
intere.sts,  both  political  and  social,  ever  since  settling  here.  Mr.  Wright  has  served  as 
commissioner  of  highways,  inspector  of  elections,  etc.  He  married  Julia  Vedder,  of 
Stark.     They  have  one  child,  Dayton  Wright. 

Wood,  John,  Schuyler,  is  a  native  of  Schuyler  and  one  of  its  best  known  citizens. 
He  was  born  March  14,  1845.  His  father  was  Calvin  Wood,  also  a  native  of  Schuyler. 
His  grandfather,  Thomas  Wood,  came  from  New  England.  In  1867  Mr.  Wood  married 
G-ussie  Horton,  and  they  have  three  daughters,  Fanny,  Mary  and  Mrs.  Lawren  Rose. 
Mr.  Wood  is  engaged  in  dairy  farming,  but  is  widely  known  as  one  of  the  leading 
horsemen  of  the  State. 

Farmer,  Woolcott  G.,  a  native  of  Newport,  was  born  June  1,  1861,  a  son  of  James 
D.  and  Abbie  (Wait)  Farmer.  He  started  as  a  clerk  about  188.5  for  V.  S.  Kenyon, 
grocer,  in  which  business  he  continued  until  1890,  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  C. 
W.  Palmer  &  Company,  of  Herkimer.  January  1,  1892,  he  rented  the  grist  and  flour- 
ing-mill  at  Middleville.  He  was  one  of  three  children,  the  other  two  being  Grace  A. 
and  Minnie,  the  latter  deceased.  James  Farmer  was  a  son  of  James  and  Lydia  (Robin- 
son) Farmer,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of  the  Universalist  church. 

Wallace,  Peter,  was  born  in  Ohio  May  19,  1843,  a  son  of  Patrick  Wallace,  who  was 
a  native  of  Ireland.  The  latter  abou*  1828  came  to  Troy  and  married  Ellen  Riley,  also 
of  Ireland,  and  they  had  seven  sons  and  four  daughters,  About  1842  Mr.  Wallace 
moved  to  Ohio  and  settled  on  a  farm,  where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1876.  His  wife 
is  now  living  at  Gray  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  .years.  Peter  Wallace  is  a  farmer. 
His  first  marriage  occurred  August  4,  1867,  to  Emma  Colwell,  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Margaret  (Atwood)  Colwell,  and  they  had  two  children,  Annie  and  Maggie.  In  1873 
Mrs.  Wallace  died,  and  in  1874  he  married  second  Jennie  Ely,  of  Norway,  daughter  of 
Horace  and  Harriet  Ely.  They  had  four  children,  Emma,  Hattie,  Walter  and  Arthur. 
Mr.  Wallace  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  assessor  four  years  in  Ohio.  He  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  as  justice  of  the  peace  of  Wilmurt.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G. 
A.  R.  of  Poland,  Johnson  Post,  No.  532,  and  a  member  of  North  Star  Grange,  No. 
686.  In  1864  he  enlisted  in  the  186th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  Company  K,  and  was  discharged 
June  6,  1865.  He  was  at  the  siege  of  Petersburg  the  assault  on  Petersburg,  and  was 
in  the  pursuit  of  Lee  until  his  surrender.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Ohio, 
where  he  resided  until  1883,  when  he  moved  to  Wilmurt.  William,  a  brother  of  Peter, 
enlisted  in  1861  in  the  Thirty-fourth  N.  Y.  Vols.,  in  which  regiment  he  was  lieutenant. 
At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  in  this  regiment  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Second  Vet- 
eran Cavalry.  He  was  then  transferred  to  the  186th  N.  Y.  Vols,  and  promoted  to  cap- 
tain. He  was  mortally  wounded  at  Petersburg  April  2,  1865.  Thomas,  another  brother 
of  Peter,  enlisted  in  1861  in  the  Eighty-first  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  was  killed  at  Fair  Oaks 
May  31,  1862. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  239 

Western,  Samuel  J.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Norway  November  8,  1830.  He  was  a 
son  of  Joseph  Western,  a  son  of  Samuel  Western,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Norway. 
Joseph  Western  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Norway  as  a  carpenter  and  lumberman.  His 
wife  was  Hannah  Hall,  of  Norway,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children.  Mr.  Western  was 
a  Democrat.  He  held  the  offices  of  assessor  and  justice  of  the  peace.  He  and  his  wife 
both  died  in  Norway.  Samuel  J.  Western  married  Ann  Comstock,  of  Ohio,  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  Sybil  (Cummings)  Comstock.  Their  children  are  Ella,  William,  Lillie 
and  Frank.     Mr.  Western  has  always  been  a  farmer  and  lumberman. 

Williamson,  Norman  J.,  was  born  on  the  farm  adjoining  the  one  which  he  now  lives 
ill  Warren  April  5,  1S56,  a  son  of  Cyrus  and  Eliza  C.  (Dewey)  Williamson.  His  grand- 
father was  Garrett  and  his  father  Samuel  Williamson.  Cyrus  Williamson  was  born 
where  the  subject  now  resides  September  27,  1815.  He  died  October  1,  1881.  His 
widow  survives.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Hubbard  and  Clarissa  (Tanner)  Dewey,  of  St. 
Lawrence  county.  N.  J.  Williamson  received  a  seminary  education,  is  a  Republican 
and  has  been  assessor.  He  owns  the  homestead  of  eighty-five  acres.  He  married  Jan- 
uary 16,  1879,  Louisa  E.,  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Mary  (Lombard;  Edgett.  They 
have  two  children,  Mabel  E.  and  Bessie  H. 

Wall,  William  R.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Utica,  March  16,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Ed- 
ward and  Caroline  (Duell)  Wall.  His  grandfather  Wall  came  from  England  and  set- 
tled in  New  Bedford,  Mass.  When  a  young  man  he  came  to  Utica.  He  married  Car- 
oline Duell  and  had  one  child,  William  R.,  the  subject.  After  his  death  his  wife  married 
William  Acers  and  had  one  son,  Frank  B.  Her  third  husband  was  Levi  Gray. 
She  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  William  R.  Wall  began  business  life  by  working  on 
a  farm  by  the  month.  In  1867  he  settled  on  the  farm,  where  he  now  lives,  of  twelve 
acres  on  which  was  a  saw -mill.  He  now  owns  sixty  acres,  and  is  engaged  in  cattle 
dealing  and  butchering  and  hires  several  large  farms.  During  the  civil  war  he  served 
as  captain  of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  New  York  Volunteers.  He 
married,  in  January  1866,  Cornelia,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah  (Bloomfield) 
Loomis,  and  they  have  two  children,  Edwin  H.  and  S.  Louise. 

Walker  Brothers,  Little  Falls ;  this  firm  consists  of  Elon  and  Charles  Walker,  and  was 
established  in  1888  Charles  Walker  was  born  in  1860,  and  he  married  Nellie  Blay. 
They  have  no  children.  Elon  Walker  was  born  in  1863  and  is  unmarried.  The  firm 
does  a  retail  liquor  business  and  enjoys  a  large  trade,  both  members  are  very  popular 
with  the  general  public,  and  are  enterprising  and  public  spirited  men. 

Zoller,  Frederick,  Stark,  was  born  in  Fairfield.  His  father  was  a  pioneer  of  Herki- 
mer county,  and  died  in  German  Flats,  aged  seventy-seven.  The  latter  married  Nancy 
Staring,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children  :  Benjamin,  Solomon,  Elizabeth,  Jonas,  Sallie, 
Isaac,  William,  Mary  and  Dolly.  Solomon  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  captain  of  a  com- 
pany. William  Zoller  was  born  August  2,  1818,  in  Little  Falls.  At  seventeen  be  be- 
gan the  trade  of  blacksmith.  He  married,  August  2,  1840,  Barbara,  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Barbara  (Soble.s)  Everson  of  Herkimer  county.  Her  father  served  in  the  war  of 
1812  and  had  six  children  ;  Katie,  Jacob,  Polly,  Viancy,  Phoebe  and  Barbara.  He  died 
at  Fort  Herkimer  aged  eighty- two.     Frederick  Zoller  had  seven  children:  Norman, 


240  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Harvey,  Mary,  wife  of  John  Hall ;  Charlie,  Rollin,  Elma,  wife  of  0.  Slivemaker,  and 
Alva.  Rollin  Zoller  was  born  May  1,  1856,  received  a  district  school  education,  and 
has  always  lived  where  he  now  resides.  He  married  in  1880  Katie  Lepper,  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  Lepper,  farmers  near  Amsterdam.  Subject  and  wife  have  one  child, 
Marcia.     He  served  three  years  as  poormaster  of  Stark  on  the  Democratic  ticket. 

Zoller,  James,  Little  Falls,  was  born  of  German  parentage  in  Herkimer  county. 
After  receiving  an  excellent  education  in  the  public  schools,  he  started  when  eighteen 
years  of  age  in  farming  operations.  Some  time  afterwards  he  engaged  in  the  produce 
business  in  New  York  city,  then  in  the  hotel  business  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  conducting  the 
Dudley  House  and  the  St.  James  Hotel  four  years.  After  severing  his  connection  with 
the  St.  James  Hotel  of  Utica,  he  was  engaged  in  stock-raising  in  Montana  for  some 
time.  In  1890  he  took  charge  of  the  Garvin  House  of  Little  Falls,  which  hotel  he  has 
made  a  successful  establishment,  with  all  modern  improvements.  Mr.  Zoller  owns  450 
acres  of  land  near  Richfield  Springs,  Herkimer  county.  Mr.  Zoller's  wife  was  Emily 
Casler,  of  Little  Falls.     They  have  one  daughter. 

Rankins,  J.  M.,  is  a  native  of  Little  Falls.  He  was  educated  in  the  Utica  Commer- 
cial College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1885.  Five  years  ago  he  entered  tlie  M'Kin- 
non  Mills  as  bookkeeper,  and  recently  changed  to  the  Saxony  Mills,  filling  a  similar 
position.  He  comes  of  an  old  and  honorable  family,  his  ancestors  having  lived  in  this 
State  for  many  generations.  His  great-grandfather  participated  in  the  Revolutionarj' 
war.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

Clemens,  Michael,  East  Schuyler,  is  one  of  the  old  and  honored  residents  of  Schuyler. 
He  was  born  February  14,  1814,  and  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  His  father  was 
Michael  Clemens,  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  grandfather,  Jacob  Clemens.  The 
latter  participated  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  came  from  Geimary  over  a  century 
ago.  Mr.  Clemens  married  Rachael  Oyer,  a  most  estimable  lady,  who  died  July  26, 
1889.  They  had  one  daughter,  now  the  wife  of  George  Storms,  who  was  in  the  last 
rebellion. 

Conklin,  Silas  H.,  Warren,  was  born  near  Little  Lakes,  March  10,  1863,  a  son  of 
Hicks  and  Hannah  (Weeks)  Conklin.  The  grandfather,  Harry  W.,  was  a  son  of  Silas, 
who  was  a  son  of  Jacob,  who  came  from  Wales,  and  settled  at  East  Hampton,  L.  I. 
After  the  Revolution  he  came  to  Stark,  Herkimer  county.  His  wife  was  a  Miss 
Skellinger.  He  died  in  Monroe  county.  Silas  was  born  on  Long  Island,  September 
15,  1872.  After  the  war  he  came  to  Springfield,  Otsego  county,  where  he  died.  His 
wife  was  Emmiliza  Hicks,  born  in  1770,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters. He  died,  aged  eighty-three,  and  his  wife  died  in  1857,  aged  eighty-two.  Henry 
Conklin  married  Phoebe  Cook,  and  their  children  were:  Richard,  Silas,  Hicks,  Cath- 
arine and  Eliza.  Hicks  Conklin  was  born  in  Warren.  He  began  life  as  a  farmer. 
Later  he  kept  a  meal  market  at  Little  Lakes.  He  was  two  years  in  a  hotel  at  Spring- 
field Centre,  and  died  in  1882,  his  widow  survives  him,  and  was  born  in  Warren,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Martha  (McChesney)  Weeks.  Our  subject  was  the  only  child. 
He  received  a  district  school  education,  also  attended  a  seminary.     At  nineteen  he 


Family  sketches.  241 

began  life  as  a  clerk  at  Springfield  Centre.  February  15,  1886,  he  opened  a  general 
store  at -Little  Lakes,  which  he  has  operated  successfully  since.  Has  been  twice  elected 
clerk  of  Warren,  as  a  Democrat.  He  has  been  deputy  postmaster  since  1886.  Sep- 
tember 7,  1884,  he  married  Edith,  daughter  of  David  and  Anna  (Dunn)  Baird,  and 
they  have  three  children :  Anna  E.,  Silas  H.  and  Thomas  Ellis  Conklin. 

Hall,  John,  Stark,  was  born  in  Stark,  June  13, 1838,  a  son  of  Alex,  and  Jane  (Mount) 
Hall.  The  grandfather,  Thomas,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  the  United  States 
after  the  Revolution,  and  settled  in  Stark  with  a  brother,  Robert.  Later  he  moved  to 
Onondaga  county,  and  thence  to  California  in  1859,  wher"  he  died,  over  eighty  years 
of  age.  He  served  as  justice  many  years  and  was  a  Mason.  His  wife  was  Louise 
Sprague.  They  raised  four  children:  Alexander,  John  T.,  Nancy  and  Martha.  His 
wife  died  in  Onondaga  county.  Alexander  was  born  in  Springfield,  Otsego  county. 
About  1830  he  moved  to  Stark,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  with  his  brother. 
In  1839  he  moved  where  his  son  now  resides,  and  bought  and  operated  a  grist  and 
saw-mill,  also  growing  hops  largely.  He  served  as  supervisor,  and  died  in  the  fall  of 
1885,  aged  seventy-eight.  His  wife  survives  him.  They  had  three  children  :  Martha, 
John  and  Elizabeth.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Mount,  who  came  from  New  Jersey, 
and  was  an  aid  and  captain  under  General  Washington.  At  twenty-one  John  began 
farming  where  he  now  resides,  also  engaging  in  hop  business  until  1890.  He  is  a 
Democrat  and  a  leader,  a  member  of  Fort  Plain  lodge,  No.  433,  Hiram  Union  Chapter, 
No.  53,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  and  Dtica  Commandery,  No.  30.  He  married  August  7, 
1861,  Marietta  Springer,  born  in  Columbia,  daughter  of  Martin  L.  and  Charlotte 
(Kinter)  Springer,  of  Stark.  Martin  L.  Springer  was  in  the  142d  N.  Y.  Volunteers,  as 
a  lieutenant.  He  was  twice  married,  first  wife  had  two  children  :  Martha  and  Marietta. 
Martin  L  was  a  son  of  Lodawick,  who  came  from  Rensselaer  county.  Subject  has  had 
four  children,  two  living:  Oliver  and  Jennie  L.  Cora  died  aged  thirteen,  and  one  died 
in  infancy.     They  attend  the  Universalist  church. 

Eckler,  Jeremiah,  Warren,  was  born  in  Little  Lakes,  April  2,  1824,  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Lydia  (Conklin)  Eckler.  The  grandfather  was  Peter,  who  came  from  Germany 
prior  to  the  Revolution,  and  settled  on  Otsquago  Creek,  in  Warren,  and  served  in  the 
war  as  captain.  He  had  many  an  interesting  experience  wifh  the  Indians,  once  having 
a  wrestle  with  one  of  their  chiefs.  He  also  served  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  has  twice 
married  and  has  a  large  family.  One  son,  Henry,  was  born  in  Warren  and  .served  in 
the  war  of  1812.  He  died  February  28,  1862,  aged  sixty-five,  during  the  Rebellion. 
She  was  born  in  August,  1803,  and  is  still  living,  aged  ninety-three,  in  excellent  health. 
They  had  ten  children,  nine  of  whom  survived:  William,  of  Iowa;  Hannah,  deceased; 
Jerry,  Henry,  of  Stark ;  Jacob,  of  Otsego  county ;  Lydia,  Nancy,  deceased ;  Thomas, 
Mary'  deceased,  Mahlon.  Jeremiah  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  received  a  district 
school  education.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  began  for  himself  on  a  farm  and  at  the 
same  time  assisted  his  family.  In  1851  he  located  where  he  now  resides,  and  rented 
250  acres.  In  1861  he  bought  the  place,  to  which  he  has  added  many  improvements 
and  fine  buildings,  and  he  now  owns  280  acres.  In  1872  he  built  a  cheese  factory, 
which  burned  in  1882,  which  he  rebuilt,  and  now  makes  about  2,500  pounds  per  week. 


242  HISTORY  OP  HERKIMER  COUNTlT. 

He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  His  wife  was  Delia  Osterhout,  born  in  Warren,  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Polly  M.  (Devoe)  Osterhout,  who  were  early  pioneers.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Eckler  have  had  six  children,  five  of  whom  survive :  Isaiah,  of  Mohawk ; 
Delilah,  wife  of  Horatio  Mayer ;  Irvin,  of  Little  Lakes ;  AVilliam,  of  Springfie'd ; 
Esther,  who  died  young,  and  Ilarvey. 

Lints,  Simon,  Schuyler,  was  born  in  Schuyler,  April  9,  1832.  He  conducts  the  but- 
ter and  dairy  farm.  His  father  was  Jacob  Lints,  and  his  grandfather,  Peter  Lints,  who 
took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  family  is  descended  from  the  old  Mohawk 
Dutch.  June  20,  ISRh,  he  married  Jlary  Young.  Mr.  Lints  is  a  Democrat,  and  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  honorable  names  in  the  county. 

Woodard  Brother,  blacksmiths  and  wagon  makers.  This  firm  is  composed  of  Oscar 
B.  and  Alonzo  B.  Woodard,  the  business  having  been  under  this  name  since  1861,  at 
which  time  they  succeeded  their  father,  Lyman  Woodard,  who  had  conducted  a  shop 
here  since  1841,  when  he  came  here  from  Augusta,  The  business  has  been  run  by  this 
family  over  half  a  century.  Lyman  Woodard  married  Rachel  Smith  and  they  had 
nine  children,  of  whom  four  are  living,  as  follows :  Oscar  B ,  Alonzo  B.,  Charles  0. 
and  John  N.  Oscar  married  Clara  Eckler,  who  died  November  28,  1882.  She  left  no 
children.  Alonzo  B.  married  Aurrilla  A.  Brockway,  and  they  have  no  children.  Rachel 
Smith  Woodard  was  born  May  ?,.  1809.  Lyman  Woodard  was  born  April  16,  1811, 
and  died  July  18,  18C9.     Rachel  Woodard,  his  wife,  died  February  18,  1890. 

Mason,  Amos  T,,  Warren,  was  born  in  Warren,  May  27,  1870,  a  son  of  Joseph  W. 
and  Harriet  R.  (Tisdale)  Mason.  Amos  T.  received  a  district  and  academic  education 
at  Ilion  and  Mohawk.  He  married  May  21,  1889,  Florence  E.,  danghter  of  William 
and  Lydia  (McDonald)  Hardy,  and  they  had  three  children  :  Mira  L.  and  Josie  H.,  one 
boy  (not  named).  Mr.  Mason  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  lived  a  year  in  Rich- 
field Springs,  running  a  livery,  and  has  been  also  a  dealer  in  cattle  and  sheep.  After 
farming  for  a  year  in  Mohawk  he  located  on  a  farm  near  Jordanville,  in  the  spring 
of  1891,  a  farm  owned  by  his  father,  Joseph  W.  After  farming  two  years  he  moved 
to  the  old  homestead,  where  he  now  lives.     His  farm  is  composed  of  216  acres. 

Hamlin,  Dr.  C.  W.,  Fairfield,  is  a  native  of  Holland  Patent,  Oneida  county,  where  m 
youth  he  attended  the  district  school,  after  which  he  attended  school  at  Whitestown 
Seminary  and  at  the  State  Normal  School  at  Albany,  where  he  graduated  in  the  spring 
of  1861.  After  teaching  one  term  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Dr.  D.  A.  Crane,  of  Holland  Patent.  In  October  of  the  same  year  he  enlisted 
in  Captain  Throop's  company  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers, 
and  was  soon  promoted  to  hospital  steward  of  his  regiment,  and  served  three  years, 
the  last  year  in  the  First  Division,  Second  Corps  Hospital,  Army  of  the  Potomac 
After  the  war  he  resumed  his  medical  studies  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  S.  G.  Wol- 
cott,  of  Utica,  and  graduated  from  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College  in  the  class  of 
1866.  In  18G8  he  married  Dora  A.  Varney,  and  they  have  two  children,  a  son  and  a 
daughter.  Dr.  Hamlin  is  a  member  of  the  Herkimer  County  Medical  Society,  the 
New  York  State  Medical  Society,  the  Pan-American  Medical  Congress,  and  of  several 
other  societies,  including  the  Masonic,  in  which  he  has  taken  the  thirty-second  degree, 
Scottish  Rite. 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  243 

Harter,  Charles,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Herkimer,  and  was  born  March  20, 
1844.  He  was  engaged  in  the  banking  business  for  seven  years!,  and  then  embarked  in 
the  lumber  business  for  about  thirty  years,  which  he  has  recently  disposed  of.  He  is 
also  interested  in  western  real  estate,  particularly  in  Colorado.  Mr.  Harter  is  president 
of  the  Ilion  National  Bank,  and  his  life  has  been  entirely  devoted  to  busines-s,  in  which 
he  has  been  eminently  successful.  His  father,  Benjamin  Harter,  was  a  native  of  Her- 
kimer county.     Mr.  Charles  Harter  married  Miss  Ellen  Brand  in  18C8. 

Helmer,  Hannibal,  Dolgeville,  was  born  on  the  old  farm  in  Manheim,  near  Dolge- 
ville,  May  30,  1847.  His  father,  Samuel  Helmer,  is  still  living  at  the  old  homestead. 
Mr.  Helmer,  after  leaving  the  farm  in  1879,  established  a  meat  market  in  Dolgeville, 
where  he  has  conducted  a  most  -successful  business  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1879  he 
married  Alice  Sullivan,  who  left  him  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  married  second 
Sophia  Englehardt,  and  they  have  one  son.  Mr.  Helmer  is  one  of  Dolgeville's  most 
esteemed  citizens. 

Hicks,  Robert  H.,  Salisbury,  was  born  in  Norway  July  14,  1858.  He  received  an 
excellent  education  at  the  Fairfield  Academy,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1882.  After 
this  he  taught  school  for  seven  years.  He  was  also  associated  with  his  father,  Robert 
Hicks,  at  Salisbury  Corners  in  a  general  store.  In  1889  he  bought  his  present  estab- 
lishment at  Salisbury  Center,  where  he  does  a  thriving  business  in  general  merchandise. 
He  is  also  postmaster  of  the  village.  Mr.  Hicks  married  Ina  Bli.s.s,  of  Salisbury,  and  is 
identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows. 

Hawkins,  Keith,  Newport,  was  born  in  Newport  June  30,  182.5,  a  son  of  Thadius  K., 
one  of  nine  children  of  Uriah  and  Mary  (Keith)  Hawkins.  Uriah  was  a  native  of 
Rhode  Island  and  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Newport,  coming  thence  in  1802.  He  set- 
tled and  cleared  the  farm  which  Keith  now  owns.  He  served  seven  years  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary war  and  drew  a  pension  until  his  death,  February  19,  1840.  His  wife  died 
October  17,  1837.  Thadius  K.  Hawkins  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  February  12,  1800. 
He  was  a  mason  and  a  farmer.  He  marr'ed  Sophrona,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Lydia 
Foster,  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  early  settlers  of  Norway,  N.  T.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hawkins  had  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  He  was  a  Republican  and  died  in  June, 
1875,  and  his  wife  March  9,  1872.  In  1849  Keith  Hawkins  married  Lucy  Marcy,  a 
native  of  Newport ;  they  had  one  child,  Ellen,  born  November  15,  1849.  Mrs.  Hawkins 
died  March  15,  1850.  In  1852  Mr.  Hawkins  married  Hannah  Upright,  of  Newport,  by 
whom  he  had  four  children,  Frank  M  .  Frederick  U.,  Millard  J.  and  George  K.  He  is 
a  mason  by  trade  but  for  many  years  has  followed  farming.  He  is  a  Republican  and 
has  been  highway  commissioner  and  is  also  a  member  of  Newport  Lodge  No.  455,  F. 
and  A.  M. 

Hines,  Charles  F.,  Norway,  was  born  in  Newport  in  1867.  His  father  is  Benjamin 
Hines,  a  son  of  Charles  Hines.  Charles  Hines  was  an  early  settler  of  Newport,  where 
he  resided  many  years.  He  settled  the  farm  of  222  acres  now  owned  by  subject.  Mrs. 
Hines  died  about  1873.  Benjamin  Hines  was  horn  in  Newport  in  1843.  His  wife  is 
Harriet  Holliday,  by  whom  he  has  three  sons  and  two  daughters.     In  1891  Mr.  Hines 


244  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

moved  on  a  farm  in  Oneida  county,  where  lie  now  resides.  Cliarles  F.  Hines  was 
reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  In  1890  he  marrie''  Clara 
Hafer,  of  Newport,  and  they  have  one  ch'ld,  Grant.  Mrs.  Hines  is  one  of  thirteen 
childrerrof  John  and  Johannah  Hafer,  natives  of  Germany,  now  residents  of  Newport. 
The  subject  is  a  farmer  and  a  Republican,  and  he  and  wife  are  Methodists. 

Henderson,  John  Dryden,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Norway,  N.  Y.,  July  1.3,  1846.  He 
received  his  early  education  in  Fairfield  Seminary,  and  graduated  from  Hamilton  Col- 
lege in  18G8.  He  commenced  the  study  of  law  with  Benjamin  Franklin,  of  Penn  Yan, 
N.  Y.,  and  continued  it,  in  the  office  of  Robert  and  Samuel  Earl,  being  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1869,  and  has,  .^ince  March,  1872,  practiced  his  profession  at  Herkimer.  He  was 
elected  president  of  the  village  in  1876,  re-elected  in  1883,  was  corporation  counsel 
six  years,  and  was  a  member  of  the  State  Assembly  in  1890,  and  Democratic  candidate 
for  State  Senator  in  1891  for  the  district  embracing  Herkimer,  Otsego  and  Madison 
counties.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  treasurer  of  the  Herkimer  Fire  De- 
partment, president  of  the  D.  K.  E.  chapter  of  Hamilton  College,  president  of  Fhilo. 
Society  of  Fairfield  Seminary,  and  author  of  the  "  Villas'e  Charter,"  a  work  which  ran 
through  three  edition.^.  He  was  the  poet  at  the  Centennial  Celebration  of  Norway, 
1887,  and  poet  at  the  Pliilo.  reunion  at  Fairfield,  1884.  He  married  Miss  Fannie  Du- 
Bois,  of  Norway,  August  20,  1874.  They  have  two  children.  Mr.  Henderson's  ances- 
tors have  been  prominent  in  New  York  State  for  over  two  centuries.  They  have  been 
legislators,  soldiers,  and  men  of  affairs ;  and  the  name  stands  high  in  the  annals  of  the 
county  and  State. 

Halpin,  Rev.  James  H.,  Herkimer,  was  born  in  Deposit,  Broome  county,  N.  Y., 
June  3,  1859.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  St.  Joseph  Parochial  School  and 
finished  at  the  High  School  in  1874,  and  graduated  at  the  Niagara  University  in  1878, 
afterwards  continuing  his  studies  in  the  Grand  Seminary  at  Montreal,  P.  Q.  Father 
Halpin  was  ordained  June  3,  1882.  He  immediately  thereafter  was  stationed  at  De- 
posit, his  home  for  three  months,  and  from  September  of  1882  to  December  of  1885 
was  assistant  in  St.  John's  church,  Albany,  N.  Y.  In  December  of  1885  he  received 
the  Herkimer  appointment,  which  has  materially  increased  in  prosperity  under  his  able 
management,  the  church  having  been  increased  to  twice  its  capacity  and  a  new  par- 
ochial residence  purchased.  The  cost  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul's  church  at  Frankfort, 
which  he  erected,  was  $18,000.  This  being  formerly  a  part  of  his  district,  or  an  out- 
lying mission  of  Herkimer,  was  set  apart  as  an  independent  mission  in  1892.  Father 
Halpin  is  of  Irish-American  parentage. 

Hunt,  Mrs.  Mary,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  German  Flats,  and  her  maiden  name 
was  Mary  Ingersoll.  In  1842  she  married  Dr.  I.  J.  Hunt,  who  died  January  22,  1875. 
She  has  two  sons,  James  G.  and  Laton  S.,  who  is  United  States  consul  to  Guelph, 
Ontario,  Canada.  James  G.  Hunt  is  a  physician.  Mrs.  Hunt's  father  was  John  Inger- 
soll, and  her  grandfather,  John  Ingersoll,  came  from  Connecticut  to  this  county. 

Hotaling,  Reuben,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Albany  county,  and  was  born  August 
31,  1850.  His  father  was  William  Hotaling,  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Ilion  in  his 
day.     He  died  in  1889.     Mr.  Reuben  Hotaling  is  a  member  of  the  Ilion  Steamer  and 


FAMILY  SKBTCBES.  245 

Hose  Company,  and  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  married  Miss  Hattie  M.  Lawrence 
in  1879.  Up  to  1889  Mr.  Hotaling  was  in  partnership  with  his  father,  since  which  time 
he  has  conducted  the  business. 

Heacock,  S.  G.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Buffalo,  March  1,  1857.  His  father  was 
Dr.  Grosvenor  W.  Heacock,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  who  died  in  1877.  S.  G.  Hea- 
cock studied  in  Hamilton  and  graduated  from  that  college  in  1880.  He  then  took  a 
two-years'  theological  course  in  Auburn  Theological  Seminary.  Then  he  went  to 
Mokawk  and  was  in  the  drug  business  there  and  in  Ilion  for  some  time.  He  came  to 
Ilion  and  was  appointed  postmaster  there  two  years  later.  He  is  largely  interested  in 
the  oil  wells  near  Findlay,  O.  In  1880  Mr.  Heacock  married  Ida,  daughter  of  Dr.  E. 
S.  Walker  of  Ilion. 

Harter,  Chauncey  C.  Frankfort,  born  in  Herkimer  June  18,  1859.  He  was  one  of 
three  children  (the  others  being  Charles  N.  and  John  S.  Harter)  of  Nicholas  and  Mary 
A.  (Crosby)  Harter.  Nicholas,  the  father  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  N.  T. 
Chauncey  C.  married  December  23,  1882,  Nellie  A.  Watson,  one  of  six  children  of 
Oliver  and  Lucinda  (Casler)  Watson  of  Frankfort.  They  have  one  son,  James  M. 
Harter.  Mr.  Harter  came  to  Frankfort  when  seven  years  old.  He  was  employed  in 
a  grocery  store  for  several  years  during  his  early  life,  manufactured  cigars  for  a  few 
years,  and  afterwards  did  a  fire  insurance  business.  About  seven  years  ago  he  en- 
gaged in  the  railroad  business,  serving  three  years  as  freight  clerk  at  Frankfort  for  the 
West  Shore  Railroad.  He  was  appointed  storekeeper  for  the  same  company  Novem- 
ber 1,  1888,  having  charge  of  all  the  supphes  in  the  Motive  Power  and  Car  depart- 
ment of  the  West  Shore  Shops.  He  was  elected  president  of  the  village  of  Frankfort 
in  March  1892. 

Hurlburt,  J.  W.,  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  has  been  three  years  in 
Little  Falls.  He  is  bookkeeper  of  the  paper  mills  of  the  Little  Falls  Paper  Company^ 
and  having  spent  all  his  life  in  the  paper  business,  although  but  a  young  man,  he  is 
eminently  qualified  for  the  position.  His  family  is  an  old  one  in  New  England,  and 
his  father  was  a  well-known  paper  manufacturer  in  Vermont.  Mr.  Hurlburt  is 
popular,  both  socially  and  commercially,  and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the 
Royal  Arcanum.     In  politics  he  is  a  consistent  Republican. 

Hayes.'  Wilham  E.,  M.  D.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  Frankfort,  October  14,  1867.  He 
is  one  of  three  children  of  Isaac  and  Emma  (Parker)  Hayes,  the  others  being  Lillie 
E.  and  Cora  F.  Hayes.  Emma  (Parker)  Hayes,  the  mother,  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. Jeremiah  Hayes,  the  grandfather  of  WilUiam  E.,  was  of  German  descent,  his 
wife,  Jane  (Harvey)  Hayes,  being  of  Scotch  descent.  William  E.  Hayes  was  married 
February  22,  1888,  to  Blanche  A.  Travis,  of  Canastota,  she  being  one  of  seven  children 
of  John  and  Ellen  (Brooks)  Travis.  They  have  two  children,  Lillie  E.  and  Charles  A. 
M.  Hayes.     His  medical  education  was  obtained  at  the  University  of  the  City  of  New 

■  The  original  name  o£  the  family  is  Hay,  but  through  an  error  at  some  period  the  "  es  "  has 
been  attached,  which  is  wrong. 


24G  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

York,  where  be  graduated  in  March,  1891.  After  practicing  in  New  York  and  Brook- 
lyn, he  in  February,  1892,  established  himself  in  his  native  town  and  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  hi.s  profession.  Benjamin  Harvey,  ancestor  on  the  father's  side,  was  a  Rev- 
olutionary soldier,  who  fought  under  General  Schuyler,  and  who  died  at  the  age  of 
112  years. 

Hoefler,  John,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Germany  and  came  to  America  in  1849. 
He  was  an  expert  mechanic  when  he  came,  and  for  thirty-five  years  was  a  contractor 
in  the  gun  works  at  Ihon.  He  is  vice-president  of  the  IHon  National  Bank  and  has 
been  connected  with  it  since  its  organization.  In  1854  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Eller 
of  Utica,  by  whom  he  has  eight  children  living.  Mr.  Hoefler  is  also  vice-president  of 
the  Gas  Company,  director  of  the  knitting-mill  and  is  president  of  the  board  of  sewer 
commissioners. 

Hakes,  Seward,  German  Flats,  is  a  native  of  Ilion  and  a  scion  of  one  of  the  oldest 
families  in  America.  His  grandfather,  Solomon  Hakes,  was  a  native  of  Little  Falls  and 
was  born  in  180G.  His  great-grandfatlier  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  county. 
Mr.  Seward  Hakes  married  Miss  Marion  E.  Irlam,  December  10,  1884,  and  tliey  have 
three  daughters.  Mr.  Hakes  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  village  from  1889  to  1893 
and  conducts  a  large  and  prosperous  floral  business. 

House,  H.  A.,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Winfield  January  2.5,  1858.  In  1881  he 
came  to  Ilion  and  was  with  the  Remingtons  for  four  years.  He  then  manufactured 
furniture  for  about  four  years.  January  15,  1888,  he  established  his  present  successful 
business.  His  premises  have  a  floor  space  of  over  10,000  square  feet  and  his  stock  is 
ample  and  fine.  He  is  a  member  of  Ilion  Lodge  No.  591  F.  &  A.  M.,  also  of  Iroquois 
Chapter  236  R.  A.  M.  and  Little  Falls  Commandery  No.  2G  K.  T.,  and  takes  a  great  in- 
terest in  all  Masonic  work.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Khorassan  Grotto  No.  2  M.  0.  V. 
P.  E.  R.  and  Damond  Lodge  No.  125  K.  of  P.  Socially  he  is  a  pleasant  and  obliging 
gentleman  to  meet  and  in  his  business  is  fair,  upright  and  honest,  and  enjoys  the  full 
confidence  of  all  his  numerous  customer.?. 

Broat,  Hiram,  Manheim,  was  born  in  Manheim,  July  21,  1819.  He  is  of  Mohawk 
Dutch  descent.  His  grandfather,  Henry  Broat,  settled  here  in  1798.  His  father,  John 
Broat,  was  born  at  Stone  Arabia,  March  6,  1795,  and  participated  in  the  War  of  1812. 
Esquire  Hiram  Broat  owns  248  acres  of  fine  dairy  land,  on  which  he  keeps  fifty  cows, 
and  also  has  a  half  interest  in  a  cedar  swamp  in  Norway.  He  has  been  an  important 
factor  in  political  aflfairs  for  man}'  years,  having  held  the  position  of  assessor  two  years, 
ju.stice  of  the  peace  forty  years,  supervisor  nine  years,  justice  of  sessions  three  years, 
etc.,  and  is  one  of  the  best  informed  men  in  Manheim.  December  16,  1840,  he  married 
Marietta  Snell,  and  has  eight  children  living,  three  being  deceased. 

Skinner,  John  W.,  is  a  farmer  in  Columbia,  and  a  son  of  Gersham  Skinner,  also  born 
here.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Skinner,  of  this  town,  and  his  father  was  Gersham,  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  attacked  by  the  Indians,  receiving  a  number  of 
wounds.  He  hid  under  the  flume  and  was  there  while  the  Indians  burned  the  mill. 
John  W.  married  Sarah  J.  Skinner,  who  died  in  February,  1872.     He  married  second 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  247 

Marv  T.  Casler,  and  they  had  three  children  :  Leon  C,  Jacob  W.  and  Ora  B.  Gershani 
Skinner  married  Jane  E.  Dygert/f  and  they  had  fix  children :  Mary  E.,  Carmi  M., 
Cornelia  C,  John  W.,  Lucien  F.  and  Lucins  F.  Mary  T.  Skinner  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
F.  Casler,  born  in  Little  Falls,  and  is  still  living  in  this  town.  He  was  a  son  of  Fred- 
erick Casler,  a  native  of  this  county,  born  the  second  year  of  the  Revolution,  in  a  house 
that  was  afterward  a  fort. 

Rising,  James  G.,  Litchfield,  a  farmer,  was  born  in  this  town,  and  married  Emma 
Gallup.  They  have  one  daughter,  Julia,  who  married  Frank  Woodbury,  and  has  a 
daughter.  Nina.  James  G.  is  a  son  of  Moses  and  Polly  Hewett  Rising.  There  are  five 
of  the  children  now  living,  all  farmers :  Lovina,  Mary,  William,  James  G.  and  Milo  M. 
Moses  was  a  son  of  Abner  Rising,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Litchfield.  He  married  Abigail  Devotion  ;  they  had  seven  children  :  Abner,  jr.,  Oliver, 
Moses,  Harry,  Desire,  Rowena,  and  Abigail.  Mrs.  Emma  Rising  is  a  daughter  of  Daniel 
and  Ama  Gallup. 

Taber,  Wm.  L,  was  born  in  Herkimer,  Herkimer  county,  in  1865.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  Utica  schools  graduating  from  Utica  Academy  in  1883.  After  teach- 
ing school  for  one  winter,  he  entered  the  Herkimer  Bank  as  clerk,  and  has  passed 
through  all  departments,  being  appointed  cashier  in  1892.  Mr.  Taber  is  treasurer  of 
the  Light  and  Water  Commission  of  Herkimer.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  is  connected  with  the  leading  social  and  benevolent  institutions  of  the 
village.  His  family  is  of  Mohawk  Dutch  descent,  and  of  Revolutionary  antecedents  of 
this  State.     They  settled  in  New  York  during  the  seventeenth  century. 

Spencer,  D.  D.,  Dion,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  spent  many  years  in  the  banking 
business  in  Chicago.  About  twelve  years  ago  he  went  to  Europe  and  resided  in  difl'er- 
ent  countries  until  recently  when  he  settled  in  Mohawk,  and  has  started  a  large  and 
flourishing  stock  farm.  The  house  in  which  Mr.  Spencer  lives  contains  some  rooms  of 
much  historic  interest,  for  in  them  Washington  spent  some  time  over  a  century  ago. 
The  old  house  has  been  preserved  as  part  of  the  new.  structure  for  this  reason. 

Holmes,  0.  Brainerd,  Winfield,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  April  26, 
1847.  He  is  a  son  of  Orange  Holmes,  born  on  the  same  farm  of  which  this  is  a  part, 
December  25,  1803,  and  died  December  13,  1864.  He  married  Henrietta  Brainerd, 
January  15,  1829,  who  died  March  28,  1891.  Orange  was  a  son  of  Elijah  Holmes,  who 
settled  on  this  farm  at  an  early  date.  The  house  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  Winfield.  0. 
B.  Holmes  married  Mary  J.  Hadley,  September  21,  1869,  and  have  two  children, 
Mabel  M.  and  Harold  B.  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Holmes  was  a  daughter  of  Harry  and  Mary 
Hadley,  residents  and  natives  of  Litchfield.  Orange  Holmes  had  six  children  :  Pamela 
A.,  Leonidas  B.,  Sarah  A.,  Caroline  E.,  Ellen  C.  and  0.  Brainerd.  Deacon  Elijah 
Holmes,  of  Scotch  descent,  came  from  Connecticut  and  settled  in  Winfield  about  1794. 
He  was  the  first  shoemaker  in  town,  and  tanned  his  own  leather,  grinding  the  bark  by 
horse  power,  and  the  ruins  of  his  tannery  are  still  to  be  seen  near  North  Winfield. 

Dudleston,  Jos.  J.,  jr.,  Frankfort,  was  born  in  England,  July  25,  1842.  He  was  one 
of  six  children  of  Joseph  J.  and  Mary  (Williams)  Dudleston.     They  emigrated  to  this 


248  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

country  in  1845  and  settled  in  Oneida  county  in  April,  1846.  Joseph  J.,  jr.,  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  and  at  Whitestown  Seminary.  He  read  law  in  the  office 
of  S.  &  R.  Earl,  at  Herkimer,  at  the  same  time  engaged  in  teaching  school.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1865,  and  since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Frankfort.  He  was  married  in  1865  to  Hattie  N.  Smith,  of  Schuyler. 
She  died  in  July,  1876,  leaving  one  daughter,  H.  Estella  Dudleston.  He  subsequently 
married  Cora  A.  William.s,  of  Herkimer.  They  have  two  children,  Joseph  J.  and 
Gladis  Dudleston.  Mr.  Dudleston  has  served  the  town  as  president  of  the  village  and 
school  trustee,  and  was  district  attorney  from  1876  to  1880. 

Green,  Nelson  K.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Danube,  January  14,  1853,  a  son  of  Herkimer 
and  Emily  T.  (Wolcott)  Green.  The  grandfather,  Dr.  Felix  Green,  was  a  son  of 
Ambrose,  and  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  a  pioneer  of  Danube,  where  he  lived  nearly 
all  his  life.  He  married  Elma  Lester,  and  had  seven  children :  John,  William,  Felix, 
Anna,  Polly,  Elizabeth  and  Ruth.  He  held  various  town  offices.  Felix  lived  on  the 
Hudson  River  near  Albany,  in  the  town  of  Scodack,  Rensselaer  county,  and  early  came 
to  Danube.  He  was  an  active  Whig  and  Republican,  and  served  in  nearly  all  the  town 
offices.  He  was  a  Free  Mason,  and  died  July  18,  1857,  aged  eighty-one.  His  wife 
died  in  1859.  She  was  Lana  Herkimer,  (her  sisters  being  Margaret,  Alida,  Catharine 
and  Gertrude,  her  brothers,  John  and  Joseph,)  and  was  Vjorn  in  Danube,  a  daughter  of 
George  Herkimer,  who  was  a  brother  of  General  Nicholas  Herkimer,  whose  wife  was 
a  daughter  of  General  Schuyler.  Of  thirteen  children  Felix  reared  ten  :  Alida,  Jane, 
Mary,  Helen,  James,  George,  Charles,  Herkimer,  Augustus,  John  Herkimer  Green 
was  born  in  Danube,  November  20,  1811.  In  1870  he  moved  to  Cayuga  county,  having 
sold  the  old  homestead,  a  part  of  the  Herkimer  estate  inherited  by  his  mother,  and  in 
1882  removed  to  his  present  home  in  Warren,  Herkimer  county,  on  a  farm  of  250  acres. 
He  has  reared  two  children:  John  H.,  who  was  born  in  Danube  August  11,  1846, 
married  Nellie  Wartman,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mary  Wartman,  of  Little  Falls.  Sub- 
ject's mother  was  born  in  Shoreham,  Vermont,  daughter  of  Seaman  and  Huldah 
(Kellogg)  Wolcott.  Nelson  K.  Green  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  received  a  common 
school  education,  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  academy  at  Little  Falls.  He  has 
followed  farming,  is  an  active  Republican,  and  married  Mary  0.,  daughter  of  John  N. 
and  Rebecca  (Soule)  Smith,  of  Sterhng,  Cayuga  county.  They  had  three  children  : 
George  H.,  Elraa  R.  and  Emily  E.  John  H.  Green  received  his  education  at  Little 
Falls  Academy,  and  then  at  Hamilton  College,  graduating  in  the  class  of  '74.  He  has 
taught  school,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1876.  He  has  served  in  town  offices  as 
a  Republican,  and  is  now  engaged  in  farming  in  Warren.  He  has  the  old  lock  of  the 
door  of  General  Herkimer's  house,  also  a  chair  of  his,  and  other  pieces  of  furniture  and 
relics  which  belonged  to  the  general.  George  Green,  brother  of  Herkimei',  is  a 
physician  at  St.  Johnsville,  and  John  Green  is  a  prominent  physician  at  Sharon  Springs. 

Morey,  Milo,  Newport,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  N.  Y.,  August  7,  1847,  a  son  of  David 
H.,  who  was  a  son  of  David  Morey.  David  H.  Morey  was  born  in  Fairfield  October 
27,  1812,  and  on  September  8th,  1835,  he  married  Elsie  Buchanan,  born  October  10, 
1813,  a  native  of  Little  Falls.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Churchill) 
Buchanan,  who  reared  eleven  children.     Thomas  Buchanan   was  a  native  of  Little 


FAMILY  SKKTCHES.  240 

Britain,  N.  Y.,  and  when  six  years  of  age  came  to  Little  Falls  with  his  parents,  The 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morey  are  Newel,  Mary,  Milo  and  Annie.  Mr.  Morey  was  a 
farmer.  In  1859  he  came  to  Neport,  but  died  the  same  year  on  December  10.  He 
was  a  Whig,  afterwards  a  Republican  and  held  minor  offices  in  the  town.  Milo  Morey 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  in  Fairfield  Academy  and  in  the  Clinton  Liberal 
Institute.  He  is  a  farmer  and  for  the  past  thirty  years  has  resided  on  the  farm  which 
he  now  owns.  On  the  21st  of  May,  187-3,  he  married  Kittie  B.  Averill,  a  native  of 
Potsdam,  St.  Lawrence  county,  born  March  28,  1856.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Theodore 
and  Catherine  Averill.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Milo  Morey  have  had  two  children,  Grove  and 
Belle.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  assessor  five  years,  and  a  member  of  the 
school  board  eleven  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry  of  Newport, 
No.  596. 

Ruddy,  Henry,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  came  to  America  in  1868. 
He  worked  in  the  armory  for  over  twenty  years,  but  is  now  proprietor  of  a  grocery  and 
confectionery  store.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  was  chief  of  police  for 
four  years;  was  also  on  the  force  in  Utica.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  an  Odd 
Fellow.     Mr.  Ruddy  has  several  times  held  positions  on  the  town  committee. 

Pelton,  J.  Rand,  German  Flats,  was  born  in  Winfield  October  17,  1845.  When  of 
age  he  embarked  in  the  sewing  machine  business.  Seven  years  ago  he  started  his 
present  business,  stoves,  hardware,  plumbing,  and  in  the  firm  of  Grimes  &  Pelton.  In 
1870  Mr.  Pelton  married  Miss  Florence  M.  Caswell,  and  they  have  two  children,  Frank 
E.  and  Edwin  C.  Mr.  Pelton  is  a  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and 
the  A.  0.  U.  W.  Grimes  &  Pelton  own  the  fine  new  block  in  which  their  business  is 
carried  on. 

Petrie,  Philo,  a  farmer  of  Little  Falls,  is  a  native  of  this  town,  born  on  the  farm 
he  now'  works,  in  1835.  His  father  came  to  this  part  early  in  the  century. 
Mr.  Petrie  works  and  owns  127  acres  of  land  and  devotes  his  farm  almost  entirely  to 
dairy  purposes  and  grass.  In  1859  he  married  Jane  Ann  Snell,  and  they  have  two 
children,  one  son  and  one  daughter,  the  latter  being  the  wife  of  Eugene  A.  Garlock,  of 
Gloversville.  His  son  is  Isaac  L.,  a  young  man  eighteen  years  of  age.  All  the  family 
are  church  members,  the  father  being  a  Presbyterian  and  the  mother  and  children 
Universalists. 

Moon  Dr  John,  Dolgeville,  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  November  6,  1825. 
He  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  this  vicinity,  and  afterwards  studied 
medicine  with  Dr.  Hemstead  at  Poland.  After  attending  lectures  at  Ann  Arbor  Dr. 
Moon  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Grey.sville,  where  he  remained  four 
years  About  three  years  ago  Dr.  Moon  went  to  Salisbury  Centre,  but  only  remamed 
there'two  years.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Dolgeville  for  the  past  year,  having  retired 
from  active  practice.  The  doctor  has  taken  charge  of  the  Adirondack  Hot,el  here.  His 
wife  was  Miss  Adelia  Hemstead.  They  have  four  children,  one  boy  and  three  girls. 
His  son   John  R.  Moon,  has  charge  of  the  doctor's  hotel  in  Devereaux. 

Munson,  F.  E.,  Herkimer,  a  member  of  the  firm  of  E.  C.  &  F.  E  Munson,  furniture 
manufacturers  of  Herkimer;  E.  C.  being  the  father  and  F.  E.  the  son.      Ihe  elder 


250  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTt. 

Munson  inaugurated  th's  enterprise  in  18G0,  as  a  lumber  business,  and  they  gradually 
extended  and  enlarged  it  until  now  they  employ  twenty  hands  and  do  a  large  business. 
Mr.  E.  C.  Mun.son  was  formerly  trustee  of  the  village,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  Both  gentlemei;  are  Democrats,  and  Mr.  F.  E.  Munson  is  at  present  a 
member  of  the  town  board,  and  is  a  justice  of  the  peace.  His  grandfather  Eaton  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty  years,  and  his  great-grandfather  Eaton  was  in  the  war 
of  1812.  His  great-grandmother  was  a  sister  of  General  Herkimer.  The  family  is  one 
of  the  oldest  and  most  highly  respected  in  the  town. 

Lamberson,  J.  F.,  was  born  in  Salisbury  township  June  30,  1844.  He  received  a 
good  education  in  the  public  schools  of  DolgeviUe,  after  which  he  attended  the  Falley 
Seminary  at  Fulton,  Oswego  county,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Lamberson  was  engaged  in  farming 
until  about  four  years  ago,  when  he  rented  his  farm  of  210  acres  and  moved  into  Dolge- 
viUe. He  has  invested  in  real  estate  here,  and  expects  to  soon,  with  others,  inaugnra'e 
a  coal  and  wood  business.  Mr.  Lamberson  has  served  as  assessor  for  several  years, 
and  is  a  thorough  business  man.  He  married  Miss  Jessie  Loucks.  They  have  one 
child,  a  girl. 

Joslyn,  George  N.,  real  estate  dealer  and  farmer,  was  born  in  Plainfield,  Otsego 
county,  August  1,  1832.  He  came  with  his  father  and  settled  in  this  town  in  1862.  He 
is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Eliza  (Huntley)  Joslyn,  who  both  died  in  Richfield.  George  N. 
is  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  his  locality,  and  one  of  the  most  extensive  real 
estate  dealers  of  this  part  of  the  country. 

Hayes,  John  L.,  was  born  in  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  March  3,  1850.  He  received  a 
good  education  in  the  schools  of  that  county,  and  was  appointed  to  a  position  in  the 
assembly  chamber  at  Albany.  About  fourteen  years  ago  he  established  his  present 
liquor  business  here  in  Little  Falls.  Mr.  Hayes  has  served  as  constable  two  years. 
His  wife  was  Lida  Upright,  and  they  have  two  daughters  and  a  son. 

Fitzgerald,  James,  was  born  in  Ireland  November  29,  1851.  His  father  came  to 
this  country  and  settled  in  Little  Falls  in  an  early  day,  when  James  was  a  child.  The 
latter  received  a  common  school  education  and  after  coming  of  age  commenced  life  as 
an  employee  of  the  Central  Railroad,  with  which  corporation  he  remained  seventeen 
years  being  promoted  from  brakeman  to  conductor.  On  the  21st  of  April,  1892,  he 
established  his  present  lucrative  grocery  business,  which  is  at  the  corner  of  Ward 
and  Burwell  streets.  His  wife  was  Mary  Hart,  and  they  have  three  children,  two 
daughters  and  a  son.  Mr.  Fitzgerald  has  held  the  office  of  postmaster,  and  is  identi- 
fied with  local,  social  and  benevolent  institutions. 

Folnsbee,  William,  Norway,  was  born  in  Canada  in  May,  1837.  His  parents  were 
Thadeus  and  Maria  Folnsbee,  natives  of  Scoliarie  counlj',  N.  Y.,  to  whom  seven  children 
were  born.  When  a  young  man  Mr.  Folnsbee  went  to  Canada.  He  returned  to  New 
York,  where  he  married.  Then  again  he  spent  several  years  in  Canada,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Scoharie  county  He  Cnally  moved  to  Delaware  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
died  in  1891.  His  wife  still  resides  in  Delaware  county.  William  Folnsbee  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  and  received  a  common  school  education.     In   18G0  he  married  Elizabeth 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  251 

Newman,  a  native  of  Bellinger,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  born  in  1838.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Bellinger)  Newman,  who  reared  nine  children.  Mr. 
Folnsbee  and  wife  have  had  five  children  :  Charles,  Ellen  (deceased),  William,  Jessie, 
and  John.  He  is  a  tanner  and  farmer,  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Church. 

Ellis,  Thomas  W.,  Warren,  was  born  in  Albany,  August  16,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  Ellis  and  wife.  The  latter  were  born  in  Yorkshire.  England,  and  settled  in 
Albany  in  1841,  where  he  followed  carriage  making.  In  1844  he  came  to  Little  Lakes 
and  carried  on  a  shop,  employing  from  five  to  sixteen  men.  They  had  twelve  children. 
Thomas  W.  Ellis  at  the  age  of  sixteen  began  his  trade  in  his  father's  shop,  and  has 
followed  it  since.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been  town  clerk.  He  married  November 
17,  1889,  Pauline  Colyer,  daughter  of  James  and  Corintha  Armstrong.  They  have  one 
child,  Annetta. 

Fisher,  J.  H.,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1827,  a  son  of  John  and  Barbara  Fisher. 
He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  received  a  good  common  school  education.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  he  came  with  his  parents  to  this  country,  and  in  18.54  he  married  Rachel 
Hafer,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  they  had  eight  children  :  Celia,  May,  Christina, 
Amelia,  Caroline,  Frank,  Ann  and  Emma.  In  1851  Mr.  Fisher  made  a  trip  to  Cali- 
fornia, remaining  three  years.  He  is  now  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Herkimer 
county,  and  keeps  one  of  the  largest  dairies.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has 
been  assessor  twelve  years,  highway  commissioner  three  years,  and  supervisor  two 
terms.     He  and  his  wife  are  Lutherans. 

Ellsworth,  Myron  K.,  one  of  two  children'of  Myron  and  Martha  (Kinney)  Ellsworth, 
both  of  Litchfield,  was  born  in  that  town  June  22,  1845.  The  grandfather  Thomas 
Ellsworth  was  a  native  of  Vermont.  The  ancestry  on  both  sides  of  the  family  is  Eng- 
lish, Sir  John  Kinney  having  been  an  ancester  on  the  mother's  side.  Myron  K.  married^ 
December  3,  1868,  Mary  E.,  a  daughter  of  Wm.  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Flagg)  Van  Dusen 
of  Frankfort.  They  have  three  children  living,  Minnie,  Helen  L.  and  Elmer  M.  Mr. 
Ellsworth  was  a  soldier,  enlisting  in  the  2d  Regiment,  Conjpany  K,  N.  Y.  Heavy  Ar- 
tillery, taking  part  in  the  battles  of  the  Wilderne.?s,  Spotlsylvania  Court  House,  Tolo- 
potomy  Creek,  North  Ann  River,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg,  two  raids  across  the  James 
River  and  other  engagements  until  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1890,  compelled  by  ill 
health  to  leave  the  farm,  he  moved  to  the  village  of  Frankfort  and  engaged  in  the  busi- 
ness of  real  estate  and  insurance.     He  was  also  a  justice  of  the  peace. 

Eckler,  James,  was  born  where  he  now  resides  October  2,  1813,  a  son  of  Christian 
and  Hannah  (Crine)  Eckler.  His  grandfather  John  came  from  Germany  in  colonial 
days  and  settled  on  fifty  acres,  which  he  cleared  and  improved,  and  owned  100  acres 
before  his  death.  His  father,  John,  with  three  sons  came  to  Warren.  John  Eckler 
married  first  a  Miss  Hoover,  and  they  had  these  children  :  Peter,  Jacob,  Daniel,  Henry 
and  Christian,  Betsey  and  Peggie.  Christian  was  born  on  the  homestead  in  1790, 
where  he  died  in  1841.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  (Hoover) 
Grim,  and  they  had  eight  children:  James,  Elizabeth  deceased,  Peggy  deceased,  Hannah, 


252  HISTORY  OF  HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Catharine,  Lydia  A.,  Eva  and  Angeline.  Mrs.  Hannah  Eckler  died  June  20,  1876. 
James  was  raised  on  a  farm  and  received  a  district  school  education.  He  has  always 
resided  on  the  homestead  which  he  owns.     He  is  an  active  Democrat. 

Lloyd,  D.  Frank,  son  of  David  J.  Lloyd,  of  Frankfort,  N.  Y.,  was  born  in  IJtica,  N.  Y., 
in  1859,  and  removed  to  Frankfort  the  following  year,  passed  his  boyhood  days  in  that 
village  and  entered  Hungerford  Collegiate  Institute,  Adams,  N.  Y.,  as  a  student  in  1873, 
from  which  he  graduated  with  honors  in  187G.  In  the  following  year  he  entered  upon 
the  study  of  law  in  New  York  city,  and  passed  his  final  examinations  and  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  the  year  1881.  Immediately  after  his  admission  to  the  bar  Mr.  Lloyd  was 
appointed  by  N.  H.  Decker,  who  was  at  that  time  the  largest  railroad  contractor  in  the 
country,  as  his  confidential  adviser  and  attorney,  and  was  placed  in  charge  of  all  his 
railroad  contract  work,  which  was  being  carried  on  in  this  State  as  well  as  in  the  States 
of  Illinois,  Michigan  and  Indiana,  and  continuing  with  him  until  his  death,  about  three 
years  afterwards.  Mr.  Lloyd  then  resumed  the  practice  of  law  in  New  York  city,  and 
became  a  member  of  the  well  known  firm  of  Ingersoll,  Carty  &  Lloyd ;  the  firm  en- 
joys a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  having  offices  in  New  York,  Washington  and  Phil- 
adelphia, representing  several  large  estates  and  corporations.  Mr.  Lloyd,  while  yet  a 
young  man,  is  identified  with  several  large  corporations,  being  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  New  York  Cable  Railway  Construction  Company  and  the  American  Visual 
Telegraph  Company,  and  is  president  of  the  Westchester  Automatic  Lighting  Company, 
as  well  as  director  of  several  other  corporations.  Mr.  Lloyd  was  married  in  1800  to 
Miss  Anita  Heinemann,  of  Berlin,  Germany.  He  is  a  member  of  several  clubs  of  the 
metropolis,  and  is  well  known  to  New  Yorkers,  as  well  as  throughout  Herkimer 
county. 

Hose,  Wallace,  was  born  at  the  old  homestead  of  his  grandfather,  Henry  Hose,  in 
Kring's  Bush,  a  farming  district  north  of  St.  Johnsville  in  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y. 
His  parents  soon  after  located  in  St.  Johnsville.  After  receiving  a  good  education  in  the 
schools  of  that  town,  he  took  a  commercial  course  in  Cazenovia  Seminary.  His  early 
business  experience  was  in  mercantile  transactions,  behaving  been  engaged  in  this  line  in 
St.  Jolmsville'  for  two  years,  and  at  Fort  Plain.  In  the  year  187G  he  entered  the  employ 
of  H.  M.  Burch  &  Company,  with  whom  he  remained  seven  years.  He  then  accepted 
a  position  with  Titus  Sheard  &  Company  as  book-keeper,  eventually  being  admitted  a 
member  of  the  concern,  in  which  he  now  holds  the  position  of  secretary  of  the  com- 
pany. Mr.  Hose  is  a  member  of  various  local  social  and  benevolent  institutions.  He 
married  Edith  I.  Sheard,  and  they  have  one  child. 

Elwood  Families,  the,  of  America,  are  believed  to  have  descended  from  Richard  El- 
wood,  an  Englishman,  who,  with  his  wife,  came  to  this  country  in  1748.  He  built,  on 
the  turnpike  a  short  distance  east  of  the  present  site  of  St.  Johnsville,  a  stone  ho\ise 
which  he  occuiiied,  and  which  was  afterwards  used  as  a  fort.  The  house  is  still  stand- 
ing. Ilis  children  were:  Richard,  Benjamin,  Peter,  Isaac,  Mrs.  Van  Allen,  and  Mrs. 
Scouten. 

The  son  Peter  was  born  March  5,  1754.  He  married  Peggy  Nellis  and  moved  to 
Ilallsville,  Montgomery  county,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  the  consideration  of  an  ear 


FAMILY  SKETCHES.  253 

of  corn  an  acre.  He  was  frozen  to  death  in  the  winter  of  1831,  having  lost  his  way  in 
a  blinding  snowstorm.  Nine  children  survive  him :  Henry,  Nancy,  Mary,  Peggy, 
Elizabeth,  Richard,  David,  Peter,  and  George. 

David  Elwood,  born  January  6,  1794,  married  Nancy  Baum  and  settled  in  Stark  in 
1813,  where  he  died  in  1859.  They  had  these  children:  Daniel,  Nancy,  Moses,  Henry 
D.,  Sally,  and  David  B.  He  was  a  man  of  influence  in  local  affairs  and  a  prominent 
man  in  the  work  of  the  church.  Mrs.  Polly  Stringer  Ecker,  his  second  wife,  now  lives 
in  Starkville. 

The  son,  Moses  Elwood,  was  born  June  11,  1817.  The  common  schools  and  the 
library  gave  him  his  education.  In  1842  he  marrried  Mary  C.  Springer,  who  came 
from  Rensselaer  county  and  settled  in  Warren.  Married  life  began  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides  and  which  has  been  enlarged  and  greatly  improved.  He  has  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  sixteen  years,  and  as  commissioner  of  highways  He  is  a  member 
and  trustee  of  the  M.  E.  church  and  has  always  been  a  liberal  supporter  of  it.  Mrs. 
Elwood  died  in  1887.  They  had  eight  chddren  :  Isaac  N.,  who  died  at  Flint,  Mich., 
was  a  prominent  and  leading  member  of  the  Detroit  M.  E,  Conference;  Philip  H.  re- 
sides in  Stark  and  is  an  extensive  bee-keeper;  Urias  D.  resides  at  home;  Mary  A. 
died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  D.  Baird,  of  Amsterdam;  Chas.  A.  ;  Jen- 
nie A.,  and  Hattie  F.  now  live  at  the  old  homestead. 

Charles  A.  Elwood  was  born  March  18,  1857.  He  received  the  advantages  of  a  com- 
mon school,  and  now  has  charge  of  the  homestead.  He  is  prominently  concerned  in 
church  and  Sunday  school  work.  In  1888  he  was  an  active  and  influential  member  of 
the  board  of  supervisors.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  as  have  been  all  the  Elwoods 
of  this  town.  February  20,  1878,  he  married  Sarah  D.  Krum,  daughter  of  William  and 
Eliza  Shaut  Krum.  The  joy  of  their  home  centers  in  the  two  children,  Gertrude  M., 
a  girl  of  fourteen,  and  Arthur,  a  lively  and  thoughtful  boy  of  eleven  years. 


INDEX, 


(See  Index  to  Family  Sketches,  page  267.) 


Academy,  Little  Palls,  281, 
Adirondack  Knitting  Mills,  410. 
Alexander,  H,  D.,  193,  195. 
biography  of,  467. 
portrait  of,  facing   194. 

H.  P.,  290,  291. 

Rev.  Caleb,  306,  326,  342,  427. 

William,  250. 
Alford,  Asahel,  363. 
Assemblymen,  113. 
Attainder  act,  the,  21. 
Ayer,  Daniel,  283. 
Ayers,  Jabez,  318. 

Babcock,  Stephen  E.,  286. 
Backus,  Anson,  381. 
Bailey,  Charles,  286.  297. 
biography  of,  466. 
portrait  of,  facing  466. 
Ball,  Rev.  W.  R,  411, 
Bank  Agricultural,  Herkimer,  238. 

Bellinger,  Herkimer,  238. 

Dairymen's,  409. 

First  National,  Herkimer,  238. 

Herkimer,  238. 

Ilion,  203. 

Ilion  National,  203. 

Little  Falls  National,  291. 

National  of  Frankfort,  394. 

National  Herkimer  County,  290. 

National  Mohawk  Valley,  195. 

of  Newport,  409. 

of  Poland,  439. 
Bar,  present  members  of  the,  153. 
Barber,  Rev.  Virgil,  307. 
Barnet,  Jonas  S.,  296. 

biography  of,  529. 
portrait  of,  facing  530. 
Barry,  Col.  Standish,  407, 
Beardslee,  Augustus,  331. 

John,  330. 


Beckvvith,  Abijah,  363. 

Beggs,  Rev.  A.  M.,  210. 

Belknap,  Dr.  Daniel,  170. 

Bellinger  (Pellinger)  Family,  the.  72. 

Frederick,  181,  194. 

Fenderick  P.,  135. 

General  P.  R,  118,  238. 
Bennett,  John,  191. 

Benton,  Nathaniel  S.,  24,  33,   42,  43,  44, 
58,  62,  71,  145,  180,  243,  246,  252,  254, 
255,  290,  300,  302,  315,  446. 
portrait  of,  facing,  24. 
Biography  of  Alexander,   Henry  Dwight, 
467. 

Bailey,  Charles,  466. 

Barnet,  Jonas  S.,  529. 

Brill,  Addison,  48,5. 

Buell.  Alexander  H.,  468. 

Carpenter,  C.  W.,  493. 

Crisp,  Morgan  C,  520. 

Dolge,  Alfred,  478. 

Earl,  Robert,  454. 

Earl,  Samuel,  455. 

Feeter  Family,  the,  456. 

Garlock,  Dr.  William  D..  516. 

Gilbert,  Joshua  J.,  536. 

Graves,  Ezra,  453. 

Hardin,  George  A.,  53.5. 

Hinckley  Family,  the,  .521. 

Jenne,  William  K.,  476. 

King,  Amos,  491. 

King,  Charles,  491. 

Lansing,  William  F.,  470. 

MacKinnon,  Robert,  514. 

Marshall,  Alphonzo  D.,  526, 

Martm,  Celora  E,,  499, 

Mather,  Dr,  William,  506. 

Miller,  Warner,  .542, 

Milligan,  William  G.,  461, 

Milks,  Albert  M„  524. 

Myers,  Charles  B.,  501. 


INDEX. 


Biography  of  Nellis.  Dr.  Irving  0.,  498. 

Palmer,  Chester  W.,  499. 

Petree,  Joram,  530. 

Phillips,  Frederick  Horton,  477. 

Prescott  Family,  the,  482. 

Rafter,  James  B.,  513. 

Remington,  Eliphalet,  475. 

Remington,  Philo,  513. 

Richmond,  Seth  M.,  489. 

Russell,  Albert  Newton,  487. 

Rust,  Nelson,  538. 

Sheldon,  Eugene  E.,  518. 

Shull,  Josiah,  462. 

Small,  Isaac,  472. 

Smith,  RoUin  H.,  527. 

Southworth,  Dr.  M.  A.,  495. 

Spinner,  Francis  E.,  462. 

Stanton,  John  W.,  523. 

Steele,  .•Vbram  B.,  479. 

Story,  Albert,  460. 

Story,  Albert  G.,  460. 

Vroman,  John  W.,  531. 

Walrath.  Rugene,  515. 

Warne,  Dwight  D.,  539. 

Weller,  Frederick  U..  492. 

Wheeler,  William  T.,  529. 

Willard,  F.  H.,  511. 

Wiilard,  X.  A.,  510. 

Witherstine,  C.  C.  478. 

Wood,  Alonzo,  512. 
Bleeckers,  the,  as  agents  of  the  Ellice  es- 
tate, 252. 
Bookkeeping,  specimen  of  early,  182. 
Boundaries,  definitions  of  certain,  65. 

of  Danube,  343. 

of  Fairfield,  301. 

pf  German  Flats,  175. 
^f  Herkimer,  213. 
'■■of  Herkimer  county,  18. 
■  of  Manheim,  328. 

of  Ohio.  445. 

of  Salisbury,  315. 

of  Warren,  354. 
Boyer,  Johannes,  329. 
Brace  Abel,  369. 
Brant's  maraudings,  59. 
Brayton,  Isaac,  215. 
Bridenbeckers,  the,  400. 
Brill,  Addison,  207. 

biography  of,  485. 
portrait  of,  facing  484. 
Britton  brothers,  the,  250. 
Brockett,  Zephi,  334. 
Broomhall  Milling  and  Malting  Company, 
193. 


Brown,  Charles  H.,  370. 

Judge  Henry,  353. 

Rev.  S.  W.,  395. 
Budlong,  Dr.  Caleb,  390. 
Buell,  Alexander  H.,  121,  304. 
biography  of,  468. 
portrait  of,  facing  302. 
Burdick,  Hamilton,  371. 
Burgess,  Dean,  95. 
Burnet,  G-overnor,  and  the  Palatines,  33, 

39. 
Burnetsfield  patent,  38. 
Burney,  Ivan  T.,  283. 
Burrell,  David  H.,  127,  286,  297. 

Harvey,  121,  265. 

Jonathan,  321. 
Burrell's  Corners,  324. 
Burrows,  Charles  G.,  370. 
Burton,  Charles  A.,  149. 
Burvvell,  Dudley,  142. 
Bury,  Rev.  Wm.  H.,  378. 
"  Bush.  The,"  Schuyler,  399. 
Butler,  killing  of,  03,  412. 
Butter-making,  128., 

Capron,  E.  S.,  149. 

Carpenter,  C.  W.,  biography  of,  493. 

portrait  of,  facing  492. 
Carrier,  Col.  David  R.,  370. 
Carryl,  Lorenzo,  121,  285,  289. 
Cari'er,  Benjamin,  189. 
Case,  Elijah,  281. 
Casler,  Philo  W.,  244,  298. 
Cedar  Lake,  385. 
Cedarville,  366,  384. 
Champion,  Daniel,  352. 
Chapman,  Dan,  219. 
Chappie,  W.  R.,  284. 
Chassell,  Rev.  David,  308. 
Cheese  buyers,  120. 

dairying,  118  et  seq.  ^ 

factory  system,  introduction  xjf,  123. 

makers,  early,  119. 

making,  improvements  in,  122. 

market  at  Little  Falls,  124. 

statistics,  127,  129. 
Chepachet,  381. 
Christman,  Jfacob  F.,  135. 

John,  217. 

John  J.,  189. 

John  Nicholas,  176. 
Church,  Baptist,  Frankfort,  394. 

Baptist,  Ilion,  210. 

Baptist,  Little  Falls,  278. 


256 


INDEX. 


Church,  Baptist,  Mohawk,   197. 

Congregational,  Litchfield,  385. 
Congregational,   West  Winfield,  376. 
Emanuel  Protestant  Episcopal,  Little 

Falls,  278. 
First  Baptist,  Herkimer,  233. 
First  Baptist,  Litchfield,  385. 
first  in  Herkimer.  225. 
Free  Methodist,  Herkimer,  233. 
Freewill  Baptist,  Grant,  443. 
German  Evangelical,  Little  Falls,  280. 
Grace  Episcopal,  Mohawk,  198. 
Methodist,  Cold  Brook,  442. 
Methodist,  Columbia  Center,  36.5. 
Methodist.  Graves  Corners,  386. 
Metliodist,  Frankfort,  395. 
Methodist,  Herkimer,  230. 
Methodist,  liion,  209 
Methodist,  Mohawk,  198. 
Methodist,  West  Winfield.  378. 
Methodist  Episcopal,  Cedar  Lake, 

38G. 
Methodist  Episcopal,  Little  Falls,  277. 
Millar's  Mills,  306. 
Norwich  Congregational,  386. 
of  the  Annunciation,  Ilion,  211. 
oldest  in  Columbia,  367. 
Presbyterian,  Ilion,  210. 
Presbyterian,  Little  Falls,  275. 
Protestant  Episcopal,  Herkimer,  231. 
Reformed,  Herkimer,  228. 
Reformed,  ilohawk,  197. 
St.  Alban's  Episcopal,  Frankfort,  396. 
St,  Augustine's  Protestant  Episcopal, 

Ilion,  212. 
St.  Francis  de  Sales,  Herkimer,  232. 
St.  Joseph's  Catholic,  West  Winfield, 

378. 
St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic,  Little 

Falls,  280. 
St.  Peter's  and  St.  Paul's,  Frankfort, 

396. 
Universalist,  Frankfort,  395. 
Universalist,  Mohawk,  198. 
Churches  at  Cedarville,  366. 
at  Ingham's  Mills,  341. 
at  R\issia  village,  445. 
of  Danube,  347. 
of  Dolgeville,  339. 
of  Fairfield,  310. 
of  MiddleviUe,  313. 
of  Mewport,  410. 
of  Norway,  427  et  seq. 
of  Ohio,  448. 
of  Poland,  440. 


Churches  of  Salisbury,  326. 

of  Schuyler,  404. 

of  .Stark,  352. 

of  Warren,  359. 

of  West  Winfield,  376. 
Churchill,  Henry,  236,  238. 
Citizen  Publishing  Company,  209,  241. 
Clark,  S.indford,  142, 
Cleland,  Samuel.  356. 
Cold  Brook,  441. 
Coleman  Carriage  and  Wagon  Company, 

208. 
Collins,  Father  Darius  B.,  378. 
Columbia,  boundaries  and  topography  of, 
361. 

Center,  364. 

first  settlers  of,  361. 

first  town  oflicers  of,  363, 

hamlets  in,  367. 

list  of  jurors  in,  in  1813,  362. 

oldest  church  in,  367. 

schools  of,  364. 

supervisors  of,  368. 
Comings,  John  M.,  240. 
Committees  of  patriots,  49. 
Conant,  Rev.  Clarence  M.,  314. 
Congress,  members  of,  112. 
Cook.  Atwater,  319,  323. 

James  J,,  319. 

Rev.  Wm.  Mason,  212. 
Cooper,  B.  I.,  293. 
Corse,  Rev.  Albert  E.,  208. 
Cory,  Benjamin,  239. 
County  buildings,  134  et  seq. 

clerks,  113. 

treasurers,  113. 
Courts,  early,  131  et  seq. 
Cox,  Rev.  H.  M.,  227,  229. 
Crain,  Dr.  Rufus,  168,  356. 
Grain's  Corners,  359,  384. 
Crim,  A.  B.,  311. 

Paul,  357. 
Crist,  Morgan  C,  biography  of,  520. 

portrait  of,  facing  314. 
Cristman,   Mrs.    Margaret,    description  of 
stone  house  at  Fort  Herkimer  by,   179. 
Crogin,  George,  42. 
Cronkhitc,  J.  W.,  127. 
Crouch,  Henry  G.,  240. 
Crowley,  jr.,  John,  284, 
Crumby,  George  F.,  152. 
Cullen  (Page's  Corners),  358. 
Cunningham,  Thomas.,  199 

Dairy  Board  of  Trade,  126. 


I 


INDEX. 


257 


Dairying  stock,  117. 

Danube,  boundaries  and  topography  of,343. 
churclies  of,  347. 
first  school  in,  347. 
first  town  officers  of,  345. 
pioneers  of,  346. 
supervisors  of,  345. 
Dasey,  Thomas,  152. 
Davidson,  Rev.  Wm.  C,  230. 
Deck,  353. 
Deimel  &  Snell,  237. 
Dennison's  Corners,  188. 
Devendorf,  Rudolpli,  191,  193,  196. 
Devereaux,  325, 
District  attorneys,  154. 
Dolge,  Alfred,  333,  335-338,  340. 
biography  of,  478. 
portrait  of,  facing  332. 
Henry  337. 
Hugo,  338. 
Dolgeviile,  333  et  seq. 

beginning  of  recent  grov^th  of,  335. 
churches  of,  339. 
early  days  of,  333. 
''earning  sharing"  at,  340. 
fire  department  of,  337. 
Herald,  338. 
incorporation  of,  336. 
manufactories  of,  329. 
schools  of,  336. 
social  institutions  of,  338. 
Doohttle.  Dr.  H.  W.,  170. 
Doxtaders,  the,  218. 
Draft  of  1862,  109. 

1863,  110. 
Drake,  Col.  Jeremiah,  90. 
Du  Bois,  David,  433. 

Eagle,  Tlie  Mohawk,  197. 
Earl,  Robert,  236. 

biography  of,  454. 
portrait  of,  facing  48. 
Samuel,  extract  from  papers  of,   23, 
79,  176,  217,  218,  2_26,  231. 
biography  of,  455.  ^ 
portrait  of,  facing  72. 
East  Wilmurt,  451. 
Winfield,  378. 
Easton,  F.  E.,  241. 
Eckler,  Henry,  356. 

Lewis,  352. 
Edich,  John  Michael,  181. 
Editch  Family,  the,  74. 
Edsall,  Dr.  Irving,  313. 
Edwards,  Rev.  Charles  C,  232. 


Ellice,  Alexander,  25. 

land  titles  of,  251,  et  seq. 
Edward,  252. 

titles,  extinguishment  of,  253. 
Ellison,  Henry,  219. 
Elwood  Family,  the,  349. 
Erghemar  (Herkimer)  Famih',  the,  75. 
Erie  Canal,  67. 

Fairfield,   boundaries  and  topograpliy   of, 
301. 

churches  of,  310. 
first  town  officers  of,  303. 
Medical  College,  171  et  seq. 
Seminary,  306  et  seq. 
settlers  of,  302. 
supervisors  of,  314. 
Farmer,  G.,  122. 
Faville,  John,  317,  333. 
Feeter,  Adam,  341. 
Col.  William,  341. 
Family,  the,  biography  of,  450. 
George  H.,  146,  252. 
James,  289-291. 

'  portrait  of,  facing  456. 
J.  D.,  285. 
William,  251. 
Feller,  Nicholas,  218. 
Fikes,  Morris,  357. 
Fink,  Andrew,  330. 
Fish,  A.  L.,  118. 
Fisher,  Rev.  George,  430. 

Rev.  T.  C,  198. 
Fitch,  Rev.  Mr.,  108. 
Flagg,  A.  C,  189. 
Fols  (Folts)  Family,  the,  74. 
Folts,  Jacob,  181,  203,  388. 
Joseph,  230^ 
Warner,  135. 
Ford,  Isaac  S.,  135. 
Lauren,    146. 
Simeon,  139. 
William  D.,  147,  305. 
"  Forge,  The  Old,"  450. 
Fort  Dayton,  214. 
Herkimer.  178. 

Herkimer,  Brant's  attack  upon,  180. 
Herkimer,  the  stone  church  at,  177. 
Schuyler,  investment  of,  53. 
Fox,  Captain  Charles,  358. 

Family,  the,  75. 
Frank,  John,  140. 

John  Conrad,  88. 
Frankfort,  banks  of,  393. 

boundaries  and  topography  of,  387. 
Center,  396. 


258 


INDEX. 


Frankfort,  churches  of,  394  et  seq. 

early  development  of,  390. 

fire  department  of,  392. 

first  town  meeting  of,  389. 

incorporation  of,  392. 

manufacture  of  matches  at,  393. 

modern  improvements  in,  391. 

newspapers  of,  394. 

post-offices  in  town  of,  396. 

schools  of,  393. 

settlers  of,  388  et  seq. 

supervisors  of,  391. 

village,  officers  of.  396. 
Fredericksen,  J.  D.,  297. 
French  war,  close  of  the,  45. 
Freund,  John  C,  338 

Gang  Mills,  4.52. 

Gansevoort,  Colonel,  at  Fort  Schuyler,  57. 

Garlock,  Adam,  330. 

Dr.  William  D.,  biography  of,  516. 
portrait  of,  facing  160. 
Gates,  Phineas,  215. 

William,  393. 
Geology,  25. 

George  P.  Folts  Training  School,  230. 
German  Flats,  boundaries  and  topograpliy 
of,  175. 

business  enterprises  of,   at  an  early 
day,  184. 

early  mills  in,  176,  177. 

growth  of,  after  the  war  of  1812,  189. 

land  patents  in,  175. 

settlement  of,  176. 

supervisors  of,  181. 

the  stone  church  in,  177. 
Gilbert,  Joshua  J.,  286,  289,  297,  299. 
biography  of,  536. 
portrait  of,  facing  286. 

Nelson  R.,  290. 
Girvan,  William,  250. 
Golden,  David  W.,  140. 
Grant,  442. 
Graves,  Ezra,  95,  141. 

biography  of.  483. 
portrait  of,  facing  148. 

William,  443. 
Gravesville,  443. 
Gray,  Charles,  135,  144. 
Grayville,  447. 
Green,  Dr.  Lester,  170.  ' 
Greene,  Benjamin  F.,  550. 
Griswold,  Eiihu,  219. 

Gaylord,  139. 

Joab,  219. 


Griswold,  Job,  219. 
Guller,  Rev.  J.  G.,  342. 

Hackley,  jr.,  Aaron,  140,  220,  319,  323. 

Hackley,  Philo  M.,  220. 

Hall,  W.  S.,  282. 

Hallett,  Major  Jonathan,  318. 

Stephen,  304. 
Halpin  Rev.  J.  H.,  233. 
Hammond,  Rev.  J.  B.,  277. 
Hardin  family,  the,  380. 

George  A.,  9.5,  126,  285,  288,  291. 
biography  of,  535. 
portrait  of,  facing  32. 
Harris,  Earl  W.,  289. 
Hart,  James,  151. 
Harter,  Charles,  203,  207,  208. 
Hasenclever,  Peter,  398. 
Haslehurst,  A.  W.,  239,  394. 
Helmer  Family,  the,  75. 
Hemstreet,  Dr.  James,  171. 
Herfkins,  Rev.  Henry,  411. 
Herkimer  and  Mohawk  Street  Railroad, 190 
and  Poland  Narrow  Guage  Railroad, 

221. 
division  of  lots  of,  215. 
effect  upon,  of  the  opening  of  canal 

and  railroad,  221. 
first  grist-mill  at,  216. 
first  town  oflicers  of,  214. 
land  patents  in,  213. 
name  of,  as  applied  to  the  town,  214. 
organization  and  boundaries  of,  213. 
petition  for  relief  of  poor  widows  of, 

217. 
supervisors  of,  221. 
County  Agricultural  Society,  70. 
assemblymen,  113. 
clerks,  113. 

during  the   French   and    Indian 
/      war,  40. 
/  early  courts  of,  134. 
I  early  settlement  of,  27. 
Education  Society  and  Teachers' 

Association,  93. 
erection  of,  17. 
in  the  Civil  War,  94. 
Member  of  Congress  from,  112. 
natural  characteristics  of,  25. 
poor-hou.se,  91. 
population  of,  111. 
presidential  electors  from,  115. 
reduction  of,  65. 
separation  of,  from  Montgomery 
65. 


INDEX. 


259 


Herkimer,  State  senators  from,  112. 
treasurers,  113. 
Johan  Joost,  24,  88. 

petition    of,    for    permission    to 
builfi  a  church,  177. 
General  Nicholas,  76,  344. 
Nicholas,  "chief  commander,"  52. 
Q-eneral,  poem  on  the  death  of,  78. 
village  banks  of,  237. 

churches  of,  225  et  .seq. 
fire  department  of,  223. 
hotels  of,  241. 
in  1814,  222. 
manufactures  of : 

Gem  Knitting  Company,  237. 
Herkimer  Manufacturing 

Company,  237. 
Manufacturing  and  Hydrau- 
lic Company,  235. 
Manuf aeturi ng  Company, 

Herkimer,  236. 
Paper  Company,  236. 
Standard    Furniture     Com- 
pany, Herkimer,  236. 
newspapers  of,  239. 
officers  of,  225. 
population  of,  222. 
post-office,  242. 
presidents  of,  222. 
proeress  of,  since  the  Civil  W 

225. 
schools  of,  233  et  seq. 
water  supply  of,  225. 
Herreshoff,  Charles  P.,  450. 
Herter  Family,  the,  79. 
Hess,  Augustinus,  180. 

Family,  the,  79. 
Hill,  Capt.' David,  105. 
Hinckley  Family,  the,  biography  of,  521. 
Gardner,  452. 

portrait  of,  facing  452. 
Hoffman,  Michael,  138. 
Holme.";,  John  A.,  346. 
Holt,  David,  139,  239. 
Hopkins,  Henry,  220. 
Hopton,  Alvarius,  321. 
Howard,  Rev.  William,  211,  233. 
Hunt,  James  B.,  150.  •         ,^ 

Hunter,  Governor,  and  the  Palatmes,  30. 
Hurlburt,  Elisha  P.,  148. 
Hyatt,  Rev.  Isaac,  441. 
Hyland,  Rev.  J.  F.,  211. 

Ilion,  account  of,  by  W.  H.  Page,  199. 
Bank,  203. 


Ilion,  Baptist  church  at,  210. 

Church  of  the  Annunciation  at,  211. 

Citizm,  208. 

fire  department,  202. 

incorporation  and  first  officers  of,  202. 

Manufacturing  Company,  208. 

Methodist  church  at,  209. 

National  Bank,  203. 

Ntius,  209. 

newspapers,  208. 

officers  of,  212. 

Presbyterian  church  at,  210. 

remarkable  growth  of,  204. 

Remington  industries  at,  204. 

St.  Augustine's  Protestant  Episcopal 
church  at,  212. 

schools  of,  203. 
Ingham,  Alonzo,  341. 

Dr.  S.  A.,  171. 

Harvey,  341. 
Ingham's  Mills,  341. 
Jves,  Amos,  319. 

John  and  James  H.,  320. 

Jenne,  William  K.,  biography  of,  476. 

portrait  of,  facing  476. 
Johnson,  James  G.,  236. 

Sir  John  and  Guy,  48  et  seq. 

Sir  William,  2,  3,  46,  344. 
Jones,  Hadley,  287. 
Jordanville,  358. 
Joslin,  Sylvester,  388. 
Judd,  Rev.  Bethel,  306. 
Judges,  County,  154. 

of  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  153. 
Judicial  system,  changes  in,  131  et  seq. 
Justices  of  Sessions.  154. 

Kast  Family,  the,  80. 
John  Jurgh,  397. 
Kenyon,  V.  S.,  121,  312,  409. 
Keslaer  (Casler)  Family,  the,  73. 
King,  Amos,  295. 

biography  of,  491. 
portrait  of,  between  490-491. 
Charles,  295. 

biography  of,  491. 
portrait  of,  between  490-491. 
Rev.  R.  E.,  210. 
Kockerthal,  Joshua.  29. 

Ladue,  Col.  WilliaVpC. 
Laflin,  A.  H.,  95. 

Col.  Byron,  97,  231. 
Lake,  Jarvis  N.,  149. 


260 


INDEX. 


Lamberson,  Cornelius,  317. 

W.,  305. 
Land  grants,  18. 

patents,  details  of,  19. 
patents  in  Herkimer,  213. 
Lansing,  Sanders,  138. 
William  F.,  290,  313. 
biography  of,  470. 
portrait  of,  facing,  470. 
Laphara,  William,  305. 
Lee,  Charles  A.,  237. 
Link,  Henry,  151. 

Litchfield,  boundaries  and  topography   of, 
382. 

churches  of,  385. 
first  town  officers  of,  384. 
settlers  of,  383. 
supervisors  of,  387. 
Little   Falls,  boundaries   and   topography 
of,  242. 

dairying  in,  244. 

Electric  Light  and  Power  Co.,  290. 
first  officers  of,  243. 
Indians  and  tory  attack  upon,  64. 
mill,  massacre  at,  64. 
National  Bank,  291. 
supervisors  of,  244. 
village,    account    of,    [by    Arphaxed 
Loomis,  259. 

Baptist  church  at,  278. 

Board  of  Education  of,  282. 

business  men  of,  in  18.50,  269. 

charter  of,  255. 

debt  of,  1850,  268. 

destruction   of,  by  Indians   and 

tories,  246, 
early  fire  department  of,  263. 
early  lessees  in,  253. 
early  settlers  of,  248. 
Emanuel    Protestant     Episcopal 

church  at.  278. 
fire  deoartment  of,  287. 
first  officers  of,  257. 
flood  in,  in  1850,  268. 
freshet  in,  in  1842,  267. 
German  Evangelical   Church  at, 

280. 
hotels  of.  300. 

improvements  in,  1840-60,  264. 
inland  navigation  at,  254. 
in  1816,  255. 
in  1824,  2.57. 
manufactures  of: 

Asteronga    Knitting    Mills, 
299. 


Little  Falls  village,  manufactures  of: 

Hansen's  Laboratory,  297. 
Henry     Cheney      Hammer 

Co.,  292. 
J.  S.  Barnet  &  Co.,  296. 
Little    Falls    Knitting    Co 

297. 
Little     Falls     Paper    Com- 
pany, 286. 
MacKinnon   Knitting    Mill, 

295. 
Pike  Knitting  Machine  Com- 
pany, 297. 
pork  packing,  296. 
Reddy's  Machine  Shop  and 

Foundry,  298. 
Riverside     Knitting    Mills, 

295. 
Rock     Island    Paper     Mill 

299. 
Rockton  Knitting  Mills,  293. 
sash  and  blind  factory,  294. 
saw-mills  and  box  factory, 

293,  294,  298. 
Saxony  Woolen  Mills,  295. 
shoddy    and    wool    extract, 

300. 
stone  mill,  the,  292. 
Superior     Furnace     Com- 
pany, 298. 
Titus  Sheard  Company,  296. 
Valley  Flouring  Mills,  294. 
Warrior   Mower   Company, 
299. 
map  of,  1810-20,  256. 
maps  of,  245,  247,  249. 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  at, 

277. 
National  Herkimer  County  Bank 

at  290. 
newspapers  of,  282. 
officers  of,  273. 
police  department  of,  289. 
Presbyterian  church  at,  275. 
presidents  of,  1828-1892,  273. 
prosperity  of,  1845,  268. 
rapid  development  of,  after  1840, 

263. 
Rev.  Caleb  Alexander's  descrip- 
tion of,  251. 
St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic 

church  at,  280. 
St.  Paul's  Universalist  society  at, 

279. 
schools  of,  381. 


INDEX. 


Little  Falls  village,  site  of,  245. 

street  improvements  in,  262. 
street  lighting  in,  289. 
streets  and  sewers  of,  289. 
trustees  of,  1828-1882,  271. 
water  works  of,  28.5. 
Little  Lakes  (Warren  post-otlice),  359. 
Livingston,  Robert,  .31.     . 
Loomis,  Arphaxed,  95,  135,  144,  281,  299. 
Sidney,  145. 

Watts,   T.,   127,  248,   285,   286,  290, 
203. 
Ludden,  R  v.  A.  P.,  280. 
Rev.  James  M.,  285. 
Lukens,  Rev.  W.  D.,  233. 

Maben.  Dr.  Hamblin  B..  171. 
McDonald,  Rev.  Daniel,  307. 
McGowansville  (East  Frankfort),  396. 
MacKinnon,  Robert,  295. 
biography  of,  514. 
portrait  of,  facing  294. 
McKoon,  Merrit  G.,  281. 
Manheim,  boundaries  and  topography  of, 
328. 

early  settlers  of,  329  et  seq. 
first  town  officers  of,  332. 
supervisors  of,  322. 
Manion,  John  T.,  225. 
Manly,  Thomas,  414. 
Mann,  jr.,  Abijah,  143. 
Map,  showing   Ellice    lots,   between  252 

and  253. 
Mariett,  Rev.  Ernest,  278. 
Mark  Morris,  236. 
Markell,  Jacob,  137,  330. 
.Marshall,  Alphonso  D.,  biography  of,  526. 

portrait  of,  facing  525. 
Martin,  Celora  E.,  biography  of,  499. 
Massacre   of   the   Palatines,   reponsibility 

for  the,  42. 
Matches,  manufacture  of,  393. 
Mather,  Captain  Moses,  306. 
Dr.  William,  168,  305. 
biography  of,  506. 
portrait  of,  facing  506. 
Medical  College,  Fairfield,  171  et  seq. 
Medical  Society,  ofiicers  of,  160. 

organization  and  procedings  of 
155  et  seq. 
Merrell,  A.  J.,  376. 
Middleville,  311. 

churches  of,  313. 
manufacturers  of,  311. 
Militia  organization  subsequent  to  the 
Revolution,  66. 


Miller,  A.  G.,  234. 

Han.  Warner,  230,  236. 
biography  of,  542. 
portrait  of,  facing  40. 
Miller's  Mills,  365. 
Milligan,  William  G.,  289,  291,  298. 
biography  of,  461. 
portrait  of,  facing  248. 
Millington,  Dr.  S.  R.,  439. 
Mills,  Albert  M.,  biography  of,  .524. 

portrait  of.  facing  132. 
Mohawk  and  Ilion  Street  Railroad,  190. 
churches  of,  197  et  seq. 
Courier,  information  from,  258,  200. 
early  business  of,  194. 
early  mills  and  shops  in,  192. 
fire  department,  196. 
Foundry,  192. 
Gaslight  Company,  195. 
incorporation  and  first  officers  of,  194. 
Indian  Castle,  343. 
Knitting  Company  of,  193. 
raanufactm'ers  of,  192. 
newspapers,  197. 
officers  of,  199. 
public  school,  195, 
settlement  and  early  days  of,  191. 
Valley  Bank,  National,  195. 
Hotel  Company,  193. 
Knitting  Mills,  193. 
Railroad  Company,  189. 
Mohawks,  the,  28. 
Moon,  Clinton  A.,  149. 
Morgan,  Kendrick  E.,  371. 
Miss  Clara  E.,  197. 
Sewell,  S.,  153. 
Munger.  Charles  S.,  240. 
Munroe,  James,  2.54. 
Munsel,  C.  D.,  209. 
Murphy,  Rev.  James,  229. 
Myers,"  Charles  E.,  biography  of,  501. 
portrait  of,  facing  502, 
Michael,  220. 
Peter  M.,  221. 

Natural  characteristics  of  Herkimer 

county,  25. 
Nellis,  jr.,  George  W.,  241. 

Dr.  Irving  O.,  biography  of,  498. 
portrait  of,  facing  498. 
Nelson,  Edwin  J.,  313. 
Nesbith,  Robert,  120. 
Newport,  Bank  of,  409, 

boundaries  and  topography  of,  405. 

churches  of,  410. 

early  business  men  of,  408. 


262 


INDEX, 


Newport,  first  town  officers  of,  406. 

manufacturers  of,  409. 

schools  of,  410. 

settlers  of,  405. 

supervisors  of,  407. 

village,  408  et  seq. 

presidents  of,  408. 
Newspapers  of  Frankfort,  394. 

Herkimer,  239. 

Ilion,  208. 

Little  Falls,  282. 

Moliawk,  197. 

Winfield,  376. 
Newville,  346. 

New  York  State  Dairymen's  Association 
and  Board  of  Trade,  127. 

Utica  and  Ogdensbiirgh  Railroad, 
190. 
Nichols,  Dr.  W.  C,  305. 

Elder  Martin,  325. 
Noble,  Arthur,  450. 
Nolton,  Hiram,  141. 
North  Litchfield,  385. 

Winfield,  381. 
Norton  family,  the,  in  Norway,  432. 
Norway, boundaries  and  topography  of,  412 

cemeteries  of,  431. 

centennial  celebration  of,  426. 

dairying  in,  417. 

early  taverns  in,  422. 

first  cheese  factory  in,  417. 

first  schools  in,  419. 

first  town  meeting  in,  420. 

merchants  of,  424. 

mills  and  manufactures  of,  421. 

physicians  of,  431. 

population  of,  419. 

post-oflices  and  [lOst  routes  in,  423. 

prominent  families  in,  432. 

prominent  settlers  of,  415. 

religious  societies  of,  427. 

settlement  of,  413. 

supervisors  of,  420. 

Tidings,  426. 

village,  pioneers  of,  418  et  seq. 
Noyes,  Dr.  Joseph,  306. 

O'Conor,  Edmund,  550. 

Octagon  church,  the,  273. 

Ohio,  boundaries  and  topography  of,  445. 

churches  of,  448. 

City,  448. 

supervisors  of,  449. 
Oriskany,  battle  of,  and    events  leading 
thereto,  53. 


Oriskany,    military  movements   after  the 

battle  of,  57. 
Tryon  county   militia  oflicers  at   the 

battle  of,  57. 
Ostrom,  Joshua,  91. 
Otis,  Oran  Gray,  142. 
Owen,  Volney,  150. 

Page,  William  H.,  account  of  Ilion  by,  199. 

Paine.  Seth,  188. 

Paine's  Hollow,  188. 

Palatine  children,  apprenticing  of.  31. 

families,  personal  notes  of,  71  et  seq. 

settlements,  Belletre's  massacre  at  the, 
40  et  .<!eq. 
Palatines,  first  and  second  arrivals  of,  29. 

Judge  Benton's  account  of  the  third 
arrival  of,  33. 

patriotism  of  the,  48. 

the.  28  et  seq. 

third  arrival  of,  33.  , 

Palmer,  Charles  J.,  286,  287,  371. 

Chester,  W.,  242. 

biography  of,  499. 
portrait  of,  facing  242. 
Parker,  Jason,  90.  -^ 
Patentees,  original  land,  3.5. 

table  of  original,  36,  37. 
Patents,  JaTid,  18 

Pell  (Bell)  Frederick  and  Anna  Mary,  72. 
People's  Friend,  the,  extracts   from,  255, 

2.57. 
Perry,  Samuel,  121,  123. 
Petree,  Joram,  biography  of,  530. 

portrait  of,  facing  260. 
Petri,  Gertrude,  deed  of,  215. 
Petrie,  Arnold,  9.5. 

Familv,  the,  80. 

John  Jost,  88,  175,  226. 
Petry,  Dr.  William,  65,  169,  217,  218,  226. 
Phillip.s,  Frederick  Horton,  biography  of. 

477. 

portrait  of,  facing  252. 
Physicians,  register  of.  161  et  seq. 
Pierce,  Rev.  D.  F.,  209. 

Rev.  F.  K.,  360. 
Plank  roads,  93. 
Pollock.  Rev.  John  H.,  386. 
Population  and  fluctuations  of,  111. 
Porteous,  John,  248,  2.52. 
Portrait  of  Alexander,  H.  D..  facing  194. 

Bailey,  Charles,  facing  466. 

Barnett,  Jonas  S..  facing  .530. 

Benton,  Nathaniel  S.,  facing  24. 

Brill,  Addison,  facing  484. 


INDEX. 


Portrait  of  BueIl,AIexander  H.,  facing  302. 
Carpenter,  C.  W.,  facing  492. 
Crist,  Morgan  C,  facing  314. 
Dolge,  Alfred,  facing  332. 
Earl,  Robert,  facing  48. 
Earl,  Samuel,  facing  72. 
Feeter,  Jame.s,  facing  456. 
Garlock,  Dr.  W.  D.,  facing  ICO. 
Gilbert,  J.  J.,  facing  286. 
Graves,  Ezra,  facing  148. 
Hard'n,  George  A.,  facing  32. 
Hinckley,  Gardner,  facing  452. 
Jenne,  William  K.,  facmg  476. 
King,  A.,  between  490-91. 
King,  Charles,  between  490-91. 
Lansing,  William  F.,  facing  470. 
MacKinnon,  Robert,  facing  294. 
Marshall,  A.  D.,  facing  525. 
Mather,  William,  facing  506. 
Miller.  Warner,  facing  40. 
Mdligan,  William  G.,  facing  248. 
Mills,  Albert  M.,  facing  132. 
Mj'er.'s,  Charles  G.,  facing  502. 
Nellis,  Dr.  Irving  0.,  facmg  498. 
Palmer,  C   W.,  facing  242. 
Petree,  Joram,  facing  260. 
Phillips,  Frederick  H.,  facing  262. 
Prescott,  W.  C,  facing  156. 
Rafter,  J.  B.,  facing  140. 
Remington,  sr.,  E.,  facing  200. 
Remington,  B.,  facing  202. 
Remington,  Philo,  facing  204. 
Remington,  Samuel,  facing  206. 
Richmond,  Seth  M.,  facing  488. 
Russell,  A.  N.,  facing  208. 
Rust,  Nelson,  facing  264. 
Sheldon,  Eugene  E.,  facing  136. 
Shull,  Josiab,  facing  176. 
Small,  Isaac,  facing  268. 
Southworth,  Dr.  M.  A.,  facing  168, 
Spinner,  Rev.  J.  P.,  facing  186. 
Steele,  A.  B.,  facing  152. ' 
Story,  Albert,  facing  272. 
Story,  A.  G.,  facing  290. 
Vrooman,  J.  W.,  facing  64. 
Walrath,  Rugene,  facing  296. 
Warne,  D.  D.,  facing  310. 
Weller,  Frederick  U.,  facing  ISO.- 
Wheeler,  William  T.,  facing  528. 
Willard,  Frank  H.,  between  510-511. 
Willard,  X.  A.,  between  510-511. 
Witherstine,  C.  C,  facing  240. 
Wood.  Alonzo,  facing  374. 
Potters,  the,  in  Norway,  411. 
Piatt,  Abial,  318. 


Prendergast,  John  I.,  152. 
Prescott,  General,  95. 

Family,  the  biography  of,  482. 

W.  C,  portrait  of,  facing  156. 
Priest,  Major  Z.  C,  95,  264,  285,  290,  291. 
Pryne,  Dr.  P.,  171. 

Quackenbusb,  H.  M.,  237. 

Rafter,  James  B.,  193. 

biography  of,  513. 
portrait  of,  facing  140. 
Railroad,  Albany  and  Schenectady,  69. 

Utica  and  Sclienectady,  69. 
Randall,  Rev.  J.  B.,  366. 
Rasbach.  John  A.,  140.    ^ 
Reddy,  Michael,  285,  297,  298. 

Robert,  James  and  Edward,  298. 
Reele  (Reall)  Family,  the,  81. 
Regiment,  Eighteenth  Cavalry,  108. 
First  Light  Artillery,  107. 
Fourteenth,  106. 
Ninety-seventh,  98. 
One  Hundred  Fifty-second,  103. 
One  Hundred  Twenty-first,  101. 
Second  Artillery,  107. 
Second,  of  Rifles,  108. 
Sixteenth  Artillery,  108. 
Thirty  fourth,  96. 
Twenty-sixth,  106. 
Remensneider,  Henry,  329, 
Remington  Armory,  205. 
Eliphalet,  203,  204. 
sr.,  B.,  portrait  of,  facing  200. 
jr.,  Eliphalet,  189,  202,  205,  206,  207. 
biography  of,  475. 
portrait  of,  facing  202. 
Mrs.  Caroline,  209. 
Philo,  203,  205,  206,  207, 
biography  of,  473. 
portrait  of,  facing  204. 
Samuel,  205,  206. 

portrait  of,  facing  206. 
sewing  machine,  206. 
typewriter,  206. 
Kich,  Rev.  Amos,  327. 
Richardson,  Rev.  C,  S.,  276. 
Richmond,  Seth  M.,   282.  285,  289,  291, 
295. 

/  biography  of,  489. 

/  portrait  of,  facing  488. 

▼  Rivers  and  streams,  25. 
Roads  and  bridges,  early,  88. 
"Rockton,"  268. 

Rosecrants,  Rev.  Abraham,  185,  187,  229. 
George,  137. 


264 


INDEX. 


Rom  den,  Rev.  Fitoli,  186. 
Russell,  Albert  N.,  207. 

biography  of,  487. 
portrait  of,  facing  208. 
&  Sons,  A.  W.,  208. 
Russia,  boundaries  and  topography  of,  434. 
Poland,  village  in,  445. 
churches  of,  440. 
manufactures  of,  437. 
mills  of,  436 
schools  of,  435. 
taverns  in,  439. 
union  store,  439. 
settlers  of,  434. 
supervisors  of,  445. 
village,  444. 
Rust,  Alonzo,  233,  425. 

Nelson,  biography  of,  538. 
portrait  of,  facing  264. 
Salisbury,  boundaries  and  topography  of, 
315. 

Center,  324. 
churches  of,  326. 
Corners,  326. 

early  improvements  in,  322. 
settlers  of,  316  et  .seq. 
supervisors  of,  317. 
Seminary,  Fairfield,  306  et  seq. 
Senators.  State,  111. 
School,  George  P.  Folts  Training,  230. 
Schools  of  Herkimer,  233. 
Schuyler,  boundaries  and  topography    of, 
397. 

churches  of,  404. 
early  merchants  m,  401. 
early  settlement  of,  398,  400. 
early  taverns  in,  401. 
first  town  meeting  in,  403. 
roads  in,  402. 
schools  of,  402. 
supervisors  of,  403. 
Sharer,  Christian,  118. 
Shaul  Family,  the,  349. 
Shaw.  Rev.  J.  R.,  394. 
Shear'd,  Titu.s,  285.  291,  296,  297. 
Sheldon,  Eugene  E.,  biography  of,  518. 

portrait  of,  facing  136. 
Shell,  John  Christian,  226. 

John  Christian,  defense  by,  61. 
Sheriffs,  154. 

Shoemaker  Family,  the,  82. 
Shull,  Josiah.  127. 

biography  of,  462. 
portrait  of,  facing  176. 
Silliman,  Benjamin,  121. 


Simms,  Edward,  346. 
Skinner,  W.  I.,  118,  266,285,  286. 
Small,  Isaac,  biography  of,  472. 
portrait  of,  facing  268. 
Smith,  Alexander,  352. 

Arunah  C,  305. 

A.  T.,  241. 

Family,  the,  82. 

family,  the,  in  Norway,  432. 

Fred,  412,  426,  432. 

George  W.,  322. 

Larkin,  370. 

Nathan,  137. 

Noah,  322. 

Otis,   188. 

Peter  P.,  346. 

Rev.  D.  Kendall,  378. 

Rollin  H.,  287. 

biography  of,  527. 

&  Bushnell,  300. 
Smith's  Corner's,  353. 
Snow,  Ephraim,  221._ 
Snyder,  Rev.  Henry  M.,  228. 
Social  habits,  early,  226 
Society,    St.    Paul's    Universalist,    Little 

Falls,  279. 
.Soil  as  adapted  to  dairying,  116. 
South  Columbia,  365. 
Southworth,  Dr.  M.  A.,  biography  of,  495. 

portrait  of,  facing  108. 
Spinner,  Francis  E.,  135,  189,  214. 
biography  of,  464. 
portrait  of,  186. 

Rev.  John' P..  186,  227. 
portrait  of,  facing  186. 
Spofford,  John  D.,  335,  336,  337. 

Thomas,  334. 
Squire,  W.  C,  206. 
Stafford  &  Co.,  W.,  292. 
Stage.s  and  stage  routes,  90. 
Stanton,  John  W.,  biography  of,  523. 
Stark,  boundaries  and  topography  of,  348. 

churches  of,  352. 

first  school  in,  351. 

first  settlements  in,  349. 

first  town  officers  of,  350. 

productions  of,  351. 

supervisors  of,  351. 

Rev.  J.,  187. 
Starkville,  352. 
Staring  Family,  the,  83. 

Joseph,  181. 

Judge  Henri,  136. 

Luther  P.,  398. 

Valentine,  180. 


I 


i 


INDEX. 


265 


State  Dairymen's  Association,  270. 
Stebbins,  G.  G.,  283. 
J.  R.,  282,  285,  289. 
J.  R.  &  G.  G.,  283. 
Rev.  L.  D.,  309. 
Steele,  Abram  B.,  biography  of,  479. 

portrait  of,  tacing  152. 
Stimson,  S.  W.,  242. 
Stone  Arabia,  400. 
Stone  church  at  Fort  Herliimer,    177   et 

seq.,  188  et  seq. 
"  Stone  Ridge,"  the,  215. 
Story,  Albert,  291. 

biography  of,  460. 
portrait  of,  facing  272. 
Albert  G.,  289-291. 
biography  of,  460. 
portrait  of,  facing  290. 
Surrogates,  154. 
Sweet,   Dr.  Griffin,  171. 
Swift,  Nathan,  188. 
Sykes,  Rev.  R.  E.,  280. 

Taylor,  Rev.  W.  C,  210. 
Teall,  Joseph.  304. 

Temouth  (Demouth)  Family,  the,  84. 
Thayer,  Col.  Jared,  417. 
Thomas,  George  H.,  313,  409. 
Thompson,  Silas,  319. 
Tiramerman,  Jacob,  328. 
Todd,  Dr.  Stephen,  169,  318,  323. 
^ombling.  Dr.  Abijah,  169. 
^/Transportation,  early  means  of,  86. 
Tryon  county,  47. 

troops  in  the  Revolution,  52. 
Turnpike  road  companies,  89. 

Vail,  Rev.  C.  H.,  367. 

Van  Allan,  Rev.  Ira,  197. 

Van  Horn,  Cornelius  T.  E.,  135,  3.52. 

Family,  the,  350. 

Thomas,  .351. 
Van  Hornesville,  351. 
Van  Petten,  Rev.  J.  B.,  309. 
Varney,  Edmund,  135,  137. 
Vrooman,  John  W.,  biography  of,  531. 
portrait  of,  facing  64. 

Tunis,  363. 
Vrooman's  map,  22. 

Walrath,  Rugene,  287,  296. 
biography  of,  515. 
portrait  of,  facing  296. 
War,  Civil,  raising  of  troops  for  the,  95. 
of  1812,  67. 


Ward,  Hamilton,  151. 

Rev.  S.  R.,  354. 

Richard.  R.,  254. 
VVarne,  Dwight  D.,  biography  of,  539. 
portrait  of,  facing  310. 

D.  D.  &  F.  L.,  310. 
Warren,   boundaries  and    topography  of, 
354. 

churches  of,  359. 

early  mills  in,  358. 

first  town  officers  of,  357. 

pioneers  of,  3.55. 

schools  of,  359. 

supervisors  of,  357. 
Wars,  efleots  of  religious,  28. 
Waterman,  Alexander  H.,  148. 
Weber,  Jacob,  216. 
Weller,  Frederick  U.,  biography  of,  492. 

portrait  of,  facing  180. 
Welleven  (Wolleaver)  Family,  the,  84. 
West  Frankfort,  396. 
Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation   Com- 
pany, 86. 
Weatherwax,  A.  G.,  301. 

James  H.,  321. 
Wever.  Jacob,  219. 

(Weaver)  Family,  the,  85. 
Wevens,  the,  219. 
Wharrry,  Evans,  136,  215. 
Wheeler,  William  T.,  biography  of,  529. 

portrait  of,  facing  528. 
White,  William  H.,  289. 
Whitman,  Charles,  189. 

Benjamin,  188. 
Willard,  Col.  Charles,  305. 

Dr.  I.  N.,  305. 

Dr.  Nathan  S.,  170. 

Frank  H.,  poem  by,  on  the   death  of 
General'  Herkimer,  78. 
biography  of,  511. 
portrait  of,  between  510-511.  ~ 

George  N.,  305. 

X.  A.,  116,  127,  244,  283. 
biography  of,  510. 
portrait  of,  between  510-511. 
Willett,  Colonel,  63. 
Williams,  Jesse,  123. 
Willoughby,  Dr.  Westel,  167,  408,  431. 
Willsey,  Dr.,  350. 

Wilmurt,  boundaries  and  topography  of, 
449. 

supervisors  of,  452. 
Wilson,  Sylvester,  225. 
"Windfall,"  the,  Schuyler,  399. 
Winfield  Agricultural  Society,  372. 


INDEX. 


Winfield,  churches  of,  370. 
early  settlers  of,  309. 
erection  and  boundaries  of,  368. 
first  town  meeting  in,  371. 
growth  of,  372. 
schools  of,  375. 
sunervisors  of,  381. 
West,  373. 

academy.  375. 

Bank,  374. 

business  interests  of,  373. 

churches  of,  376. 

merchants  of,  375. 

newspapers  of,  376. 

water  works,  375. 
Winton,  Major  D.  B.,  335. 
Witherstine,  C.  C,  240. 

biography  of,  478. 


Witherstine,  C.  C,  portrait  of,  facing  240. 

H.  P.,  240. 
Wolever,  Peter,  180. 
Wollaber,  Nicholas,  170. 
Wood,  Alonzo,  203. 

biography  of,  512. 
portrait  of,  facilis  374. 

Judson  I.,  204. 
Woodruff,  Chauncey,  221. 
Woodworth,  Lieutenant  Solomon,  0!. 
Wood's  Corners,  379, 
Wooster,  J.  H.,  95. 

Sherman,  136. 
Yeomans,  Prentice.  135. 
York,  Rev.  G.  P.,  365. 
Young,  Alanson,  352. 

Wilham,  G.,  122. 
Zoller,  Jacob,  296. 


INDEX 

FAMILY  SKETCHES. 


Abbott,  Sardis  L.,  1. 
Abbott,  William  H.,  2. 
Abeel,  J.  W.,  149. 
Abrams,  Prof.  J.  K..  3. 
Abrial,  John,  2. 
Acers,  Frank  B.,  2. 
Ackler,  John  A.,  149. 
Aland,  Charles,  2. 
Alexander,  Mrs.  James,  148. 
Allen,  D.  E.,  1. 
Allen,  W.  D.,  148. 
Alvord,  John  M.,  148. 
Andrew.s,  George  F.,  148. 
Angell,  Delevan  A.,  4. 
Angell,  M.  D.,  149. 
Armstrong,  George  A.,  3. 
Arnold,  Harrj'  0.,  4. 
Arnold,  Thomas,  3. 
Ashenhurst,  W.  F.,  2. 
Avery,  Sanford,  148. 
Avery,  William  W.,  149. 
Babcock,  Calvin  G.,  15. 
Babcock,  Stephen  B.,  16. 
Bacon,  Warren  H.,  10. 
Bailey,  Albert,  18.' 
Bailey,  Squire,  160. 
Bailey,  Thomas,  W'A- 
Baird,  John,  7. 
Baker,  Albert,  152. 
Baker  Herbert  E.,  154. 
Baker,  Hiram  V.,  155. 
Baker.  J.  C,  155. 
Baker,  Walter,  10. 
Ball.  Alpha  A.,  134. 
Ball,  Elias  B.,  152. 
Ball.  Howard  H.,  152. 
Bardin,  Park  M.,  154. 


Barnes,  Deacon  Charles,  152. 
Barney,  Dr.  A.  G.,  8. 
Barrett,  MurtisA.,  154. 
Barringer,  C.  A.,  6, 
Barse,  Charles  I.,  156. 
Barse,  F.,  6. 
Barse,  Irving,  15. 
Bartlett,  Rush,  21. 
Barwell,  Henry,  16. 
Beals,  Rev.  Oliver  B.,  147. 
Beattie,  William,  159. 
Beokwith,  Clinton,  138. 
Beckwith,  E.  D.,  153.  ; 
Bell,  Charles,  11. 
Bellinger,  George  P.,  6. 
Bellinger,  Henry  H.,  15. 
Bellinger,  James  H.,  8. 
Bellinger,  John,  151. 
Bellinger,  Joseph  H.,  159. 
Bellinger,  J.  C,  7. 
Bellinger,  J.  M.,  12. 
Bellinger,  Peter,  13. 
Bellinger,  P.  B.,  192. 
Bellinger,  P.  S.,  157. 
Bellinger,  Steward,  156. 
Belsliaw,  Thomas.  137. 
Bemis-s,  Oscar,  19. 
Benedict,  Charles,  160. 
Benedict,  William  C,  17. 
Bennett,  Howard  M.,  155. 
Bennett,  R.  W.,  7. 
Bennett,  William,  150. 
Benton,  W.  W.,  7. 
Bidleman,  Peter  L.,  9. 
Bishton,  F..  8. 
Blatchley,  James  W.,  150. 
Bliss,  Alvin,  153. 


268 


INDEX. 


Bloomfield,  Charles  W.,  150. 
Bly.'Daniel  W.,  14. 
Bonsfifld,  John  C,  160. 
Booth,  Amanda  M.,  18. 
Bose,  John,  14. 
Boyoe,  John,  156. 
Boyer,  Horace  M.,  17." 
Brace  Family,  the,  20. 
Brace,  Frank  L.,  143. 
Brace,  Henry  L.,  22. 
Brace,  Lucius  F.,  18. 
Brace,  Woodrufl'A.,  19. 
Bradford,  George  H.,  II. 
Bradford,  Bopestill,  12. 
Bradley,  II.  W.,  C. 
Brandon,  Rev.  Peter,  158. 
Brayton,  Stephen,  14. 
Breckwr.ldt,  Julius,  11. 
Brice,  Mf.rtin,  11. 
Bridenbecker,  Amos,  5. 
Bridenbecker  Brother.s,  32. 
Brigg-s,  A.  M.,  10. 
Briggs,  Nathan,  156. 
Briggs,  William.  9. 
Broat,  Hiram,  246. 
Brockett,  Calvin,  157. 
Brockett,  Clinton,  9. 
Brockett,  Z.  G.,  11, 
Bronner,  Alonzo,  159. 
Bronner,  Walter  I..  1.58. 
Bronson,  O    W..  156. 
Brooks,  Fred,  150. 
Brown,  Arthur  T.,  154. 
Brown.  Charles  H.,  21. 
Brown,  Edward  A.,  151. 
Brown,  E.  H.,  10. 
Brown,  Horace,  6. 
Brown,  H.  Clark,  154. 
Brown,  Jacob  H.,  159. 
Brown,  Philip  H.,  153. 
Brown,  Roswell  E.,  8. 
Brown,  William,  155. 
Buck,  George  W.,  138. 
Buck,  Lyman  II.,  4. 
Budlong,  A.  L.,  9. 
Budlong,  Capt.  A.  J.,  151. 
Budlong,  John,  15. 
Bullion,  Clark  L.,  138. 
Bullock,  Charles  B.,  16. 
Bunce,  George  H.,  12. 
Burch,  C.  B,  G 
Burcli,  Frederick,  155. 
Burch,  R.,  11. 
Burch,  S.  C,  G. 
Burgess,  Mrs.  Sarah  A.,  17. 


Burke,  M.  L.,  9. 
Burlingame,  B.  W.,  5. 
Burney,  F.  C.  8. 
Burney,  J.  G.,  157. 
Burns,  Edward  M.,  13. 
Burns,  M.,  155. 
Burpee,  Nathaniel,  31. 
Burt,  Delos  M.,  141. 
Burton.  David,  152. 
Bu.shnell,  Dr.  K.  A.,  14. 
Button,  Gould,  21. 
Caldwell,  J.  Minott,  165. 
Garden,  Frank  E.,  29. 
Carnwright,  J.  L.,  164. 
Carran,  Thomas  G.,  22. 
Carrier,  Col.  David  R..  143. 
Carpenter,  James  O.,  80. 
Caruthers,  Henry,  23. 
Gary,  John  L.,  29. 
Case,  Herman,  164. 
Casey,  Dr.  L  E.,  165. 
easier,  B.  P..  27. 
Casler,  George,  163. 
Casler,  George  H.,  24. 
Casler,  Philo  W.,  28. 
Caswell,  George,  33. 
Cavanaugh,  Frank,  162. 
Champion,  Delano  A..  163. 
Chapman,  Byron  E.,  23. 
Chester,  John,  27. 
Chismore,  Edward,  164. 
Cliristman,  Nichola.s,  160. 
Christman,  W.,  25. 
Churchill,  Henry,  25. 
Clapsaddle,  Frank,  35. 
Clayton,  Samuel,  34. 
Clemens,  Michael,  240. 
Clive,  Henry,  2.5. 
Clive,  Stephen,  28. 
Cloyes,  Anson  G.,  27. 
Coakley,  jr.,  John,  167. 
Coe,  lienry  R.,  26. 
Coe.  S.  E..  164. 
Coffin.  E.  J..  28. 
Colcord,  J.  T..  163. 
Cole,  Gilbert,  29. 
Cole,  Truman.  25. 
Coleman,  F.  W.,  3-1. 
Collins,  Dennis,  26. 
Collins,  Rev.  Dennis  B..  166. 
Collins,  William  H.,  166. 
Comes,  Addison  C,  1(16. 
Comstock,  Byron,  163. 
Comstock,  Dr.  F.  F.,  29. 
Congdon,  William  B.,  166. 


INDEX. 


260 


Conklin,  Silas  H.,  240. 
Conkling,  James,  33. 
Conway,  Jolin,  162, 
Cook,  D.  L.,  162. 
Cook,  M.  B..  3-4. 
Goonradt,  A.  B.,  161. 
Cooper,  B.  I.,  144. 
Cooper,  Charles  F.,  165. 
Cooper,  Henry  C,  24. 
Cox,  William  S.,  164. 
Cramer,  Addison,  163. 
Cramer  Family,  the,  165. 
Crandall,  Otis  N.,  22. 
Grim,  Adam  J..  162. 
Crist,  D.  B.,  130. 
Crist,  Hezekiah  H.,  166. 
Cristman,  James  A.,  34. 
Croak,  John  B.,  23. 
Cronkhite,  Cornelius,  29. 
Cronkhite,  Jonas,  23. 
Crossetl,  James,  164. 
Crumby,  George  Fenner,  26. 
Crumby,  John  A.,  141. 
Cunningham,  Daniel  F.,  27. 
Cunningham,  Thomas,  28. 
Curry,  Thomas  H.,  33. 
Dady,  William  J.,  168. 
Dale.  WiUiam  H.,  41. 
Daniels,  Ira  W.,  169. 
Davis,  Albert,  169. 
Davis,  George  H.,  170. 
Davis,  Henry  H.,  35. 
Davis,  E.  Irvi:ig,  39. 
Davy,  John  W.,  169. 
Davy,  William  x'.,  168. 
Day,  Almond,  170. 
Day.  Erasmus  W.,  37. 
De  Coster,  Harry  A.,  36. 
Dedicke,  Edward,  37. 
Deimel,  A.,  167. 
Deimel,  H.  A.,  169. 
Deimel,  Menning  A.,  40. 
DeLong,  L.  M.,  169. 
De  Long,  Richard,  168. 
Dempsey,  James,  36. 
Dennison,  Allen  W.,  171. 
Dess,  Louis,  171. 
Devendorf,  Irving  R.,  36. 
Dewey,  Dennis  A.,  35. 
Dexter,  Henry  W.,  39. 
Dexter,  Lyman  C,  40. 
DiefTenbacher,  Jacob,  38. 
Dietz,  Charles,  141. 
Dievendorf,  Jacob,  41. 
Dixon  &  Lewis.  170. 


Dodge,  Ira.  170. 
Dolge,  Carl  O.,  168. 
Dolge,  Charles.    168. 
Dolge,  Henry  A.,  37. 
Donahue  Michael,  169. 
Doolittle,  E.  H.,  38. 
Doty,  E.  L.,  37. 
Douglas,  Dr.  B.  H.,  36. 
Douglass,  Dr.  A.  J.,  40. 
Douglass,  Dr.  Allison  O.,  40. 
Downing,  Zeno  I.,  35. 
Dudleston,  Joseph  J.,  247. 
Dudley,  Dr.  William  H.,  38. 
Dunckel,  Peter,  38. 
Dutton,  Ward,  35. 
Dygert,  Daniel,  168. 
Earl,  Robert,  2d,  42. 
Easton,  Hon.  Henry  L.,  142. 
Eaton,  Irving,  173. 
Baton,  Volney,  44. 
Eckel,  Fred  W.,  173. 
Eckler,  Hendrick,  41. 
Bckler,  James,  251. 
Eckler,  Jeremiah,  241. 
Edes,  James,  43. 
Edick,  jr.,  Henry.  172. 
,  Edick,  John  C,  172. 
Edsall,  Dr.  Irving  S.,  43. 
Eggleston,  Oscar  B.,  173. 
Ellis,  Alanson,  172. 
Ellis,  Lorenzo,  41. 
Ellis,  Thomas  W.,  251. 
Ellsworth,  Myron  K.,  251. 
Ellsworth,  Sylvester,  173. 
Elwood  Families,  the,  252. 
Ely,  Lester,  172. 
Ely,  Samuel,  42. 
Emery,  John,  42. 
Enos,  William  P.,  44. 
Evans,  James  H.,  43. 
Eysaman,  Horace,  135. 
Fallis,  Theodore,  176. 
Farber,  Christopher,  229. 
Farmer,  Wolcott  G.,  238. 
Farrell,  Thomas  P.,  48. 
Favil'e,  Henry,  47. 
Fay,  Rimmen  C,  47. 
Fellows,  Charles  L.,  46. 
Fenner,  A.  G.,  177. 
Fenner,  Calvin,  177. 
Fenner,  John  B.,  175. 
Fenner,  Rosell,  47. 
Ferguson,  Thomas  D.,  176. 
Fields,  John,  177. 
Fikes,  Willard,  137. 


270 


INDEX. 


Finster,  George,  47. 
Fish,  Charles  P.,  141. 
Fish,  Irving,  K.,  44. 
Fish,  Wallace  Isaac,  44. 
Fisher,  Henrv,  44. 
Fisher,  JohnC.,  48. 
Fitzgerald,  John  W.,   145. 
Fisher,  J.  H.,  2-51. 
Fitzgerald,  James,  250. 
Flansburg,  Cornelius,  46. 
Flansburg,  Jerry,  175. 
Flansburg,  John  V.,  147. 
Flansburg,  Philip  J.,  175. 
Fleming,  G.  C,  174. 
Foley,  Daniel,  176. 
Folnsbee,  William,  250. 
Folts,  Mrs.  D.,  45. 
Ford,  A.  W.,47. 
Ford,  C.  T.,  176. 
Ford,  Daniel,  17C. 
Ford,  James  W.,  48. 
Forest,  John  W.,  174. 
Forrest,  David,  J.,  45. 
Foster  Aaron  Stiles,  176. 
Fowler,  D.  R.,  177. 
Frateschi,  Paoli,  128. 
Frederiksen,  J.  D.,  46. 
Freeman,  David,  139. 
French,  Morris  F.,  177. 
Freygang,  Gustav  A.,  46. 
Gage,  James  E.,  162. 
Gardinier,  Albert,  181. 
Garliue,  Charles,  179. 
Garlock,  William,  H.,  49. 
Garner,  George  C.,  52. 
Gerhart,  Louis,  181.  • 
Gerstenlauer,  Gotlieb,  50. 
Getnian,  Dr.  Clark,  51. 
Getman,  Mahlon,  52. 
Getman,  Sanford,  51. 
Getman,  Sanford,  181. 
Gettley,  John,  52. 
Geywits,  Adam,  145. 
Gibson,  Burr,  181. 
Ginbey,  James  S.,  48. 
Gird,  Emma  L.,  179. 
Glidden,  Dr.  Charles  H.,  51. 
Goodale,  G.  A.,  18D. 
Goodier,  Alonzo  J.,  49. 
Goodier,  Henry  W.,  178. 
Goodier,  James  G.,  180. 
Goes,  Martin,  50. 
Golden,  D.  N.,  180. 
Graham,  J.,  51. 
Graves,  Dr.  George,  49. 


Graves,  Solomon,  144. 

Gray,  Alfred,  51. 

Gray,  C.  B.,  182. 

Green,  Nelson  K.,  248. 

Green,  William  J.,  178. 

Greene,  Alonzo  H.,  52. 

Greene,  Willis.  181. 

Griswold,  G.  W.,  181. 

Grosvenor  Family,  the,  50. 

Guenther,  George,  182. 

Guiney,  John,  &  Company,  180. 

Hackley,  Arthur  C,  53. 

Hakes,  Seward,  246. 

Hall.  Dr.  Horace,  183. 

Hall,  H.  Clay,  57. 

Hall,  John,  186 

Hailing,  Theodore  C,  184. 

Halpin,  Rev.  James  H.,  244. 

Hamlin,  Dr.  C.  W.,  242. 

Hanchett,  N.  A.,  113. 

Harrid,  George,  183. 

Harris,  William,  53. 
Harris,  William  H.,  193 
Harrison,  Horace  L.,  187. 
Harrison,  Thomas  E.,  53. 
Hart,  James,  55. 
Harter,  Aaron,  182. 
Harter.  Charles,  243. 
Harter,  Chauncey  C,  245. 
Harter,  P.  P.,  185. 
Harter,  Smith  C,  56. 
Harwick,  Joseph,  186. 
Haslehurst,  Alexander  W.,  58. 
Hawkins,  Keith,  243. 
Hawthorne,  Wilson,  184. 
Hayes,  Dr.  William  E.,  245. 
Hayes,  John  L.,  250. 
Heacock,  S.  G.,  245. 
Helligas,  E.  B.,  147., 
Helmer,  Hannibal,  243. 
Helmer,  Henry  J.,  142. 
Helmer,  Philip.  184. 
Helmer,  Samuel,  182. 
Hemstreet,  John,  55. 
Hemstreet,  J.  V.,  58. 
Henderson,  John  Dryden,  244. 
Herrick,  William  A.,  57. 
Hicks,  Robert  H.,  243. 
Higbie,  William,  60. 
Hines,  Charles  F.,  243. 
Hines,  Riley  B.,  54. 
Histed,  W.  Duane,  54. 
Hiteman,  Henry,  53. 
Hiteman,  John,  53. 
Hodge,  Ira,  140. 


INDEX. 


271 


Hoefler,  John,  246. 
Hoffman,  George,  184. 
Hoke,  Charles  D.,  184. 
Hoke,  Solomon,  180. 
Holcomh,  Edward  B.,  54.  ' 
Holden,  J.  P.,  57. 
Holland,  George  E.,  52. 
Holmes,  O.  Brainerd,  247. 
Hoover,  John  P.,  187. 
Hopkinson,  William,  55. 
Hopson,  Edwin  R.,  56. 
Horn,  Adolph  G.,  56. 
Hose,  Wallace,  252. 
Hosford,  William,  187. 
Hotaling,  Reuben,  244. 
Houghton,  Clark,  186. 
Houghton,  William  L.,  185. 
House,  H.  A.,  246. 
House,  Squire,  184. 
Howell.  W.  B.,56. 
Hughes,  E.  H.,  oi. 
Hull,  Henry  W.,  185. 
Humphrey,  B.,  187. 
Hunt,  Mr^.  Mary,  244. 
Hunt,  T.E.,  183. 
Huntley,  Eugene  P.,  107. 
Huntley,  Jackson  M.,  185. 
Hurlburt,  J.  W.,  245. 
Hurlbut,  George  H.,  126. 
Huyck.  J.  Horatio,  57. 
Hyer,  Otis  H.,  183. 
IngersoU,  Fred  T.,  190. 
Ingham,  C.  S.,  59. 
Ingham,  William  A.,  Gl. 
Ingraham,  Fernando  C,  128. 
Ives,  J.  H..  58. 
Jackson,  Henry  Eugene,  59. 
Jackson,  I.  E.,  133. 
Jackson,  James  0.,  191. 
Jackson  W.  E.,  .58. 
Jackson,  W.  R.,  188. 
Jackson,  William  W.,  58. 
James,  Philip,  190. 
Jarvis,  David  P.,  60. 
Johnson,  Gilbert  J.,  190. 
Johnson,  Horace  M.,  188. 
Johnson,  Jesse  W.,  59. 
Johnson,  Joseph  A.,  58. 
Johnson,  Samuel,  59. 
Jones,  Dennison  S.,  188. 
Jones,  Hadley,  190. 
Jones,  Henry  D.,  188. 
Jones,  Hiram,  188. 
Jones,  William  E.,  188. 
Joslin,  Aaron  V.,  189. 


Joslin,  Merritt  F.,  59. 

Joslyn,  George  N.,  250. 

Kay,  Artemas  J.,  193. 

Kay,  Dr.  Cyrus,  64, 

Kay,  William  E.,  61. 

Kellar,  W.,  62. 

Keller,  Alexander,  61. 

Keller,  Amos,  19^; 

Kelsey,  George,  116. 

Kenyon,  Samuel  P.,  193. 

Kenyon,  V.  S.,  194. 

Kerr,  Neil,  63. 

Kerivan,  John  T.,  63. 

Kilts,  Willard,  61. 

Kingsbury,  Edward  H.,  63. 

Kingsley  Brothers,  195. 

Kingston,  Edward  S.,  64. 

Kingston,  William.  62. 

Kinne,  Jeremiah,  2d,  61. 

Kirby,  William,  195. 

Kiltams,  James  H.,  63. 

Klipple,  George,  194. 

Kloek,  Peter,  63. 

Klock  Reuben,  194. 

Knapp,  George,  62. 

Knapp,  Wheeler,  194. 

Koetteritz,  John  B.,  62. 

Krick,  John,  194. 

Kyser,  Jacob,  63. 

Ladd,  J.  B.,  199. 

La  Due,  Daniel  W.,  65. 

Lally,  Patrick,  197. 

Lamberson.  J.  F.,  250. 

Lannmg,  WiUiam  B.,  68. 

Lansing,  Edward  Ten  Eyck,  198. 

Larned,  Frederick  G.,  64. 

Lathrop,  Charles  M.,  199. 

Leach  Adelbert  Aaron,  199, 

Leahy  Dan  M.,  197. 

Leary,  Patrick.  199. 

Legg.A.  H.  196. 

Lehr,  Dr.  Gilbert  N.,  67. 

Leigh,  J.  T.,  66. 

Leon,  John,  195. 
Levee,  Richard,  68. 
,  Lewis,  David,  192. 
\  Lewis,  John,  66. 
Ujewis,  Marshall,  67. 

Limpert,  John,  67. 

Lintner,  W.  H.  H.,  65. 

Lints,  Alonzo  M.,  68. 

Lints,  Simon,  242. 

Lints,  jr.,  Simeon  P.,  66. 

Lints, 'W.E..  199. 

Little,  Andrew,  65. 


272 


INDEX. 


Livingston,  J.  C,  196. 
Lloyd,  D.  Frank.  252. 
Lottis.  John,  131. 
Longshore,  Dr.  Miles,  197. 
Long.sliore,  R.  Glide,  (i5. 
Loonier,  Aaron  P.,  130. 
Loomis,  B.  G.,  198. 
Loomis,  Watts  T.,  67. 
Lotridge,  George  H.,  131. 
Lotridge,  Marlet,  198. 
Loucks,  William  P.,  66. 
Lovenheim,  I.  N.,  126. 
Lndden,  Rev.  A.  P.,  197. 
Lutlier,  Ira,  198. 
Lvon,  ElishaE,,  196. 
Mabbett,  John  J.,  201. 
Mabbett,  Smith  E.,  74. 
McArthur,  Daniel,  72. 
McOammon,  George  \V.,  73. 
MeChesney,  H.,  72. 
McChesney,  Robert  D.,  73. 
McCredy,  David  W.,  207. 
McDougal,  Richard,  201. 
McEvoy,  P.  H.,  75. 
McGowan,  Cape  James,  71. 
McGraw,  H.,  205. 
McKee,  Samuel,  70. 
McKennan,  John,  77. 
McLean,  Simpson,  202. 
McMillan,  J.  L.,  146. 
McWenie,  William,  202. 
Maeyer,  Father  I.  H.  W.,  202. 
Mang,  Frank  S.,  205. 
Mang,  George  L.,  204. 
Mann,  Daniel,  206. 
Marcy,  Stoors,  70. 
Mark  Morris,  201. 
Marshall,  Dolphus  S.,  71. 
Mason,  Amos  T,,  242. 
Mason,  Joseph  W.,  132. 
Mather,  J.,  74. 
Ma'thews,  Chauncey,  206. 
May,  William,  75. 
Maynard,  John  E.,  7. 
Meagher,  John,  127. 
Merry,  Seward,  203. 
Metzger,  Jacob  H.,  206. 
Miller,  Alonzo  P.,  192. 
Miller,  Dr.  Adam,  30. 
Millington,  Dr.  Stephen  R.,  71. 
Minott,  W.  v.,  205. 
Mitchell,  Edwin  B..  74. 
Mitchell,  Thomas  H.,  76. 
Mixter,  David  E.,  134. 
Molineus,  Frank  M.,  74. 


Monroe,  Thomas  M.,  76. 
Montgomery,  E.  D.,  206. 
Montgomery,  William  K.,  70. 
Moon,  Chnton  Abner,  200. 
Moon,  Dr.  John,  249. 
Moon,  Erastns,  201. 
Moon,  William  W.,  09. 
Moore,  John  D.,  95. 
Moore,  Milo,  77 
Moors,  Dr.  Alfred  A.,  69. 
Moors,  Joseph,  206. 
More,  Miles,  204. 
Morey,  Dr.  George  C,  200. 
Morey,  L.  A.,  203. 
Morey,  Milo,  248. 
Morey,  Newell,  204. 
Morgan,  A.  D.,  75. 
Morgan,  Charles  E  ,  207. 
Morgan,  Franklin  Dwight,  70. 
Morgan.  Tavlor  W.,  69. 
Morse,  Ale.x.  L.,  205. 
Morse,  William  H.,  72. 
Mosher,  W.  W.,  74. 
Moyer,  Peter,  204. 
Mnckey,  Warner,  75. 
Mullen,  Joseph,  200. 
Munson,  F.  E.,  249. 
Murphy,  James  A.,  202. 
JIurphy,  James  B.,  205. 
Murrav  Brothers,  76. 
MyersI  F.  H..  73. 
Myers,  J.  H.,  148. 
Neely,  Reuben,  208. 
Nellis,  James  K.,  208. 
Nelson,  Edwin  J.,  79. 
Newberry,  Samuel  H.,  78. 
Newell,  J.  R.,  78. 
Newell,  Seiim,  79. 
Newman.  Horace  S.,  79. 
Newman.  Milton  J.,  79.. 
Newth,  N.  J.,  79. 
Newth,  Walter  S.,  208. 
Nichols,  Dr.  C.  W.,  77. 
Nichols,  H.  C,  78. 
O'Brien,  M.  G.,  81. 
Odit,  Augustus,  208. 
O'Dwyer,  Thomas,  167. 
Olmsted,  Osmond  B.,    132. 
Onuf,  Dr.  B.,  81. 
Onvaus,  William,  80. 
O'Rourk  &  Hurley,  128. 
Osgood,  Josiah  S.,  81. 
Osterhout,  S.,  81. 
Ostrander,  Smith,  209. 
Owen,  B.  J,,  209. 


INDEX. 


273 


Owens,  Hugh  R.,  81. 
Oyer,  0.  W.,  209. 
Paddock,  Robert  B.,  85. 
Pine,  Seth,  213. 
Palmer,  Luther  M.,  210. 
Palmer,  Nathan,  209. 
Palmer,  Nathaniel  Budlong,  211. 
Parker,  Theodore  P.,  85. 
Parkinson,  John,  815. 
Pearce,  Frank  E.,  84. 
Peck,  William,  83. 
Pelton,  G.  B.,  212. 
Pelton,  Justin  B.,  212. 
Pelton,  J.  Rand,  249. 
Perrine,  A.,  211. 
Perry,  William  H.,  213. 
Petrie,  Jacob  H.,  212. 
Petrie,  Philo,  249. 
Petrie,  S.  A.,  83. 
Pfhals,  Chris.  J.,  212. 
Phillips,  S.  A.,  84. 
Phillips,  William,  84. 
PhiUips,  V.  0.,  211. 
Pierce,  John,  114. 
Pike,  J.  W.,  211. 
Popple,  Roswell  H.,  82. 
Post,  Dan,  84. 
Powers,  John  F.,  212. 
Prass  Brothers,  214. 
Prescott,  C.  W.,  212. 
Prior,  Louis  R.,  210. 
Pross,  George  Adam,  83. 
Prowse,  William  H.,  83. 
Pryne,  Dr.  P.,  82. 
Putman,  John,  210. 
'EuUiam,  John.M.,  213. 
Rank,  Henry,  217. 
Rank,  Lewis,  215. 
Rankin,  Horace,  216. 
Rankins,  J.  M.,  240. 
Rankins,  Richard  M.,  93. 
Ransom,  N.  E.,  90. 
Rasbach,  Dr.  James  I.,  89. 
Rasbach,  G.  C,  90. 
Rasbach,  John  A.,  92. 
Rasback,  Marcus,  216.  - 
Rasback,  William  C,  87.  . 
Read,  E.  Robins,  87. 
Read,  George  0.,  8G. 
Read,  G.  D..  89. 
Read,  John  B.,  87. 
Redway,  Charles  B.,  93. 
Reed,  Elijah,  91.  . 
Rees.  M.  A.,  215. 


Reese,  Frank,  215. 
Reynolds,  Gideon.  88. 
Rhodes,  Thomas  T.,  86. 
Rhodes,  W.  H.,  216. 
Rice,  Ai,  216. 
Rice,  Albert  M.,  214. 
Rich,  Charles  M  ,  91. 
Richards,  Dr.  Seymour  S.,  91. 
Richards,  La  Fayette,  215. 
Richardson,  D.  M.,  86. 
Richardson,  Thomas,  90. 
Richardson,  Rev.  Charles  S.,  93. 
Rider,  Byron  Adelbert.  94. 
Rider,  Brainerd  M.,  94. 
Rider,  Emerson  D..  214. 
Rider,  Holmes,  89. 
Riley,  James  U.,  138. 
Rising,  James  G.,  247. 
Robbins,  Sanford,  92. 
Robinson,  Douglas,  88. 
Robinson,  Joseph,  217. 
Robinson,  T.  F.,  87. 
Ross,  A.  M.,  92. 
Ross,  D.  G.,  92. 
Root,  A.  P.,  93. 
Root,  H.  G.,  90. 
Rudd,  0.  B.,  92. 
Ruddy,   Henry,  249. 
Russell,  George  R.,  91. 
Russell,  Pardon  S.,  90. 
Sadler,  John  B.,  101. 
Salisbury,  John  E.,  192. 
Saxby,  Wilham,  101. 
Schall,  Daniel,  30. 
Schmidt,  John,  222. 
Schooley,  Andrew,  130. 
Scriber,  G.  H.,  100. 
Schuyler,  John  E.,  219. 
Seaman,  George  L,  100. 
.Seamens,  A.  C,  100. 
Seavey,  Jerome  L.,  95. 
Seckner,  Francis  A.,  112. 
Seeber,  Peter  B.,  100. 
Seeley.  Horatio  B.,  220. 
Selcer,  John,  219. 
Sellman  Brothers,  99. 
Sellman,  J.,  219. 
Senior,  Frank,  127. 
Seversen,  C.  W.,  219. 
Shall,  George  W.,  226. 
Shant,  B.  J.,  220. 
Shant,  W.  H.,  94. 
Sharer,  Dr.  John  P.,  104. 
Sharp,  James,  222. 


274 


INDEX 


Shaul,  Andrew  G.,  224. 
Shaul,  Samuel,  218. 
Shaut,  Moses,  l.'i3. 
Shedd,  Orlando  B.,  223. 
Shppard,  F.  C,  101. 
Sheridan,  Thomas,  218. 
Slierrhan,  John,  9G. 
Shoemaker,  Nicholas  N.,  220. 
Sholes,  Nelson  W.,  lOS. 
Sibel,  George  F.,  189. 
Silliraan,  George,  103. 
Silliman,  Gould,  108. 
Simms,  Edward,  94. 
Skiff,  Dr.  Perrin  A.,  99. 
Skinner,  John  W.,  24G. 
Slade,  Samuel,  224. 
Small,  Fred  I.,  95. 
Small,  Matthew,  223. 
Smith,  Alexander,  31. 
Smith,  A.  G.,  98. 
Smith,  A.  J.,  221. 
Smith,  Bartlett  J.,  108. 
Smith,  Charles  A.,  105. 
Smith,  C.  Cutler,  221. 
Smith,  Dr.  Fletcher  N.,  221. 
Smith,  Dr.  Fred  A.,  132. 
Smith.  Edward  A.,  98. 
Smith,  Edwin  P.,  97. 
Smith,  E.  La  Grange,  97. 
Smith,  Frederick,  106. 
Smith,  George  A.,  105. 
Smith,  George  L.,  144. 
Smith,  George  M.,  218. 
Smith,  Gersham,  225. 
Smith,  Hon.  George  W.,  105. 
Smith,  John  H.,  128. 
Smith,  Larkin  D.,  108. 
Smith,  Melchert,  98. 
Smith,  R.  H..  104. 
Smith,  William,  106. 
Smith,  William  H.,  217. 
-Snell,  C.  R.,  97. 
Snell,  Irving,  219. 
Snell,  Joseph  L.,  127. 
Snell,  Melton,  224. 
Snell.  Nathan  A.,  104. 
Snell,  Seffrenus  Clarence,  223. 
Snider,  John  R.,  227. 
Snyder,  Albert  E  ,  163. 
Snyder,  C.  E.,  97. 
Snyder,  H.  P.,  104. 
Snyder,  John,  227. 
Snyder,  J.  A.,  130. 
Snyder,  Lewis,  227. 


Snyder,  Moses,  227. 
Somers,  William  C,  102. 
Spencer,  D.  D.,  247. 
Spofford,  C.  J.,  222. 
Spall,  Jacob,  126. 
Spellman,  E.  J.,  101. 
Spellman,  Joseph,  222. 
Spellman,  M.,  220. 
Spencer  &  Armstrong,  220. 
Spencer,  D.  D.,  225. 
Spencer,  Herbert  J.,  217. 
Spencer,  Howard,  223. 
Spinner,  J.  W.,  223. 
Spohn,  Frank,  103. 
Spoor,  James  H.,  131. 
Springer,  Frank,  225. 
Springer,  Loadwick,  226. 
Springer,  Oliver  H.,  225. 
Squire,  A.  M.,  107. 
Stacey,  Irving  E.,  94. 
Stahl,  John  L.,  100. 
Standard,  Peter,  222. 
Staring,  Charles  E.,  102. 
Staring,  Gilbert,  226. 
Staring,  Peter  A.,  99. 
Staring,  Philip,  9i). 
Starkeather,  Rutus  G.,  103. 
Stauring.  E.,  222. 
Steele,  J.  A.,  96. 
Stephens,  Dr.  John  H.,  218. 
Stephens,  Frank  E.,  189. 
Stewart.  John  H.,  224. 
Stillman,  Ezra,  98. 
Stinson,  E.  I.,  97. 
Stoddard,  Wilson  O.,  102. 
Stone,  B.  A.,  101. 
Strobel,  Charles  G.,  101. 
Suits,  Hiram,  143. 
Sweet,  Burton  J.,  107. 
Swift,  Timothy  C.  221. 
Taber,  Frederick  Frank,  228. 
Taber,  Peleg,  110. 
Taber  William  1.,  247.  ' 
Tallraan,  W.  Akius,  192. 
Tanner,  Merritt  W.,  111. 
Taylor,  Joseph,  228. 
Taylor,  J.  R..  109. 
Taylor,  Noadiah  D.,  111. 
Thoma-s,  Charles  D.,  111. 
Thomas,  George  H.,  230. 
Thomas,  J.  F.,  110. 
Thompson,  James  W.,  230. 
Thomson,  E.  0.  W.,  110. 
Thorp,  John  J.,  127. 


INDEX. 


275 


Tibbets,  Dr.  William,  230. 
Tilyon,  Abram,  435. 
Timmerraan,  Ira,  228. 
Timmerman,  L.,  &  Son,  109. 
Tine,  G.  Frank,  110. 
Trenbeth,  Frank,  110. 
Trenham,  William  T.,  111. 
Tunnicliff,  George  E.,  229. 
Turner,  E.  M.,  228. 
Turner,  George  R.,  229. 
Turner,  Louis,  109. 
Uebler,  Conrad,  231. 
TJhle,  Jerome,  230. 
Vagts,  Christ,  232. 
Van  Alslyne,  Calvin,  231. 
Van  Benschoten,  Elias,  232. 
Van  Buren,  Jacob,  113. 
Van  Deusen,  D.  B.,  232. 
Van  Dewalker,  Nicholas,  231. 
Van  Dieman,  Paul,  114. 
Van  Gumster,  sr.,  John,  114. 
Van  Slyke,  D.  C,  231. 
Van  Slyke,  William,  230. 
Van  Valbenburg,  0.  A.,  115. 
Van  Vechten,  Charles  F.,  115. 
Van  Vechten,  William  P.,  231. 
Vickerman,  James,  232. 
Vosburgh,  Charles  W.,  114. 
Wadell,  George  C,  234. 
Wadsworth,  Joel,  125. 
Wagner,  Oscar,  122. 

Wainman,  John,  139. 

Waite,  Eben  Britton,  122. 

Wakeman,  Ward,  119. 

Walker  Brothers.  239. 

Walker.  Dr.  D.  E.,  237. 

Walker,  George  A.,  235. 

Walker,  L.  N.,  117. 

Wall,  William  R.,  239. 

Wallace,  B.  M.,  119. 

Wallace,  Peter,  238. 

Wallace,  Rev.  P.  F.,  119. 

WalUver,  D.  H.,  236. 

Walrath,  Henry,  235. 

Walrath,  Jacob,  236. 

Walrath,  Levi,  146. 

Walrath,  Marvin,  146. 

Ward,  Henry  L.,  120. 

Ward,  Hiram,  128. 

Ward,  William  E.,  237. 

Warner,  Dr.  Robert  W.,  118. 

Warren,  Halsey  W.,  116. 

Washburn,  Elisha,  UC. 

Waters,  jr.,  S.  J.,  237. 


Watkins,  James  H.  J.,  123. 
Watts,  J.  W.,  110. 
Way,  William  H.,  147. 
Wayne,  William,  117. 
Weatherbee,  Elias  B.,  123. 
Wetherwax,  A.  L.,  119. 
Weaver,  Walter,  118. 
Weeks,  George  S.,  235. 
Weeks,  Hiram,  233. 
Weeks,  James  N.,  140 
Weeks,  Levi,  145. 
Weigand,  A.  E.,  118. 
Welden,  Thomas,  135. 
Weldon,  John  F..  235. 
Weller,  W.  F.,  120. 
Western,  Benjamin  E  .  121. 
Western,  Samuel  J  ,  239. 
Wheeler,  Charles  D.,  125. 
Wheeler,  Clarence  J.,  189. 
Wheeler,  Henry  H..  124. 
Wheelock.  Clayton  T.,  133. 
Whipple,  Benjamin  A.,  133. 
Whipple  William,  236. 
White,  Franklin,  123. 
Whiteman,  Henry,  115. 
Whitfield,  Walter,  118. 
Whiting,  A.  L.,  237. 
Whiting,  James  P.,  120. 
Whitney,  Henry  G.,  118. 
Whitney,  H.  P.,  236. 
Wholahan,  John  J.,  234. 
Wicks,  J.  D.,  117. 
Wightman,  Abel  G.,  129. 
Wilcox,  Charles,  237. 
Wilcox,  Herbert  H.,  237.      ' 
Wilcox,  Newton  Peleg,  235. 
Williams,  J.  K.,  120. 
Williams,  Richard,  234. 
Williams,  Roger  F.,  234. 
Williams,  Stillman,  124. 
Williams,  Thomas,  233. 
Willoughby,  Daniel  C  ,  129. 
Williamson,  Norman  J.,  239. 
Wilson,  A.  C,  117. 
Wilson,  Sylvester,  121. 
Windecker,  Fred,  234. 
Winegar,  Robert  D.,  120. 
Withe«stine,  William,  121. 
Wolf,  Frederick,  121. 
Wood,  B.  W.,  234. 
Wood,  D.  R.,  116. 
Wood,  Henry  W.,  236. 
Wood,  John,  238. 
Wood,  Palmer  M.,  125. 


276  INDEX. 


Woodard  Brothers,  242.  Wright,  Grant  B.,  117. 

Woodhull,  Dr.  W.  B.,  124.  Wright,  Isaac.  118. 

Wooster,  Daniel  P.  B.,  134.  Young,  Charles,  130. 

Wooster,  .Joseph  T.,  120.  Zoller,  Frederick,  239. 

Worden,  Jefferson,  124.  Zoller,  Jacob,  126. 

Wright,  George  A.,  238.  Zoller,  James,  240. 


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